Oliver Rogers (1845-1911) was born at Wickhamford in 1845, the second of three children of John Rogers, an agricultural labourer, and his wife, Ann (née Hartwell). His father had been born at Bricklehampton but moved with his family to Wickhamford in childhood and his mother was born and brought up in Badsey.
At the time of the 1851 census, Oliver and his family were living in a cottage in Wickhamford which has long since been demolished. By 1861 they had moved to Aldington; both Oliver and his younger brother, Thomas, were both working as labourers like their father.
Oliver Rogers married Ruth Simpson from Bengeworth in 1865. They lived in Badsey and were to be found at the time of the 1871 census living at The Leys (demolished in the 20th century, on the site of the current-day Hither Green), next-door to his parents.
Two years later, Oliver and Ruth left Badsey for good. An advertisement appeared in “The Evesham Journal” of 5th April 1873 announcing the sale of their household furniture and effects as they were about to emigrate. They sailed from Liverpool and arrived in New York on 28th April 1873.
In 1880, they were living in Auburn Township in the county of Geauga in the state of Ohio where Oliver was a farmer. Oliver’s parents, John and Ann, also lived with them, as did Ruth’s brother, Sidney Simpson, who was working on the farm as a labourer. Oliver and Ruth had no children of their own. Just nine houses away lived another Vale of Evesham family: John and Mary Ann Sears, who had emigrated the year before the Rogers, plus Mary Ann’s father and step-mother.
In 1900 they were living in Troy Township, Geauga County. They were back at Auburn in 1910. Some fairly close neighbours were Adolphus and Emma Wright who had emigrated from Badsey ten years after them (they were in the same enumeration district, the Rogers living at house No 121 and the Wrights living at house No 185).
Oliver died at Auburn in 1911 and was buried at Shadyside Cemetery, Auburn, in the same plot as his parents and his wife who had died the year before.