by Jill Burton.
ELLENOR ROGERS 1860-1925
Ellenor was the 3rd child of Erddig carpenter James and Jane Rogers (see their separate notes), and granddaughter of Erddig Carpenter Thomas Rogers and Sarah.
She was born in 1860 at Bryn Goleu, at Erddig.
In 1861 she was 9 mths old living at Bryn Goleu with her father & mother, brother George 4 and sister Sarah 2. Also living there were her grandparents Thomas and Sarah Rogers, and servant Barbara Roberts, plus a lodger George Dickin an agricultural labourer.
In 1871 she was living in Bryn Goleu with her parents. Her brother George age 14 was now an ironmonger, Sarah, Ellenor, and younger siblings Maria and Thomas were all scholars. Still living with them were grandparents Thomas and Sarah, now aged 88 and 81.
By 1881 age 21 she was the ‘young ladies’ maid’ at Erddig, living in the Hall. She was maid to the Yorke daughters Etheldred (Lily) b1847 and Agneta (Nena) b 1854
“Miss Nellie Rogers here we show.
A niece to her who now does grace.
In this same group the central place.
She for twelve years was all in all.
To the Young ladies of the Hall.
And for her services we deem.
Herself well worthy of our theme.”
Ellenor 1887
She appears on the 1887 photo of the servants in the garden (see above). Also, in the photo is the Housekeeper Harriet Rogers who was her aunt. After 12 years work at Erddig she left in about 1888.
Ellenor was then ladies maid to the Milligan family who had a house in Ayrshire, (Carrick House, Ayr). Before starting work there, she was sent to London for a week to learn how do the latest hairstyles. Ellenor’s starting salary was £41 a year, paid quarterly.
She travelled with the family to such places as Algeria, although her younger brother Tom was worried about her doing so. She then worked as Ladies maid for the wealthy American Chapin family, (possibly Simeon Brooks Chapin – a wealthy Chicago industrialist and philanthropist). Ellenor travelled the world with them and was photographed with the Mr & Mrs Chapin at the Pyramids in Egypt. (see photo below, Ellenor on camel on right) She always kept cards and notepaper from the many expensive hotels she stayed at with the family e.g Waldorf Astoria New York, Grand Hotel Cairo, Metropole Hotel Monte Carlo etc. She would have earned a considerable salary.
Ellenor Rogers (Ellenor on camel right)
In 1900 on the death of her youngest brother Tom and being left property by him, Ellenor (age 40) returned home to Wrexham to live with her sister Maria. In 1901 she was living at 73 Regent Street with her sister Maria They then moved to 2 Victoria Road, Wrexham.
No 1 Bath Road had been left to their elder brother George Ellis Rogers, by their father James Rogers. The sisters bought this plot of land from their elder brother, demolished the old house that was on it and built “Bryn Goleu” c1905 (see picture below) named after their old family home on the Erddig estate. The house is still there. When their aunt Erddig Housekeeper Harriet Rogers retired she retired to the house to live with her nieces.
Bath Road, Wrexham
On the 1911 census Ellenor age 50 was living with her sister Maria and her aunt Harriet at “Bryn Goleu” No 1 Bath Road. All three are of “Private Means”. They had a servant, Mary Williams.
Ellenor died in 1925 age 65. She is buried in Ruabon Road cemetery Wrexham, to the right of the main gate, in the same grave as her father James Rogers and mother Jane, brother Thomas and sister Maria. Four of the five people buried in this grave were servants at Erddig.
Wrexham Cemetery 2017-12-04
Sources: Researched by Jill Burton. March 2018.
Photo 1887 & PYII Poem 1912
“Servants Hall” p110
1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901, 1911 census
Great niece Beryl Jones
Grave ref: Wrexham Cemetery M-03619
