Benjamin Rogers

ROGERS, BENJAMIN, merchant and business person; b. 1 September 1836 in Kinleith, Carmarthen, Wales, son of Jonah Rogers and Hannah Thomas; m. 13 November 1866 Mary L. Treneman of Rochester, New York State, and they had four children, Benjamin, Carrie M., George J., and Thomas D.; Methodist; d. 21 January 1911 in Charlottetown. Rogers, a Liberal, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in the general election of 1893 for Charlottetown Royalty. He was re-elected in the general election of 1897. Rogers served on Executive Council as a Minister without Portfolio in the Warburton' Administration in 1897, and again in the Farquharson* Administration in 1898. Rogers immigrated to the Island with his family ca. 1839, settling in Bedeque, where he was educated in the local schools. In 1854, at the age of 19, he began to work as an employee of Thomas W. Dodd. Rogers had a keen business sense, and within five years Dodd made him partner. In 1892 Rogers bought out Dodd's interest in their business. In 1904 the business was converted into Rogers Hardware Company Limited, one of Charlottetown's best-known and most successful businesses. Rogers served as president of Rogers Hardware until his death on 21 January 1911. Besides his business interests, Rogers was identified with many of the leading enterprises of the day in the province. He was president of the Prince Edward Island Telephone Company, vice-president of the Steam Navigation Company, and president of the Patriot Publishing Company. He was involved with the Free and Accepted Order of Masonry, serving for some time as the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Prince Edward Island. Mary Rogers, the daughter of Richard Treneman who came from England, was born 7 June 1847 and died 13 February 1923. Rogers lived with his family on Prince Street, and their residence was called Fairholm. The subject's son, Benjamin Rogers, had a daughter, Helena, who married R. Reginald Bell*, who was a member of the Legislative Assembly.