Rogers, John (c.1500–55). Martyr. Born in Birmingham and educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge, Rogers took holy orders but became a reformer under the influence of Tindal, whose English edition of the Bible he prepared for the press. He spent much of his time on the continent and married a Flemish wife. In Edward VI's reign, Rogers was in favour and given London preferments, and immediately after the king's death preached at St Paul's Cross, by order of Lady Jane Grey's council, warning the people against popery. By January 1554, after Mary had established her claim to the throne, Rogers was in prison and in February 1555 he was burned at Smithfield—the first of the protestant martyrs. The French ambassador wrote that Rogers died with such composure that it might have been a wedding.

J. A. Cannon

Rogers, John (fl. 1473–5). English Freemason. He probably designed Thornbury Castle, Glos. (1511–22). He built the upper parts of the tower at Lavenham Church, Suffolk (c. 1523), and worked at Hampton Court Palace (1533–5). In 1541 he was the King's Master-Mason at Calais and Guisnes, and in the following year was inspector of the fortifications at Hull and Berwick-on-Tweed. If actually responsible for the impressive Tudor military architecture at Berwick, he was the most important designer of such works in the land.

Bibliography

J. Harvey (1987)