As we talked, it became apparent that “the dude” was actually a gentleman — sharp and highly educated. He was the most recent of a long line of patriots. Even his father was an important FBI man. He just loved animals. He explained that his eighth-great-grandfather was a famous seaman and his ninth was the preacher/minister to George Washington. And he had proof.
He even had photos of the previously mentioned Chippendale chairs in a Philadelphia mansion in the 1860s. He had miniature paintings from the Peale family of artists depicting his ancestors, a logbook from a ship that one of his ancestors traveled on in 1818, and rooms full of antique Americana — all from his family. He urged me to come back in a couple of weeks to continue buying and sorting, and I said I would. (We visited him three times in all, spending well over $100,000.)
When I got home two hours later, Katrina almost did not let me into the house. Apparently, the combined aromas of the birds, the dogs, the wet chairs and the rotting vegetables had somehow leached into my clothing, and only upon a promise to immediately get into the shower did she allow me to enter.
It turned out the man was a direct descendant of William Rodgers, a noted early American of the colonial Rodgers family. His historical treasure trove included early American silver, two paintings (I paid $5,000) and Revolutionary War militaria. We were successful in placing all his valuable items in the worldwide marketplace; it was one of the most memorable purchases we ever made. Two pieces became dear to us and we have not sold them.
One is a portrait of the man’s ancestor, John Rogers, who history notes was a confidante of George Washington and Alexander Hamilton. The portrait is valued at $3,000–$5,000. Rogers was a well-known Revolutionary War preacher and clergyman to many founding fathers. His son was William Rogers (oft spelled Rodgers), who kept a handwritten log of his two years on the U.S.S. Macedonian, with colorful accounts of the banking ship’s dealings in gold bullion and millions of dollars’ worth of silver coins.
The log also details Rodgers’ interactions with pirates, privateers and unfriendly governments on the ship’s epic voyage around the world. The official record stated that Rodgers’ superior, Capt. John Downes, was a military genius who outwitted Britain’s Lord Cochrane during a naval blockade.
We paid $5,000 for the log, and while its auction value is yet to be determined, we feel it is priceless. We have digitized the log and shared it with scholars worldwide.
