Francis James Newman Rogers
Encyclopedia
Francis James Newman Rogers, KC
(1791–1851), was an English
barrister
, judge
and legal author, Deputy Judge Advocate General from 1842 until his death in 1851. Rogers on Elections was the standard reference work for most of the 19th century.
, of Cadbury House
, Somerset
. His grandfather was the Rev. Benjamin Rogers of Rainscombe, where the family had been established for several generations. Francis Newman was lord of the manor
of North Cadbury
. Rogers was educated at Eton College
, matriculated from Oriel College
, Oxford, on 5 May 1808, graduated BA
on 8 February 1812, and MA
on 15 June 1815.
He was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn
on 21 May 1816, and to the Inner Temple ad eundem in 1820. He went the western circuit and practised in the common-law courts and as a special pleader
. On 24 Feb. 1837 he was created a King's Counsel
, and soon after was elected a bencher
of the Inner Temple
. From 1835 to his death he was recorder of Exeter, and from 1842 Deputy Judge Advocate General.
He married, on 29 June 1822, Julia Eleanora, third daughter of William Walter Yea, Esq., and sister of Sir William Walter Yea, Baronet, of Pyrland Hall, Somerset, by whom he had three sons and two daughters. His eldest son, Francis Newman Rogers (d. 1859), and his third son, Walter Lacy Rogers (d. 1885), were called to the bar. His second son was Edward Henry Rogers, and his daughters were Eleanora Amelia and Gertrude Jane.
Rogers died at the age of 59 at 1 Upper Wimpole Street, London, on 19 July 1851, and was buried in the Temple Church
on 25 July.
Mr Justice Coleridge
said of Rogers after his death
quartered the three black stags on silver of Rogers with the crowned golden portcullis on a red field of Newman. The family motto is Nil conscire sibi, meaning 'To have a guilt-free conscience'.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(1791–1851), was an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
, judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
and legal author, Deputy Judge Advocate General from 1842 until his death in 1851. Rogers on Elections was the standard reference work for most of the 19th century.
Life
Born in 1791, Rogers was the son of the Rev. James Rogers of Rainscombe, near Marlborough, Wiltshire, by his marriage to Catherine, youngest daughter and co-heir of Francis Newman, EsquireEsquire
Esquire is a term of West European origin . Depending on the country, the term has different meanings...
, of Cadbury House
North Cadbury
North Cadbury is a village west of Wincanton in the River Cam in the South Somerset district of Somerset, England. It shares its parish with nearby Yarlington and includes the village of Galhampton, which got its name from the settlement of the rent-paying peasants, and the hamlet of...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
. His grandfather was the Rev. Benjamin Rogers of Rainscombe, where the family had been established for several generations. Francis Newman was lord of the manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
of North Cadbury
North Cadbury
North Cadbury is a village west of Wincanton in the River Cam in the South Somerset district of Somerset, England. It shares its parish with nearby Yarlington and includes the village of Galhampton, which got its name from the settlement of the rent-paying peasants, and the hamlet of...
. Rogers was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, matriculated from Oriel College
Oriel College
Oriel College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford...
, Oxford, on 5 May 1808, graduated BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
on 8 February 1812, and MA
Master of Arts (Oxbridge)
In the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin, Bachelors of Arts of these universities are admitted to the degree of Master of Arts or Master in Arts on application after six or seven years' seniority as members of the university .There is no examination or study required for the degree...
on 15 June 1815.
He was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
on 21 May 1816, and to the Inner Temple ad eundem in 1820. He went the western circuit and practised in the common-law courts and as a special pleader
Special pleader
A special pleader was a historial legal occupation. The practitioner, or "special pleader" in English law specialised in drafting "pleadings", in modern terminology statements of case.-History:...
. On 24 Feb. 1837 he was created a King's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
, and soon after was elected a bencher
Bencher
A bencher or Master of the Bench is a senior member of an Inn of Court in England and Wales. Benchers hold office for life once elected. A bencher can be elected while still a barrister , in recognition of the contribution that the barrister has made to the life of the Inn or to the law...
of the Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
. From 1835 to his death he was recorder of Exeter, and from 1842 Deputy Judge Advocate General.
He married, on 29 June 1822, Julia Eleanora, third daughter of William Walter Yea, Esq., and sister of Sir William Walter Yea, Baronet, of Pyrland Hall, Somerset, by whom he had three sons and two daughters. His eldest son, Francis Newman Rogers (d. 1859), and his third son, Walter Lacy Rogers (d. 1885), were called to the bar. His second son was Edward Henry Rogers, and his daughters were Eleanora Amelia and Gertrude Jane.
Rogers died at the age of 59 at 1 Upper Wimpole Street, London, on 19 July 1851, and was buried in the Temple Church
Temple Church
The Temple Church is a late-12th-century church in London located between Fleet Street and the River Thames, built for and by the Knights Templar as their English headquarters. In modern times, two Inns of Court both use the church. It is famous for its effigy tombs and for being a round church...
on 25 July.
Mr Justice Coleridge
John Taylor Coleridge
Sir John Taylor Coleridge was an English judge, the second son of Captain James Coleridge and nephew of the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge.-Life:...
said of Rogers after his death
Arms
Rogers's coat of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
quartered the three black stags on silver of Rogers with the crowned golden portcullis on a red field of Newman. The family motto is Nil conscire sibi, meaning 'To have a guilt-free conscience'.
Publications
Rogers was the author of:- Remarks on the question of the right to publish Proceedings on the Coroner's Inquisition (1824)
- The Law and Practice of Elections, with Analytical Tables and a Copious Index, J. & W. T. Clarke, law booksellers, 1820, 344 pp. (dedicated to Sir W. D. Best); 2nd ed. publ. J. and W. T. Clarke, 1830, 615 pp.; 3rd ed. as altered by the Reform Acts, 1835; 6th ed. V. & R. Stevens and G. S. Norton, 1841; 9th edit. with F. S. P. Wolferstan, 1859; 10th edit. by F. S. P. Wolferstan, 1865; 11th edit. (with the New Reform Act), 1868; 15th edit. by M. Powell, J. C. Carter, and J. S. Sandars, 1890; 16th edit. by S. H. Day, 1892 & Stevens, 1897; 18th ed. titled On elections: Municipal and other elections and petitions, Stevens & Sons Ltd., 1906.
- Rogers on elections, election committees, and registration, 10th ed. by Stevens and Sons, 1865 (585 pp.)
- Parliamentary Reform Act, 2 Will. IV, c. 45, with Notes containing a Complete Digest of Election Law as altered by that Statute, J. and W. T. Clarke, 1832, 144 pp.
- A Practical Arrangement of Ecclesiastical Law, 1840; 2nd edit. 1849.
- The Marriage Question: an Attempt to discover the True Scripture Argument in the Question of Marriage with a Wife's Sister (34 pp.), London: Rivingtons, 1855.
External links
- Francis James Newman Rogers, A Practical Arrangement of Ecclesiastical Law (1840), full text online
- Francis James Newman Rogers, Rogers' law and practice of elections, and registration : with an appendix of statutes and forms to the present time (London : Stevens and Norton, 8th edition, 1857)
- Copy statement about probate duty by Francis James Newman Rogers, executor of the late Rev. Dr James Rogers of Rainscombe at Wiltshire and Swindon Archives