by Jill Burton.
THOMAS ROGERS jnr 1864-1900
Thomas was born October 14th, 1864 at Bryn Goleu on the Erddig estate, the youngest child of James Rogers, Erddig carpenter and his wife Jane. His grandfather was Thomas Rogers the Erddig carpenter who is shown in the portrait in the Servants Hall.
(see separate articles on his father, grandfather, aunts Eliza and Harriet and sister Ellenor, who all worked at Erddig)
In 1880 he was listed on the Erddig worksheet as being paid 1/2d a day x 6 days a week as Carpenter’s Boy, presumably apprenticed to his father James Rogers, Erddig’s Head Carpenter.
In 1881 at age 16 he is living with his parents at Bryn Goleu on the Erddig estate and is described as a Carpenter.
In 1884 paid 3/- a day x 6 days a week as carpenter on Erddig wagesheet.
In 1885 he probably left employment at Erddig when his family were asked to leave their home Bryn Goleu by the Erddig agent, William Hughes, after the death of his grandmother.
About 1886 Thomas travelled to Canada living in Toronto, where he learnt his skills as a builder (see below photo taken on board ship)
Thomas Rogers jnr onboard ship to Canada
In 1888 he wrote to his Aunt Harriet at Erddig describing his trip to Niagara Falls and about the Toronto Great Industrial Exhibition. In 1890 he was still doing occasional work at Erddig – paid 3/6 a day for 6 days work at Erddig.
By 1891 Thomas was listed as a “Joiner and Builder”, is living with his family at 39 & 40 Penybryn, Wrexham. But after Thomas returned from Canada he began to buy pieces of land in the Ruabon Road area. This was at the time when the area to the west of Bradley Road and Victoria Road was being developed and Victorian terraced houses were being built. Often the parcels of land developed by builders such as Thomas were large enough for groups of 3 terraced houses with a passageway at either side of the block.
In 1895 Philip Yorke II who had just inherited the Erddig estate from his father Simon, provided Thomas with a mortgage of £2,200 at 4% interest. Thomas’s aunt Harriet was also investing, in parcels in Princess Street and Peel Street. In 1900 Thomas went to the Paris Exhibition “Exposition Universelle”, but caught flu while he was there, and died (age 36) after returning home.
His large funeral was reported in the Wrexham Advertiser Nov 3rd, 1900, note Philip Yorke of Erddig sent a carriage and wreath. He was buried with his parents in Ruabon Road cemetery.
In his will he left his properties (approx. 40 houses!) to his brothers and sisters.
Wrexham Cemetery 2017-12-04
Sources: Researched by Jill Burton. March 2018.
Wage book D/E/510, & Chest in Agents Office, 1884 bundle 38
Graffiti on back of Pantry Cupboard
1871, 1881, 1891 Census
1890 Feb bundle in Agents Office chest
“Servants Hall” p 64 (wrongly states Thomas did not work at Erddig)
Rogers collection of papers owned by Beryl Jones, great niece.
Wrexham Advertiser Nov 3rd, 1990
Grave ref: Wrexham Cemetery M-03619
