Background
He was born at Plymouth on 17 July 1778, the eldest son of John Rogers, the Member of Parliament for Penryn and Helston and Margaret, daughter of Francis Basset. In February 1832 on the death of his father, he succeeded to the Penrose and Helston estates of about ten thousand acres (40 km²), comprising the manors of Penrose, Helston, Carminow, Winnianton, and various other estates in Cornwall, including several mines.
Education
Rogers was educated at Helston grammar school, at Eton College, and at Trinity College, Oxford. He matriculated on 8 April 1797, graduated Bachelor of Arts as a passman in 1801, and Master of Arts
Career
In 1810. Having been ordained to the curacy of Street Blazey, he became rector of Street Mawnan and Street Stephen"s Church, Mawnan, the advowson of which belonged to his family, in 1807. In 1820 he was appointed Canon Residentiary of Exeter. Rogers resigned his rectory in 1838.
He died at Penrose on 12 June 1856, and was buried at Sithney, where there is a monument to him.
Rogers married, first, in 1814, Mary, only daughter of John Jope, rector of Street Ives and vicar of Street Cleer. And, secondly, in 1843, Grace, eldest daughter of G. South. for Helston from 1859 to 1865.
Rogers was a popular and energetic landlord, and a good botanist and mineralogist. As lord of the Tresavean mine, he took an active part in forwarding the adoption of the first man engine in the United Kingdom (designed by Michael Loam), the introduction of which in the deep mines, in place of the old perpendicular ladders, proved an important reform - reducing the time for miners to reach the working levels from an hour to just twenty-five minutes, and enabling older, more experienced miners to reach the lowest levels.
The installation cost was £2500, and it saved £125 per month in time and labour, as well as improving the safety of the mine.
He contributed several papers to the Transactions of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall. He was, however, chiefly distinguished as a In 1812, when Frey prepared the edition of the Hebrew Bible published by the newly formed Society for Promoting the Conversion of the Jews, the general supervision of the work was entrusted to Rogers.