Edmund Rogers
Encyclopedia
Edmund Dawson Rogers was an English
journalist
and spiritualist. He was the first editor of the Eastern Daily Press
and the founder of the National Press Agency.
and received a classical education at Gresham's School
, Holt
, then was apprenticed to a pharmacist
.
, where he joined the Staffordshire Mercury
as a journalist
.
In 1848 he was appointed as editor of the struggling Norwich
newspaper the Norfolk News
, and put it on its feet. The proprietors at the time were two future Liberal
members of parliament
, Jacob Henry Tillett
and J. J. Colman
. On 10 October 1870, Rogers became the first editor of the Eastern Counties Daily Press, working for the same proprietors, remaining until 1872. In 1871, the paper was renamed the Eastern Daily Press
.
In 1873, Rogers moved to London
and at the request of leading members of the Liberal Party established the National Press Agency in Shoe Lane, remaining as manager until he retired in 1894.
The National Press Agency had an enormous scoop
as part of the Hawarden Kite
affair in December 1885, when William Ewart Gladstone
's son Herbert Gladstone gave Rogers what he said were his father's opinions on Irish home rule.
In London Rogers also published and edited The Tenant Farmer (1894–1898) and The Free Speaker (1873–1874).
to the work of Swedenborg. He went on to study mesmerism and mesmeric healing. He began to attend séance
s in 1869 with various mediums, especially Mrs Thomas Everitt and William Eglinton, and became a spiritualist. In 1873 he helped to form the British National Association of Spiritualists, and in 1881 founded the spiritualist journal Light, which he edited from 1894 until his death in 1910. In 1881-1882 he founded the Society for Psychical Research
, with Sir William Barrett
. Its early members included William Stainton Moses
, F. W. H. Myers, Henry Sidgwick
, and Edmund Gurney
, and Rogers was a member of its Council from 1882 to 1885. In 1884, he was a founding member of the London Spiritualist Alliance, afterwards the College of Psychic Studies, and was its president from 1892 until 1910.
In Who's Who
, Rogers gave his recreation as "Occasional rambles in Switzerland
. At the time of his death, his address was Rose Villa, Hendon Lane, Finchley
, London N.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and spiritualist. He was the first editor of the Eastern Daily Press
Eastern Daily Press
The Eastern Daily Press, commonly referred to as the EDP, is a regional newspaper covering Norfolk, and northern parts of Suffolk and eastern Cambridgeshire, and is published daily in Norwich, UK....
and the founder of the National Press Agency.
Background and education
The son of John and Sarah Rogers, and given the middle name Dawson which was his mother's family name, he was brought up a strict MethodistMethodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
and received a classical education at Gresham's School
Gresham's School
Gresham’s School is an independent coeducational boarding school in Holt in North Norfolk, England, a member of the HMC.The school was founded in 1555 by Sir John Gresham as a free grammar school for forty boys, following King Henry VIII's dissolution of the Augustinian priory at Beeston Regis...
, Holt
Holt, Norfolk
Holt is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The town is north of the city of Norwich, west of Cromer and east of King's Lynn. The town is on the route of the A148 King's Lynn to Cromer road. The nearest railway station is in the town of Sheringham where access to the...
, then was apprenticed to a pharmacist
Pharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
.
Career
In 1845, he went as a surgeon's dispenser to WolverhamptonWolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
, where he joined the Staffordshire Mercury
Staffordshire Mercury
The Staffordshire Mercury was a weekly regional newspaper published in Staffordshire, England.The publication was founded in 1824 by Thomas Allbut, with the Rev. Leonard Abington as its first editor...
as a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
.
In 1848 he was appointed as editor of the struggling Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
newspaper the Norfolk News
Norfolk News
The Norfolk News was a regional newspaper published in Norwich, England.The publication was founded in 1845 and closed in 1961. The area it covered was the whole of Norfolk. Copies of the paper for most of its 116 years are held at the Local History Library in Norwich.Notable editors of the paper...
, and put it on its feet. The proprietors at the time were two future Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
members of parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, Jacob Henry Tillett
Jacob Henry Tillett
Jacob Henry Tillett was an English Liberal Party politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1870 and 1885....
and J. J. Colman
Jeremiah James Colman
Jeremiah James Colman was an English mustard manufacturer and the third member of the family in charge of the eponymous company Colman's...
. On 10 October 1870, Rogers became the first editor of the Eastern Counties Daily Press, working for the same proprietors, remaining until 1872. In 1871, the paper was renamed the Eastern Daily Press
Eastern Daily Press
The Eastern Daily Press, commonly referred to as the EDP, is a regional newspaper covering Norfolk, and northern parts of Suffolk and eastern Cambridgeshire, and is published daily in Norwich, UK....
