Hezekiah Rogers

American politician (1753–1811)

For United States charge d'affaires in Sardinia, see Hezekiah Gold Rogers.

Hezekiah Rogers

Member of the
Connecticut House of Representatives
from Norwalk
In office
May 1786 – October 1786[1]

Serving with Thaddeus Betts

Preceded by| Samuel Cook Silliman,
Thaddeus Betts
Succeeded by| Samuel Cook Silliman,
Eliphalet Lockwood
In office
October 1787 – May 1788[1]

Serving with Samuel Cook Silliman

Preceded by| Thomas Belden,
Samuel Cook Silliman
Succeeded by| Thomas Belden,
Samuel Cook Silliman
Personal details
Born| 1753[2]
Died| September 4, 1811[2]
Spouse| Esther Raymond (b. February 13, 1757; m. March 9, 1781)[2][3]
Children| Sally, William, Charles[2]
Residence(s)| Cross Street,
Norwalk, Connecticut
Military service
Rank| Major
Battles/wars| American Revolutionary War

Hezekiah Rogers (1753 – September 4, 1811) was a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from Norwalk in the sessions of May 1786, and October 1787. He was a delegate to the convention in Connecticut to ratify the United States Constitution in 1788. He later served as chief clerk in the War Office in Washington, D. C.[2]

## Early life and family

[edit]

Rogers was the son of Dr. Uriah Rogers Sr.[4] and Hannah Lockwood.

## Political life

[edit]

Rogers was a member of the Connecticut House of Representatives from Norwalk in the sessions of May 1786, and October 1787.

On November 12, 1787, the inhabitants of the town of Norwalk had a town meeting with Colonel Colonel Thomas Fitch as moderator. Rogers and Samuel Silliman were chosen as delegates to meet in a convention at Hartford, the following January to ratify the United States Constitution.[5] Connecticut ratified the Constitution on January 8, 1788 making it the fifth state to do so.

## Jesse Lee

[edit]

In June 1789, Jesse Lee, a founder of the Methodist Church, came to Norwalk to preach his first sermon in Connecticut. He had some reason to believe that the Rogers house on Cross Street would be available for the meeting, and word had been sent around among those interested to assemble there. When Lee arrived, Hezekiah was not at home, and his wife hesitated to open the house to a public meeting. A neighbor refused to let Lee use her orchard for concern that the gathering would trample down the grass. Finally, Lee assembled his audience under an apple tree by the roadside and preached his sermon from the text "Ye must be born again." Such was the beginning of Methodism in Norwalk. Today, there is a stone marker at the location.[6][7]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Roll of state officers and members of General Assembly of Connecticut, from 1776 to 1881
2. ^ a b c d e James Rogers of New London, and his Descendants
3. ^ Norwalk Genealogical Society
4. ^ Address
5. ^ "Connecticut Elects 168 delegates for State Conventioin". Archived from the original on 2012-11-08. Retrieved 2013-03-21.
6. ^ "Norwalk After Two Hundred & Fifty Years: An Account of the Celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Charter of the Town, 1651-September 11th-1901 : Including Historical Sketches of Churches, Schools, Old Homes, Institutions, Eminent Men, Patriotic and Benevolent Work, Together with the Record of Soldiers and Sailors Enlisted in Norwalk from 1676 to 1898, the Civic Progress in the Last Century and Statistics of Commerce and Other Miscellany of Local Interest". 1901.
7. ^ Historical Sermons

Preceded by

Samuel Cook Silliman
Thaddeus Betts

|  Member of the
Connecticut House of Representatives
from Norwalk
May 1786 – October 1786
With:  Thaddeus Betts | Succeeded by

Samuel Cook Silliman
Eliphalet Lockwood

|
|

Preceded by

Thomas Belden
Samuel Cook Silliman

|  Member of the
Connecticut House of Representatives
from Norwalk
October 1787 – May 1788
With:  Samuel Cook Silliman | Succeeded by

Thomas Belden
Samuel Cook Silliman

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* United States

Other|

* SNAC