Week 51: December 20, 2014
Mary, Mary Quite Contrary – I found your parents!
In Week 49 I wrote on my Hilsman line in Virginia and discovered that Mary Rogers was
the wife of my James Hilsman – something about her tugged at my heartstrings; she was only a child herself when she married.
Mary Rogers married James Hilsman at the very young age of fourteen! Her first child was born at age fifteen, second child born at age eighteen, third child born at age nineteen and her fourth and last child born at age twenty. Mary was just a child herself when she married and before the age of twenty, she had given birth to four children, with three of them born in successive years. As I read through the years of her children’s close births and saw at what age she herself married, and then recorded her death at age twenty five, just five years later, I truly felt sorry for her, my great-great-great great grandmother and the life she lived – or did not live. Unfortunately there are no death certificates for that time of 1783, so I will never know why poor Mary died at age twenty-five years of age.
I had not found parents for Mary when I first wrote about her, but it wasn’t long afterward that I quickly discovered that my Mary wasn’t an orphan like I first thought. With the help of another family researcher and one of those shaking leaves on Ancestry – I found Mary!
Mary was the daughter of John and Martha Sarah (Hill) Rogers from Surrey Co., Virginia. Her father was born 1714, Surrey, Surrey Co., Virginia and her mother, Martha, was born 1715 also in Virginia; they married in 1741 in Surrey, Surrey Co., Virginia. Mary was one of nine children in this family and their youngest; she was born 1758 in Northhampton Co., N.C.
John Rogers will of 1779 / 1783 lists children James, John Jr., Josiah Hill, Marth Cheves, Mary Hillsman, Penelope, Priscilla, Rebecca and Sarah. Most of his estate went to the children as his wife Martha had died in 1775; to Marth and my Mary Rogers Hilsman, he left only ten dollars to each.
Mary Rogers mentioned in her father, John Rogers’ will – listed with her married name – Mary Hillsman.
John Rogers seems to have quite an extensive ancestry back to Roger’s Plantation in Surry, Virginia and even further, but time is not permitting me to follow through this week, but this will be a family I’ll pursue further in 2015. Wasn’t there a Rogers on the Mayflower? Could this be my link to the boat? But as Christmas is coming, I have presents to wrap, cookies to bake and family to spend time with.
I am happy to learn that my Mary wasn’t quite as contrary as I thought she once was. Merry Christmas Mary Rogers Hilsman – you have a granddaughter that is keeping you in her thoughts and keeping your history alive. Maybe you have a story to tell that I will discover in the new year.
For more on the Hilsman family see Week. 49 – https://jinsalacoblog.wordpress.com/2014/12/10/week-49-december-06-2014-52-ancestor-52-week-blog-the-hilsman-family/
© 2014, copyright Jeanne Bryan Insalaco; all rights reserved
52 Week Ancestor Challenge 
I suspect this Rogers family will connect to ours and track back to Mayflower! The Hills are in this same area! Maybe we will find our kinship!
Helen maybe it was in the cards for us to meet and connect!