Peleg is Biblical name, evidentially quite a popular name in the 1700s and 1800s in the United States! It is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as one of the two sons of Eber, an ancestor of the Ishmaelites and the Israelites, according to the “Table of Nations” in Genesis 10–11 and 1 Chronicles 1. (1)

The Biblical name Shadrach was also a quite popular name at this time and his story in the Bible is more well-known. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Hebrew names Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah) are figures from the biblical Book of Daniel, primarily chapter 3. In the narrative, the three Hebrew men are thrown into a fiery furnace by Nebuchadnezzar II, King of Babylon for refusing to bow to the king’s image. The three are preserved from harm and the king sees four men walking in the flames, “the fourth … like a son of God“. (2)

My 4th great-grandfather Peleg Rogers was born about 1782 in North Carolina. He died 29 January 1864 in Grandview, Edgar County, Illinois. He married Mary Ellen Stafford on 26 June 1806 in Highland City, Highland County, Ohio. Many list Mary Ellen Stafford as the daughter of an Arthur or Charles Arthur or Charles Arthur Gorden Stafford, where the name Arthur or Gorden came from I have no idea. A Charles Stafford is found in a baptism record in England, but no proof of any connection to this Charles Stafford. Some also list her father as a Samuel Stafford, the reason why is found in who they list as her mother. They list her mother as Nancy, most often as Nancy Hastings. A Samuel Stafford and a Nancy Hastings, who were Quakers, did marry, but they are not the right ages, they are more the age of Mary Ellen’s generation, they also do not live anywhere near where she was born or later lived.

Update: I posted recently a blog entry about the parentage of my Mary Ellen Stafford Rogers here. It has the most up-to-date information regarding this topic. My Research into family naming patterns, as well as DNA, show that she was the daughter of Zorababel Stafford, and the granddaughter of Henry Stafford and his wife Elizabeth _____.

Back to my ancestor Peleg Rogers. He migrated to Ohio and eventually to Ilinois, where he died.

There were numerous men (including some also name Peleg) that had sons name Peleg Rogers/Rodgers and lived in Virigina, and in North and South Carolina. People have linked my Peleg Rogers with many of these various families, but wills and other records, as well as DNA has not shown a link to those families.

But DNA has shown a strong link between the descendants of my Peleg Rogers and a Rogers family. DNA has shown that he was most likely the son of Shadrach Rogers/Rodgers. Some show Shadrach’s wife’s name as Susanna Warriner, but that couple married in Henrico County, Virginia, which is 75 miles from North Carolina border. All of Shadrach Roger’s children were born in North Carolina. I have not found there to be a DNA connection to the Warriner families of Colonial Virigina or the Carolinas. For now, I am going to say his wife’s name is not truly proven or known. DNA has shown a connection to Shadrach’s parents and grandparents. Shadrach Rogers was the son of Isham Rogers and Prudence _____. Some give a maiden name for Prudence, but her maiden name is unproven.

I am a DNA match to descendants of Shadrach Rogers (son of Isham Rogers), and I also am a match to descendants of Isham Rogers and Prudence ____.

I need to point out here that there were far too many men living at this time named Shadrach Rogers/Rodgers! A few were also known as Shadrach Meshach Abednego Rogers/Rodgers. Some lived in Virginia, many came to North and South Carolina, and some migrated to Tennessee and Mississippi. Some people (and even Ancestry in it’s Thru-lines recommendations) try to link my Peleg Rogers with a Shadrach Rogers that married Hopey ___, her possible maiden name was Bethea, and they lived in North and South Carolina and eventually migrated to Covington County, Mississippi. Some also confuse two men named Shadrach Rogers, both lived in South Carolina, Shadrach Rogers who married Hope (Hopey) ___, and Shadrach Rogers who married Celia Jordan. There is possibly a remote DNA connection between the ancestry of those two men named Shadrach Rogers who lived in South Carolina, and my Shadrach Rogers of Halifax, North Carolina, but there are no strong direct DNA links to either of the other men named Shadrach Rogers, the one who married Hope/Hopey ____, and migrated to Mississippi, and the one that married Celia Jordan. My Peleg Rogers has no links to Mississippi. Whereas there is a strong DNA connection to the Shadrach Rogers that lived in Halifax County, North Carolina, and to his parents and grandparents.

Isham Rogers was the son of Joseph Rogers and Mary Fargeson (Ferguson). Joseph Rogers was the son of William Rogers and Elizabeth Cartwright. I have DNA matches to descendants of William Rogers and Elizabeth Cartwright.

Elizabeth Cartwright was the daughter of Robert Cartwright and Elizabeth Orchard who were both born in Worcestershire, England and settled in Colonial Virginia.

Famous descendants of Robert Cartwright and Elizabeth Orchard:

A distant Rogers cousin informed me recently that Broadway actor Lin Manuel Miranda of Hamilton fame is descended from Robert Cartwright and Elizabeth Orchard on his British lines found in Colonial Virginia.

