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ROGERS, Sir Frederick Leman, 5th Bt. (1746-97), of Blachford, Devon.
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Family and Education
b. 23 July 1746, 1st s. of Sir Frederick Rogers, 4th Bt., of Blachford by 1st w. Grace, da. and h. of Nathaniel Cooper (afterwards Cooper Leman) of Norwich, Norf. and Plymouth, clerk to the victualling board. m. 21 Dec. 1769 at Gretna Green,1 Jane, da. of John Lillicrap of Stoke Damerel, 3s. 5da. suc. fa. as 5th Bt. 7 June 1777.
Offices Held
Gent. of privy chamber 1777.
Mayor, Plymouth 1774-5, recorder 1777-d.
Biography
Rogers, whose forebears had represented Plymouth for three generations since 1698, did not seek re-election for the borough in 1784. Early in 1790 he told the Duke of Leeds, the Foreign secretary, that although he ‘might have come forward with a certainty of success’ on the present vacancy, created to accommodate a new lord of the Admiralty, he had not intervened, ‘wishing to show my disposition towards your present administration, for whom I have the highest respect’. He went on:
I am given to understand from this conduct, in which they may be assured I am sincere, that I am to have no opposition at the general election. Wishing ... to be on some certainty, I shall esteem your showing this letter to Mr Pitt, with your favourable representation of me, one of the greatest obligations.2
He duly received government support at the general election. There was a contest, but he scraped into second place by two votes and survived a petition.
Although Rogers was listed among the minority who voted for peace negotiations, 15 Feb. 1796, he presumably otherwise gave general support to government. He was listed among opponents of repeal of the Test Act in Scotland in 1791, was marked ‘pro’ in the ministerial forecast for the general election of 1796 and enjoyed Pitt’s personal recommendation at Plymouth,3 where he was returned unopposed. On 3 Dec. 1795 he presented a Plymouth petition in favour of the pending repressive legislation. He died 21 June 1797.