Rogers and Wheeler - the story behind the names!

Heidi is one bride who won't regret changing her surname in the least, and certainly won't find it difficult to acclimatise to her "new" name. Heidi's gran is in fact a Rogers (for pic, please click Top Table) so it was her mother's maiden name. That's not to say she's in any way unhappy about being a Wheeler!

In fact, the Rogers family of south east England are quite an idiosyncratic clan, with a language all of their own. Favourite "Rogers-isms" includes, "HB", which refers to a sunbed, since some aunt or other received one as a "happy birthday" present. Another is "You hold Beecham!" - what a Rogers says if they want you to get stuck with something cumbersome. (Beecham was a rather large teddy bear!). There are dozens of sayings and words which are known only to this particular Rogers family, and anyone who joins the family has much to learn! "Rogersisms" tend to appear in everyday conversation, which leaves the uninitiated rather perplexed. Pete needs to master this alternative Rogers language in order to survive!

Pete is a Rogers from south west Wales, and if there is any language in the family which requires learning at all, it is the ancient Celtic language of Welsh! Fortunately, both Rogers clans speak fluent English, albeit with different accents!

In the house of Wheeler, Heidi's grandfather Frank was born in 1910. A skilled motor mechanic by trade, he served as a sergeant in the R.E.M.E.at various locations in southern England during the Second World War. Frank married Ethel in 1936. Their first child, John Frank is Heidi's dad. His father's finesse with motor cars proved to be contagious, and so he became a mechanic in turn. In 1948, Frank purchased a garage in Addlestone where John later became a director of the family firm.


Kingswood Motors in Addlestone	Frank and Ethel Wheeler

Heidi's other grandfather, on the Rogers side of the family, was also named Frank, born 1912. During the war he was ranked sergeant in the R.A.F. This took him to Italy (where he took part in the battle of Salerno), Sicily, and North Africa. He married Daisy, Heidi's nan, in 1937. Their second child is Heidi's mum, Marion, who forfeited her acceptance to study acting at R.A.D.A. in favour of pursuing her lifelong ambition to nurse; Marion qualified as an S.R.N. at the Royal Masonic Hospital in 1969. John met Marion in November, 1965 - at the time he was her best friend's boyfriend! Fate determined otherwise and they were engaged within the same month ..marriage followed in 1969 after Marion qualified. In the 60's, John became the lead singer of a pop group called "The Moonrakers". They released a single which wasn't promoted well enough to chart, and they split up with no further musical ambitions. So much for the rock'n'roll lifestyle!

Heidi's Great Uncle Eddie Rogers served in the Royal Navy during the First World War. Tragically, at the age of just 19, he was one of only two men killed on H.M.S. Highflyer in the great explosion of Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1917.

Marion reports a dubious ancestry in the guise of a distant relative who was allegedly engaged in an illicit liaison with the Earl of Shaftesbury whilst in his employ as a kitchen maid! Lord Shaftesbury was later instrumental in banning child labour during the Victorian era ...

Marion in 1968	Heidi's grandfather, Frank Rogers with the family
	(l-r: Richard, Mark, Elizabeth, Heidi, uncle Ian)

On the Rogers side of the Welsh border, Pete's grandfather saw action in "the Great War" of 1914-18. He fought in the trenches of Belgium, near Ypres. When the British and allies won, he marched through to Cologne; he had vivid memories of Germany and made some good friends there. Pete's uncle Cliff saw action in the Battle of the Atlantic and later at Salerno, Italy (coinciding with Heidi's grandfather) in W.W.II. Pete's parents met in the early 1950's at "the Metal Box", a can manufacturer in Neath, Wales. His mum, Thelma, was not particularly impressed with this "cheeky" man who offered to arrange a date for her. "No thank you", she tersely replied, "I can arrange my own dates, alright?"

Pete's dad, Fred, was conscripted into the British Royal Navy in 1947 and travelled the Caribbean, Central America, the U.S. and Canadian west coasts, taking in Panama, Jamaica, Venezuela, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver. While in Los Angeles, he was given a personal tour of Universal Studios, Hollywood, by a young British actor called Cary Grant! He was offered the job of Captain's cabin hand because the Captain of H.M.S. Sparrow was so impressed with his smart appearance! He also cooked real "Welsh" dinners for 30 men and was admired for his gravy! Needless to say, he talks about it to the end (though he never actually made any) ...!