Mary Fargeson (Ferguson) was the daughter of John Ferguson/Fargeson and Ann Stubbleson. Because the name Ferguson was misspelled in records as Fargeson (and other spellings) and many used this unusual spelling of Fargeson, it was easy to see the DNA link to others that share John Ferguson and Ann Stubbleson as ancestors.

John Fargeson (Ferguson) was born in Scotland and settled in Colonial Virginia. His wife Ann Stubbleson was the daughter of Stubble Stubbleson, who was a Dutch or German man living in Colonial Virigina. When Stubble Stubbleson died, the land he owned was forfeited to the crown, because he was considered an alien (a non-citizen).

Deed of John & Ann Farguson:

1683 in (Old) Rappahannock County, Virginia

“John Fargisson married Ann only surviving daughter of Stubble Stubbleson, dec.”

Stubble was likely a Dutch man who settled in Old Rappahannock County, Virginia, probably in the 1660’s, as he is first mentioned in 1665. He apparently was married, although nothing is known of his wife, and was the father of one surviving daughter, Ann, when he died by February 1668/69. (4)

There were two transactions between Stubble and Thomas Rawson on 29 October 1665.

In the first sale, Rawson sold 513 acres of land to Stubble for 1,000 pounds of tobacco in the parish of Sittenbourne.

In the second sale, Stubble sold a cow and heifer to Rawson, although the amount of money agreed upon is not mentioned in the deed.

“Stable Stubleson” settled a dispute with Thomas Rawson over property in December 1667 and in June 1668, Thomas Rawson again recorded a land sale to Stuble for 1,000 pounds of tobacco. (3 & 4)

The parcel of land is described as “land formerly belonging to Stubble Stubbleston alien deceased” and granted to Theophilus Wheele by the governor. Theophilus appointed an attorney to represent him and wife Elizabeth to support his claim to the land.

In 1669, an inquisition was held and determined that Stubble was an alien (non-citizen), that when he died, he owned about 100 acres of land in Old Rappahannock County and that, upon his death, his land was escheated (returned) to the state. (4)

 . . . I, the said John Fargisson as marrying Ann, the only surviving daughter and heir of Stubble Stubbleson, deceased, do hereby . . . make over unto . . . William Jewill . . . with . . . the voluntary consent of the said Ann, my now wife . . . a certain piece of land . . . formerly sold by one Thomas Rawson unto the said Stubble Stubbleson . . . (5)

Stubble Stubbleson’s only transactions in Old Rappahannock County involved Thomas Rawson, it is possible that Stubble may have married a daughter of Thomas Rawson.  However, whomever Ann Stubbleson Farguson’s mother was, has been lost to time. (4)

This is the only mark that Stubble made on history, besides leaving one surviving daughter. It is possible that he was a young married man and his wife died giving birth to their daughter Ann. But this is just supposition, the answers have been lost to time. (4)

Update September 2024: I recently wrote about my ancestor Stubble Stubbleson, you can learn more about him here: My Dutch/German Ancestor Stubble Stubbleson, His Origins, and His Cows .

My ancestor Shadrach Rogers served in the American Revolutionary War in Virginia. Military service recorded on 30 October 1783. Halifax County, North Carolina is on the border with Virginia, it is 8 miles from the border.

Children of Shadrach Rogers of Halifax County, North Carolina:

1. Peleg Rogers born 1782 in North Carolina, and died 29 January 1864 in Grandview, Edgar, Illinois. He married Mary Ellen Stafford on 26 June 1806 in Highland City, Highland, Ohio. (My direct ancestors).
2. Nancy Rogers born 1784 in Halifax, North Carolina or Virginia, and died 1865 in Halifax, Halifax, North Carolina. She married about 1804 in Halifax County, North Carolina to Telmelah Cherub Adden Smith.
3. Samuel Rogers born about 1790 in North Carolina and died about 1849. He migrated to Tennessee. He married unknown and did have issue including a daughter named Arilia D. Rogers who married Samson Vanderpool. (I am a DNA match to descendants of Arilia D. Rogers and Samson Vanderpool).
4. Willoughby Rogers born about 1791 in North Carolina and died before 1870 in Cache, Crowley, Greene County, Arkansas. He married/1 to Sarah Yancey and had issue, he married/2 to Sally Ingram. (I am a DNA match to descendants of Willoughby Rogers and Sarah Yancey).
5. Lott Rogers born about 1795 in North Carolina, and died 1844 in Calloway County, Tennessee. He married Sarah Cagle. He fought in the War of 1812. (I am a DNA match to descendants of Lott Rogers and Sarah Cagle).
6. Rebecca “Becky” Rogers was born about 1812/1813 and died either in Tennessee or Kentucky.

References:

1. Peleg in the Bible. Wikipedia.org
2. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Wikipedia.org
3. Land Deeds Between Stuble Stubbleson & Thomas Rawson, Old Rappahannock County, VA Deed Book 3: pg. 457-461. Source: FamilySearch
4. John Ferguson (Farguson) – Empty Branches on the Family Tree. Blog – October 20, 2020.
5. Land Deed, 2 May 1674. Old Rappahannock County, Virginia Deed Book 5:299. Source: FamilySearch

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