ROGERS, James (by 1504-58), of Coventry, Warws.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1509-1558, ed. S.T. Bindoff, 1982
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

Mar. 1553

Family and Education

b. by 1504, 1st s. of Henry Rogers of Coventry by Elizabeth. m. Alice, 5s. 4da. suc. fa. Nov. 1518.1

Offices Held

Warden, Coventry 1534-5, sheriff 1540-1, mayor 1547-8.2

Biography

James Rogers inherited property in Coventry and Kenilworth, Warwickshire, from his father, who was mayor of Coventry in 1517-18, and himself became an influential member of the mayor’s council, employed in the oversight of the corporation’s lands and on its business at court and in London. Like his father a vintner by trade, he was assessed for subsidy on £10 in goods in 1525 and on £40 in 1550. During his mayoralty he entertained the Earl of Warwick and the 3rd Marquess of Dorset in his house and early in 1549 he provided a dinner for Warwick at a cost to the town of 57s.4d.: later that year the earl granted Coventry a lease of the manor of Cheylesmore. The Parliament of March 1553 was summoned under the aegis of Warwick as Duke of Northumberland but there is no evidence that he had any hand in the election of Rogers or of his fellow-Member John Talonts, whom the town had sent to deliver the payment for the lease. Rogers and Talonts had also been active in the affair of Bond’s hospital and were among those sued in Chancery for withholding the deeds of the inheritance of Thomas Bond’s wife. Both were paid parliamentary wages but whereas Talonts received £3 16s.4d., full payment at the statutory rate of 2s. a day for the 31 days of the Parliament, Rogers was allowed £6 18s.4d., having evidently incurred other expenses. Nothing is known of his role in the House but he may well have taken a personal interest in the Act to avoid the great price and excess of wines (7 Edw. VI, c.5).3

Rogers died between the making of his will on 12 July 1558 and its probate on the following 24 Sept. He asked to be buried beside his parents in the Corpus Christi chapel of Holy Trinity church. He had added to his inheritance and he provided for his younger sons out of his purchases; his wife was to have a third of his goods and property in Coventry and was to keep his tavern for two years, after which it was to pass to his eldest son William. The executors were his sons-in-law Richard Smith and John Fitzherbert.4

Ref Volumes: 1509-1558

Author: S. M. Thorpe

Notes

  • 1. Date of birth estimated from first reference. PCC 11 Ayloffe, 47 Noodes.
  • 2. Coventry Leet Bk. (EETS cxxxiv), ii. 718, 742, 781.
  • 3. Ibid. 651; E179/192/130, 193/188; Coventry council bk. 1555-1634, unpaginated; mayors’ accts. 1542-61, pp. 15, 19, 21, 43, 44, 47, 70, 494; B. L. Beer, Northumberland, 180; C1/1199/42.
  • 4. PCC 47 Noodes.