Malinda Newman & Joseph Rogers

Malinda Newman & Joseph Rogers

Written by Julie, latest revision 8 Sep 2021

Malinda and her family have been challenging to document. Their names and ages fluctuate between records, and there are five children with unknown names. We could only find mention of these five children on the earlier census records which only gave age ranges, not names. These children could have died young or they could have married and moved away. It appears Elizabeth may be an adopted granddaughter, based on the age of Malinda and her childbearing years. But with both Malinda and Elizabeth’s ages fluctuating as much as 12 years, it is difficult to know.

Malinda is the name her father and children used. She also appears on records with her name spelled “Burlinda”. William Newman’s 1837 will says, “my daughter Malinda Rogers.” William’s estate records say “Malinda Rogers and her husband Joseph Rogers” were heirs of William Newman. The 1850 Census, the marriage record for Joseph and Malinda, a deed, and a chancery case spell her name as “Burlinda.” The 1860 Census and other vital records of Malinda’s children spell her name as Malinda or the first initial “M.”

“Burlinda” on a deed in Orange County, VA

“Malinda” on her father’s estate records as an heir.

This family is unique in that Joseph Rogers was a cabinet and furniture maker, not a large planter. Also, there is no indication in census or tax records that Joseph and Malinda ever had any enslaved individuals. A deed of trust in 1822 said that Joseph Rogers also farmed. He grew crops of wheat, oats, flax and corn.

Two records said that Joseph was born in Kentucky. However, Kentucky did not become a state until about twelve years after Joseph was born. Does this mean he was born in Virginia, on the frontier which later became Kentucky? Or did he travel to more established areas, like Orange, as an adult?

Elizabeth Rogers

1865 Orange County, VA Register of Marriages

Elizabeth Rogers & John Fallen marriage record. (See record on FamilySearch)

Elizabeth F. Rogers’ marriage record (above) says that she married John A. Fallin 31 October 1865. John was age 28, a resident of Halifax County, Virginia, born in Danville, Virginia, and the son of HH Fallin and Eleanor S. Walters. Elizabeth was age 23, a resident of Orange County, Virginia, born in Orange County, Virginia and the daughter of Joseph Rogers and Malinda Newman.

Elizabeth & Malinda age variations:

	1840 Census	1850 Census	1860 Census	1870 Census	1880 Census	1900 Census	age at marriage & marriage year
Malinda	female age 50-59 born 1781-1790	age 62, born 1788	age 60, born 1800	(died 1862)	xxx	xxx	1808
Elizabeth	not accounted for on this Census	age 18, born 1832	?	age 28, born 1842	age 42, born 1838	age 53, born May 1847	1865 age 23, born 1843

1850 Census, Augusta, VA. Maria Jamison was daughter of Malinda Newman & Joseph Rogers.

The 1850 Census says Malinda was age 62, which made her born in 1788. The 1860 Census said Malinda was age 60, which made her born in 1800, so she would have only been age 8 when she married in 1808 and 2 years younger than the previous census. Clearly impossible.

Elizabeth was about nine years younger than the rest of Malinda and Joseph’s children. We’re wondering if Elizabeth was an adopted grandchild. Elizabeth’s marriage record said she was the daughter of Malinda Rogers and Joseph Rogers and age 23, which made her born in 1842. If Malinda was born in 1788 as the 1850 and earlier census records suggest, then she would have been age 54 when she gave birth to Elizabeth. Also, according to Elizabeth’s marriage record, Elizabeth would have been age 8 at the time of the 1850 Census. But the 1850 Census says Elizabeth was age 18, living in Augusta County with one of Malinda’s older daughters, Maria Jamison. We can’t find Elizabeth in 1860, but twenty years after she was listed as age 18, Elizabeth was listed on the 1870 Census as age 28, which would indicate she was born in 1842. The 1880 Census says Elizabeth was age 42, which meant she was born in 1838. The 1900 Census says Elizabeth was age 53, born May 1847. The dates fluctuate by several years, but Elizabeth is more consistently showing up the younger age. We don’t know much about the older children of Malinda and Joseph Rogers, only approximate ages. One of Malinda’s older children may have been the parent of Elizabeth.

Census Notes & Comparisons

Note: There isn’t a female under age 5, which means Elizabeth Rogers was born after the 1840 Census.

Margaret Rogers

Margaret Rogers, the daughter of Malinda Newman, married her first cousin John Robert Newman, the son of William Newman. Margaret Rogers was buried with her husband in the William Newman and Lucy Faulconer family cemetery.

Rogers Store was shown on the 1863 map above. The roads are different so I put the pin as close as I could get to the area today.

Malinda & Joseph Rogers children married people that lived close by. Robert and Reuben Rogers married women with the surname Terrill, on the adjoining property. John Newman’s property was about a mile and a half from the Rogers property.