Rogers & Geyers: Rogers Family

The ROGERS family

Our Australian Rogers family are the descendants of William Thompson ROGERS and Elizabeth Irvin WHITE. The family come from the area near Troon in Ayrshire, Scotland. William was the son of Alexander ROGERS, a farmer, and Jane THOMPSON.1 William married Elizabeth about 1852, probably in Dundonald, a small village not far from Troon.2 William was 24 and Elizabeth was 22.3 Elizabeth was the daughter of John WHITE, also a farmer, and Martha IRVIN.4 The couple's eldest son 'Sandy' (Alexander) was born in Scotland.

The family emigrated within a year or two of the marriage.5, along with William's brother Robert. They departed from Liverpool aboard the ship Dirigo in June 1854. Sadly cholera broke out within days and the vessel put in to Queenstown (Cork). It was then towed back to Birkenhead and quarantined. A total of 57 passengers and crew died. The voyage resumed on August 9th, and the Dirigo reached Adelaide on November 22nd, 1854.6 At this point we lose track of Robert. The family are believed to have settled initially in Kapunda, but tracing the families early movements is difficult. But we do know that by the end of the 1850s, they were in New South Wales and in the Darling river area.

The family's path can, in part at least, be followed through the births and deaths of their children. Our first definite location comes from the death certificate of daughter Margaret which shows she was born on Tarcoola station, near Pooncarie about 1859.7 We have no further information as to what the family was doing at Tarcoola. We do know that William Thompson ROGERS was a carpenter, but whether he was engaged in his trade or some other work we do not know. Sadly, the birth does not appear to have been registered (registrations at Wentworth did not begin till the following year) or we might have more to go on.

By 1862 the family would appear to be have been at Weinteriga station, on the west side of the Darling river north of present day Menindee. William Thompson ROGERS Jnr was born at Weinteriga on July 13 of that year.7 His brother Jack was born at Weinteriga about 1863 although this birth does not appear to have been registered either.9 . We can assume the family was still on Weinteriga or nearby until 1866 because the death certificate of eight year-old Elizabeth ROGERS shows she passed away on January 22nd 1866 from a brain fever at Weinteriga Station.10 The next (and final) birth in the family, a girl on August 22, 1867, saw the child named Elizabeth in typical Victorian fashion for the previously deceased child. The second Elizabeth ROGERS Jnr was born at Old Tintinallogy, on the east side of the Darling River.11 So unless Elizabeth ROGERS was away from home for the birth of the earlier children, the family would appear to have relocated between January 1866 and the August 1867.

William ROGERS Snr apparently worked for the owner of Tintinallogy station. The station was then only about fifteen years old. William's work was reputedly building fences and yards12 as the station had none. The yards enabled the cattle to be enclosed at night, rather than being shepherded by the station hands on the unfenced land property to protect them from wild dogs and aborigines. (Maiden) William's occupation is listed on his death certificate13 as carpenter, so it would seem he was working at his trade. Soon after, the owner built a new homestead for the Tintinallogy station toward the centre of the property; and William ROGERS Snr then took out a selection which included the old homestead on the Darling riverbank - henceforth known as Old Tintinallogy.

William Rogers Snr opened a hotel around 1867-68.14 The hotel appears to have been a successful operation. Sadly William died by drowning on September 13, 1876 at the age of 48.15 He was buried on the property. It is not known whether alcohol or other external factors were involved. The river would appear to have been low at the time.

The family remained on the property, but George KIDMAN (brother of Sidney KIDMAN the cattle baron) was licensee in 1876-1878. It appears George was in partnership with his brother Sackville - an obituary for Sackville Kidman says "Mr Kidman was at one time in business with his eldest brother at Tintinallegay, on the River Darling, but in '79 he left there to return to Sturt's Meadows.16 Sack's oldest son, Sydney Herbert, was born at Old Tintinallogy on September 17, 1878. On the birth certificate Sack's occupation is listed as Publican.17 Sack left to become manager at Sturt's Meadows Station.

Elizabeth ROGERS is then shown as the licensee in 1879. Elizabeth died suddenly on January 8, 1880, and her death certificate identifies her as an Inn-keeper. The cause of death is given as appoplexy.18 She was buried at Old Tintinallogy with her husband. The hotel appears to have ceased operating for a time soon after, unless it operated without a license. A hotel license for Old Tintinallogy was held by William and Elizabeth's son-in-law Henry GEYER from about 1888. No evidence has been found as to whether the Hotel operated in the interim.

William Thompson ROGERS born: c.1828 died: 13 Sep, 1876 Old Tintinollogy, NSW married c.1852 Troon, Ayrshire, Scotland	Elizabeth Irvin WHITE born: c.1830 died: 8 Jan,1880 Old Tintinollogy, NSW .
Children
Alexander	born: c.1853 Ayrshire, Scotland died: Dec 20, 1932 "Slammanon" Wilcannia, NSW
Male	born: after 1853 died: before July 1862
Elizabeth	born: c.1857 NSW died: Jan 22, 1866 "Weinteriga", NSW.
Margaret	born: c.1859 "Tarcoola" nr Pooncarie, NSW died: Nov 22, 1907 Old Tintinallogy, NSW
William Thompson	born: Jul 13, 1862 "Weinteriga", NSW died: Dec 7, 1936 Wilcannia, NSW
John	born: c.1863 "Weinteriga" nr Wilcannia, NSW died: Aug 6, 1900 Wilcannia, NSW.
Elizabeth	born: Aug 22,1867 Old Tintinallogy, NSW died: c.1956 Broken Hill, NSW