.
In 1873, Rogers moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and at the request of leading members of the Liberal Party established the National Press Agency in Shoe Lane, remaining as manager until he retired in 1894.
The National Press Agency had an enormous scoop
Scoop (term)
Scoop is an informal term used in journalism. The word connotes originality, importance, surprise or excitement, secrecy and exclusivity.Stories likely considered to be scoops are important news, likely to interest or concern many people. A scoop is typically a new story, or a new aspect to an...
as part of the Hawarden Kite
Hawarden Kite
The Hawarden Kite was a famous British scoop of 1885, an apparent instance of flying a kite, when Herbert Gladstone, son of the then Leader of the Opposition William Ewart Gladstone revealed to Edmund Rogers of the National Press Agency in London that his father now supported home rule for...
affair in December 1885, when William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
's son Herbert Gladstone gave Rogers what he said were his father's opinions on Irish home rule.
In London Rogers also published and edited The Tenant Farmer (1894–1898) and The Free Speaker (1873–1874).
Spiritualist
About 1843 Rogers was introduced by Sir Isaac PitmanIsaac Pitman
Sir Isaac Pitman , knighted in 1894, developed the most widely used system of shorthand, known now as Pitman shorthand. He first proposed this in Stenographic Soundhand in 1837. Pitman was a qualified teacher and taught at a private school he founded in Wotton-under-Edge...
to the work of Swedenborg. He went on to study mesmerism and mesmeric healing. He began to attend séance
Séance
A séance is an attempt to communicate with spirits. The word "séance" comes from the French word for "seat," "session" or "sitting," from the Old French "seoir," "to sit." In French, the word's meaning is quite general: one may, for example, speak of "une séance de cinéma"...
s in 1869 with various mediums, especially Mrs Thomas Everitt and William Eglinton, and became a spiritualist. In 1873 he helped to form the British National Association of Spiritualists, and in 1881 founded the spiritualist journal Light, which he edited from 1894 until his death in 1910. In 1881-1882 he founded the Society for Psychical Research
Society for Psychical Research
The Society for Psychical Research is a non-profit organisation in the United Kingdom. Its stated purpose is to understand "events and abilities commonly described as psychic or paranormal by promoting and supporting important research in this area" and to "examine allegedly paranormal phenomena...
, with Sir William Barrett
William Barrett
William Barrett may refer to:*William Barrett *William Barrett *William Barrett , American philosopher and critic*William A. Barrett , American politician and a member of the Democratic Party...
. Its early members included William Stainton Moses
William Stainton Moses
The Reverend William Stainton Moses , was an English clergyman and Spiritualist.Educated at Bedford School, University College School, London and Exeter College, Oxford, he was ordained as a priest of the Church of England by Bishop Samuel Wilberforce in 1870.He attended his first séance with Miss...
, F. W. H. Myers, Henry Sidgwick
Henry Sidgwick
Henry Sidgwick was an English utilitarian philosopher and economist. He was one of the founders and first president of the Society for Psychical Research, a member of the Metaphysical Society, and promoted the higher education of women...
, and Edmund Gurney
Edmund Gurney
Edmund Gurney was an English psychologist and psychic researcher.-Early life:He was born at Hersham, near Walton-on-Thames. He was educated at Blackheath and at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he took a high place in the classical tripos and obtained a fellowship. His work for the tripos was...
, and Rogers was a member of its Council from 1882 to 1885. In 1884, he was a founding member of the London Spiritualist Alliance, afterwards the College of Psychic Studies, and was its president from 1892 until 1910.
Private life
On 11 July 1843, Rogers married Sophia Jane Hawkes. They had two sons and four daughters. His wife died in 1892.In Who's Who
Who's Who (UK)
Who's Who is an annual British publication of biographies which vary in length of about 30,000 living notable Britons.-History:...
, Rogers gave his recreation as "Occasional rambles in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. At the time of his death, his address was Rose Villa, Hendon Lane, Finchley
Finchley
Finchley is a district in Barnet in north London, England. Finchley is on high ground, about north of Charing Cross. It formed an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, becoming a municipal borough in 1933, and has formed part of Greater London since 1965...
, London N.
Publications
- Life and Experiences of Edmund Dawson Rogers, Spiritualist and Journalist (autobiography, 1911, new edition by Kessinger Publishing, London, 2004) ISBN 10 1419173030