Mayflower Pilgrim Thomas Rogers: Are You a Descendant?

Joseph Atwood Ordway (1852-1904) is a descendant of Mayflower passenger Thomas Rogers—and he thought so much of that genealogical fact, it was included in his obituary.

Death of Joseph A. Ordway, Springfield Republican newspaper article 6 May 1904
Springfield Republican (Springfield, Massachusetts), 6 May 1904, page 12

This is a detailed obituary that gives us a lot of family history information about Joseph:

  • His date and place of birth: 12 May 1852 in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts, United States
  • His date and place of death: 5 May 1904 in Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts, United States
  • One of his brothers was “the late” General Albert Ordway (1843-1897) who served in the Civil War.
  • He was survived by his wife: Carrie L. Ordway
  • He had two sisters: Mary Emma Ordway (1849- ) and Annie Freeman Ordway (1857- ) who became Mrs. Charles E. Folsom (Charles Edward Folsom, Jr., 1855-1926)
  • He had one surviving brother: Frank Foster Ordway (1862- )

Obituaries give good core research information for genealogists.

I particularly like that Joseph’s obituary mentioned he was a Mayflower descendant. I am also a descendant of the Pilgrim Thomas Rogers.

Knowing that enables me to start with Joseph Atwood Ordway and trace his lineage back to his Mayflower ancestor.

This is a quick way to speed up your genealogy research and ensure that all of your cousins are found and documented in the family history.

Related Mayflower Ancestry Articles & Resources:

19 thoughts on “Mayflower Pilgrim Thomas Rogers: Are You a Descendant?

    1. We probably are.

      You’ll want to research your family tree and take it, generation by generation, back in time to make those connections and confirm just who your ancestors were.

      The great thing is – even if you don’t connect on this line – you’ll meet so many interesting relatives.
      It’s great that GenealogyBank has the stories – over 2 billion of them – that tell us so much more about them, beyond the core facts of their names, dates and places.

      Tom

  1. According to my family tree , I am a descendant of Thomas Rogers (1589-1638) married to Elizabeth Grace Makin, parents of William Rogers (1612-1664) who was 8 years old on the Mayflower. I am interested in knowing where these persons were born and where they died. Thanks for any help you can give me.

    1. Thomas Rodgers landed at cape cod with his 17 year old son.
      Left his other family member’s in England.

  2. Noriss — There are great websites where you can find information about your Mayflower ancestors. On GenealogyBank.com you can search newspapers with stories about your relatives. You can find Mayflower organizations that have histories of descendants. You can search Mayflower websites like http://mayflowerhistory.com/. By just doing a Google search using the name of the ancestor or Mayflower descendant you can get information. Also doing a Wiki search could be helpful.

  3. I am a descendant of Thomas Rogers through his son John. John’s daughter Abigail married a Richmond and one of her great grandsons, Nathaniel Richmond moved to Nova Scotia Canada. One of Nathaniel’s great granddaughters married a Lambert.
    Walter Lambert, my grandfather came through that line. Walter married Edna Mae Weller and Louise Jane Lambert came from their union. Louise is my mother. She married William Schuman who is my father. I am Lydia Ruth Schuman, born September 29, 1958. I have 9 siblings that came through my mother’s line. The number of grandchildren has not been counted but Louise has great grandchildren having babies.

    1. I am researching my family tree back to Thomas Rogers to see if I am a true descendant. I’m curious about your Richmond family and Lambert family. My 3rd great grandfather, Nathaniel Richmond married Sarah Nye. My great grandmother was Emily Maude Townsend Cassady. Albert Cassady died and she remarried Joseph Lambert (1856-1940). They lived in Minnesota.
      If you have any information please let me know

  4. I am a descendant of Thomas Rogers on my paternal grandmothers side. Thomas would have been my 9th generation grandfather. His daughter Elizabeth married my 8th generation grandfather Jonathan Higgins in Plymouth Mass. my line is through their son Elisha Higgins The family moved to the Greene county area of NY.around1800

  5. Joseph Rogers (son of Thomas Rogers) is my 12th great grandfather and his daughter Mary is my 11th great grandmother (through my paternal mother’s side)

  6. Thomas Rogers and son Joseph are my 10th and 9th great grandparents. I’m currently trying to flesh out the history of how and why the Rogers lineage got to Yarmouth Nova Scotia. I know that it was Cornelius Rogers who first moved there.
    Thomas (Mayflower) Rogers
    Joseph (Mayflower) Rogers
    John Rogers
    John Rogers
    Benjamin Rogers
    Corneilus Rogers (Born 1739 in Kingston, Plymouth, Massachusetts, Died 1816 in Yarmouth Nova Scotia)
    Cornelius Rogers (1775-1845 Yarmouth NS)
    Levi Rogers (1810-1889 Yarmouth NS)
    Lyman Rogers (1840-1932 Yarmouth NS)

    Lyman was my 2nd great grandfather and the last of my direct lineage to live in Nova Scotia.

  7. I have been trying to find my Mayflower connection through my great great great grandfather William Fuller. I thought it was through his Fuller line, then I tried tracing back through his wife Susan Taylor Black. Her mother was Sarah Ann Rogers, who’s father was Moses Rogers, then Amos, William and then Two James to Thomas…or so I thought. However someone I think put incorrect info on the ancestry tree. I’m still trying to work out if this is correct, or if there is a different line. Unfortunately who has the time to dig in.

    It was a family rumor, then I found my Great great great Grandfathers obit where it states he was a Mayflower descendant.

    Chris Harmony

  8. I have been told that I desended from Thomas Rogers . My grandmother was a Rogers her father was William Riley Rogers wanting to know if this fact.

  9. I’m a direct descendant from Thomas Rogers through my great-great-grandmother Minnie Rogers of Hardwick Massachusetts. Thomas is my 11th great-grandfather.

  10. Thomas Rodger’s is my 12th Great grand father. Such a fascinating search! I also am the Great great granddaughter of Susan Marinda Johnson, daughter of Luke Samuel Johnson one of the 12 apostles of the Mormon church.

    Israel Johnson and Abigail Higgins! Jonathan Higgins born in 1637 line draws directly to Elizabeth Rogers who was born in 1639!

  11. I am also descended from him and also Billington (both signed the Pact) .
    Unfortunately he died the first winter , as did many, from illness. Billington murdered a fellow colonist who was stealing from his lobster traps so he was shot by the authorities.

  12. I am trying to confirm that Abigail, daughter of John Rogers and spouse of John Richmond, had a daughter named Mary, born around 1654. Mary is believed to have married Richard Godfrey and had a daughter named Sarah who, in turn, married Peter Walker II of Taunton. Peter is my 7th great-grandfather. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

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