Fred Rogers on the deck of HMS Sparrow, 1948

On the Roberts side of Pete's family, Thelma's grandfather used to make and repair violins. When she was young, he offered her violin lessons, but she refused - something which she regretted at a more mature age! Some of the Roberts family emigrated in the 1930's to Pennsylvania, U.S.A., where there is still a strong Welsh community. One of Thelma's uncles, a ship's Captain in the Merchant Navy, was awarded an M.B.E. medal for his bravery during the Second World War as he risked his ship's safety to transport essential supplies through to Britain.

The strict meaning of Rogers is "son of Roger", though this is composed of the Saxon elements "Hrod" (reknown) and "Geri" (spear), to comprise "Fame Spear". The Germans took the name to France from where the Normans introduced it to Britain in the 13th Century; it later became a common name, which led to the nick names Hodgson and Hodgkinson. In 1095 Roger II was the Norman king of Sicily and was considered one of Europe's most powerful and cultured monarchs. John Rogers, a London rector (1500-55),was burned at the stake after he preached against Romanism at St. Paul's Cross.

The surname Wheeler was an occupational name for a "wheelwright", a maker of cartwheels. This name was a familiar entry in medieval records. The name was derived from the old English word "Wealere". The earliest record of the name was recorded in 1273 in County Cambridge. The name is common in the Isle of Wight and concentrated more in the southern counties of England but less widespread in west and northern Britain. The Wheeler motto is "By ancestral right".

A search on the internet for other people named Rogers and Wheeler, produces some interesting results! For example, there's Jeremy Rogers in Lymington, who builds yachts; Geoff Rogers - a radio presenter in Reigate and Eric Rogers, an electronics professor! As well as the famous Ginger Rogers, dance partner of Fred Astaire, and screen cowboy Roy Rogers - not to mention Buck Rogers - Pete's namesake Peter Rogers was the famous producer of the "Carry On" series of classic British comedy films!

There's Alan Wheeler, a purveyor of vacuum lifting equipment, Sir Robert Eric Mortimer Wheeler (1890-1976) was a notable Scottish archaeologist who became director of the National Museum of Wales in 1920 and keeper of the London Museum 1926-44. Anna Wheeler who was a leading mathematician of the 19th Century. William Gordon Wheeler was Bishop of Leeds and Richard Wheeler, a self proclaimed "knowledge engineer" and artificial intelligence expert!

Joanna Spyri (1827-1901), born in Hirzel near Zurich, Switzerland, wrote a series of evergreen children's stories about "Heidi" from 1880 which were destined to become classics. When Marion, Heidi's mum, was aged seven she resolved to name any future daughter "Heidi"! And fatefully, her daughter "Heidi", duly arrived on 20 March 1973 !

For those who aren't familiar with the famous story, and not aware of the uncanny link between "Heidi" and "Peter", here is a plot summary !

Orphaned Heidi lived with her aunt in the Swiss countryside. When her aunt had to go and work in Frankfurt, Heidi was taken to live with her grandfather in the Alps, where she met Peter the goat herd. They became great friends and were virtually inseparable. Eventually, Heidi's aunt returned to take her to live in Frankfurt, where she became a friend and companion to the daughter of the house, Klara, who was disabled and wheelchair bound.

However, Heidi missed the Swiss mountains, her grandfather and Peter so much that she became ill and had to return to the mountains on medical advice. Klara and Heidi were very reluctant to part, because they were such good friends, but after Heidi had settled back in the mountains with Peter and her grandfather for a while, Klara came to visit.

Peter was so jealous of the friendship between the two girls that he disposed of Klara's wheelchair down the mountain. This was the best thing for Klara, because the mountains had already done their magic on Klara and she began to walk again!

Now you know the story, it should be no surprise that our honeymoon was in ... Switzerland! Please Click here for our first consignment of pics from Heidi's Switzerland in the southern Alps.