Rev William Richard Rogers 1842 to 1843

A Missionary who was stationed on St. Martin and Anguila

By 1842 Conference considered that William Richard was ready to do some evangelising on a non-British Island. He was to be stationed on St. Martins and serve Anguilla as well, with the help of John Hodge, as a non-ordained supernumerary, who had already spent one year in the station. For 1843 William Richard and John Hodge continued on this station.

In 1842 the membership on the two islands was 737 and in 1843 it had increased to 768.

William Richard lived in the Dutch part of St. Martin’s. His first daughter was born on St. Martin’s in 1843 (English  Census 1851) and has one obviously Dutch looking given name, Eleanor Sarah Judith van Rument Rogers. Her niece wrote that her mother, Eleanor’s younger sister, had told her that that “van Rument” was in memory of her Dutch Godmother.

When I approached “SOAS”, because that is where the Wesleyan Missionary Papers have been lodged, to see if they had any information relating to William Richard, I had a pleasant surprise. There were letters extant for him (MMS/WestIndies/Correspondence/Antigua/FBN21). In (MMS/Special Series/FBN 43 – note; some of these letters are in French) are some letters regarding  his wish to evangelise in the French part of the island which was not welcome by the French Authorities  and what they thought of him. The Synod minutes for the Antigua Disrtict are also there (MMS/West Indies/Synod minutes/FBN 1-2). Clearly a visit to “SOAS” must be arranged soon to see these papers and learn more.                                                    

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