John Rogers, born about 1822 at Heckfield.

[patk]

Comparing the 1851 and 1861 census ...

1851: HO107 Piece: 1691 Folio: 281 Page: 7 (crown copyright, care of the TNA)
Mortimer Street, Stratfield Mortimer, Berkshire
ROGERS, John, head 30, baker, Heckfield Hampshire
ROGERS, Elizabeth, wife, 35, Chislehampton Oxfordshire
ROGERS, Emma M, dau, 3, Mortimer Berkshire
ROGERS, Lora dau, 7 mo, Mortimer Berkshire
ROGERS, Robert, father, wid, 73, late baker, Heckfield Hampshire
Plus servants

1861: RG09 Piece: 761 Folio: 110 Page: 17 (crown copyright, care of the TNA)
32 Besley Street, Clewer
ROGERS, John Head Married 40, Porter, Heckfield Hampshire
ROGERS, Frances Wife, 39, Astley Abbots Shropshire
ROGERS, Emma M, dau, 13, Stratfield Mortimer Berkshire
ROGERS, William, son, 9, Stratfield Mortimer Berkshire
ROGERS, Laura, dau, 10, Stratfield Mortimer Berkshire
ROGERS, James, son, 2, Clewer Berkshire

I tend to think they are the same family. The only real change is the name/age/birth place of the wife. John may have married twice. There is a death for an Elizabeth Rogers in 1856, Bradfield reg district, but an age isn't given so I'm just speculating.



I would agree with that. Perhaps the first childs birth certificate.

Births Sep 1847 Bradfield 6 135
ROGERS Emma Mary

Thanks so much, olliecat, for this -- and everyone else who's taken the trouble to respond.

I was beginning to be thinking along the 'two-wife' option myself. There were too many inconsistencies -- for example, I found two Lora Rogers born in Bradfield, one in Q4 1847 and the other in Q3 1850. The latter is the one belonging to 'my' family since that's the birth year given in the 1851 census. But as you note, she's 'Laura' in 1861.

Thanks also for the Camden revelation. That pretty much wraps this up I think, at least as far the two family theory. I've run into two other examples of this in my family tree and they always create problems.

Thank you all again!

[patk]

There is a marriage in Windsor 1843 to an Elizabeth GARRAWAY.
I think the birth certificate suggestion is probaby the safest option.
Could we have two different families here?

I think this has to be correct. Using FreeBMD and hitting the little blue page number button, I find a John Rogers listed. No other Elizabeths. Thank you so much!