• Name: Rogers, Henry
• Gender: Male
• Birth Date:
• Death Date:
• Occupation: banker

There are two main 'Rogers' in Godwin's diary. These are the brothers, Samuel Rogers, the poet, and his younger brother Henry Rogers who took over the management of the Rogers bank to a large extent after they inherited it from their father in 1793. Samuel Rogers played an important part in the business both under his father and for the first few years after his father's death, but by 1802 Henry was carrying the major responsibility for its management.

Godwin's contacts with Samuel Rogers go back to 1787 (see 1796 list). Indeed, he had probably known Thamas Rogers, Samuel's father since 1777 (see, again, the 1796 list). The 1796 list also mentions meetings with Sir F Rogers and G Rogers in 1794. These remain unidentified. In both cases there is no subsequent reference to these individuals by their initials. In contrast there is extensive use of S and H Rogers.

The pattern of contacts suggests that Godwin initially notes 'S Rogers', but from 1795 he abbreviates that to 'Rogers'. The vast majority of the entries in the 1790s refer to his presence at dinners at John King's together with a few at Horne Tooke's. In both cases, the identification of Samuel is certainly plausible. Rogers also appears at Fox's funeral in 1806, and it seems clear that this is Samuel. The picture becomes more complicated in 1806 when H Rogers is introduced into the diary. It seems likely that the first meeting was recorded as Rogers junr in March 1800 but with no subsequent meeting until identified as H Rogers in 1806. At this time the two brothers are closely connected and, for Godwin, important because of their financial connections, as well as for the literary connections of Samuel. 1806-1809, Godwin is writing probably to borrow money, and Samuel is conferring with his brother about whether or not to advance any. There are, correspondingly, many instances of Godwin calling on or writing to Rogers. Some are 'H Rogers', but many are plain 'Rogers', and some (few) are 'S Rogers'. Given this, there must be some uncertainty about the appropriate attribution. In Henry Crabbe Robinson's diary, for example, he notes that on 20 January 1812 that 'Rogers the banker' was in the audience of Coleridge's lecture but Godwin enters only Rogers, demonstrating that he does not use the intials consistently. Also on 19 May 1806, 'Call on Rogers, St James’s Place and Cornhill' refers to Samuel Rogers' new house at 22 St James' Place.

We have accordingly had to judge in each case whether the Rogers entered is Samuel or Henry. There is no straightfoward criterion for doing so, but we have assumed that frequent interaction will tend to diminish the use of an initial, and there are some venues where one is more likely than the other. We also believe that, as Godwin's financial difficulties developed, and as he was less engaged in literary activity (c1805-15), his contacts were increasingly with Henry, rather than Samuel. But this must be conjecture. Our sense is that from 1817 the contacts with Samuel increase again - with Mackintosh being a strong connection. There are no contacts at the end of the 1820s and when they begin again it is through Northcote, which suggests S Rogers. As does the context of the entries in the 1830's. The letter from S Rogers dated 18 November 1806 in the Abinger collection confirms the identification of Samuel for 19 November 1806. Two letters from Samuel Rogers, between 1833 and 1836, confirm his connection with Godwin late in the diary. Moreover, his correspondence with Mary Shelley is extensive after Godwin's death.

We have not coded Sir F Rogers (8 March 1795); Rogers cordonnier (22 August 1802); D Rogers (9 December 1824); Rogers (Clement Lane) (10 November 1827) this seems to be Messrs Rogers, Towgood and co. of Clement Lane, who appears to be unconnected with S and H Rogers. We have left the Rogers (aveugle) entry of 21 April 1833 as S Rogers, (it is at Booth's), since it may refer to a temporary condition.

See, from the Abinger collection, the note to Marshall (undated) in which Godwin says that he has to call on Henry Rogers about a bill that he has lying there that he must pay by Saturday - but he hopes to get Henry Rogers to renew it - but Samuel Rogers , 'the right hand', does not know what Henry Rogers, 'the left hand', is doing.

The entry of 17 January 1831 'Call on Northcote ; adv. Rogers, pictor' could refer to the painter Philip Huchings Rogers (1785/6-1853) but this is unconfirmed, and it could be a reference to a portrait of Rogers.

• MS. Abinger c. 10, fols. 17-18: 18 November [1806].
• MS. Abinger c. 14, fol. 36: 4 August 1834.
• MS. Abinger c. 14, fols. 25-6: [1833-36].
• MS. Abinger c. 16, fols. 17-18: n.d.
• DNB.
• The Diary of Henry Crabb Robinson: An Abridgement, ed. by Derek Hudson (London: Oxford University Press, 1967) and Abinger Papers.

This table lists the people this person is most frequently noted with in the diary.