Mr William John Rogers was born in Glais, Glamorganshire, Wales in 1882 and was later baptised on 25 October that same year.

He was the son of John Rogers (b. 1837), a miner, and his wife Elizabeth (b. 1846). His father was originally from Caernarvonshire whilst his mother was from Glamorganshire and he had five known siblings: Mary (b. 1869), Hannah (b. 1872), Margaret (b. 1875), Rachel (b. 1877) and Gwenllian (b. 1880).

He first appears on the 1891 census living in Ynysymond, Glais, Pontardawe and by the time of the 1901 census he was the only one of his siblings who was still listed at home with his mother, now a widow and still living in the same locality. William, aged 18, had already left school and was working as a miner. When the 1911 census was conducted William was still described as single and still living with his mother in Ynysymond. Present also at the address were his nephew and niece Evan and Elizabeth Davies, the children of his eldest sister Mary; and his son.

Although unmarried, William had a child with Elizabeth Powell (b. 1879 in Ynysymond). Their son, John Reginald, was born in the closing months of 1901 and it was not until the Spring of 1911 that William and Elizabeth were wed. By early 1912 Elizabeth Rogers was again with child and contemporary news reports attest William Rogers had abandoned his wife and that a court order for desertion had been placed against him only days before he sailed on Titanic. 

He boarded the Titanic at Southampton as a third class passenger (ticket number 23567 which cost £8, 1s) and he was travelling with his nephew Evan Davies, also a miner. Their destination is not known.

William Rogers died in the sinking and his body, if recovered, was never identified.

Following the sinking William's widow Elizabeth lived with her sister, Mrs John Davies (Gwenllian, née Powell) and her family at Bethania Road, Clydach, Galmorgan and on 13 September 1912 gave birth to a son named William Morgan. The fate of Elizabeth is not clear although she possibly remarried before the close of the decade.

William's posthumously born son William died in Powys, Wales in 2004. His son John died in Glamorganshire in 1972.

William John Rogers is remembered on a headstone in Seion Newydd churchyard Morriston, Swansea, Wales.