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Chester Benton Edgerton, son of Whiting and Huldah (Benton) Edgerton.

Almira Ives, daughter of Abraham and Lois (Rice) Ives.

Children:

1. Chester Morris, b. February 18, 1847; German, Chenango Co., NY.
2. Charles H., b. December 25, 1848; German, Chenango Co., NY.
3. William Chauncey, b. March 19, 1857; German, Chenango Co., NY.

Chester Benton Edgerton was born at Smithville, New York on February 13, 1817, the fourth son and eighth child of Whiting and Huldah (Benton) Edgerton.  Chester was raised in Smithville, and resided in Chenango County his entire life, first in Smithville and later in German and Greene.  Like his father and most of his brothers, Chester earned his living as a farmer and laborer.

Chester was married (probably circa 1845) to Almira Ives, daughter of Abraham and Lois (Rice) Ives of Guilford, New York.  Almira was born at Guilford, New York in April of 1811.  Several Ives families had come to Chenango County from Cheshire, in New Haven County, Connecticut.  Almira was probably a first or second cousin of Lucy Ann Ives, who married Chester’s elder brother, James Selleck Edgerton.

Chester and Almira resided initially in German, New York, where they had a family of three sons:  Chester Morris, born on February 18, 1847; Charles H., born on December 25, 1848; and William Chauncey, born on March 19, 1957.  According to the 1863 map of German, Chenango County, New York, Chester lived just across the creek from his brothers George and Locy in the area of town known as “German Hollow”.

The household of Chester Edgerton was recorded in the 1850 Federal Census of German, Chenango County, New York (pg. 206; dwelling #1645; family #1686; enum. September 6, 1850), as follows:

The household of Chester B. Edgerton was recorded again in the 1860 Federal Census of German, Chenango County, New York (pg. 481; dwelling #349; family #349; enum. June 29, 1860), as follows:

The household of Chester Edgerton was recorded in the 1870 Federal Census of Greene, Chenango County, New York (dwelling #114; family #118; enum. July 7, 1870), as follows:

The household of Chester Edgerton was recorded in the 1880 Federal Census of Smithville, Chenango County, New York (pg. 411; dwelling #23; family #24; enum. June 2, 1880), as follows:

[Note:  Some of the relationships listed here were incorrect – Emma was actually Chester’s daughter-in-law (first wife of his son William C.), and George was his grandson (William and Emma’s eldest son).]

In the early part of the 1880’s, Chester B. Edgerton purchased, together with his son and daughter-in-law, Chester M. and Flora Edgerton, a tract of 85 acres in the Town of Greene, New York from Seeley and Ichabod Merriam.  The land was located in School District #25, and consisted of the majority of lots 52, 62 and 63.  Chester and his wife resided in Greene for the remainder of their lives.

Chester Benton Edgerton died at Greene, New York on November 18, 1893.  According to the death record in the town of Greene (Greene Births, Deaths & Marriages 1883 - 1906, pg. 16, #532), Chester was a “laborer, married; b. in Smithville, NY; father: Whiting Edgerton; mother: unknown”.  His age was listed as “80 years, 9 months” (off by four years), and the cause of death was listed as “consumption”.  An obituary notice reporting the death of “Chester B. Edgerton in Greene, New York on November 18, 1893, aged 81 years”, was printed in the Chenango American on November 23, 1893.

Mrs. Almira Edgerton survived her husband by ten years.  At the time of the 1900 Federal Census, she was residing in Greene, New York in the household of her youngest son, William C. Edgerton.  According to the enumeration (pg. 73; dwelling #185; family #185; enum. June 16, 1900), Almira was born April 1811 in New York State (aged 89), and both her parents were born in Connecticut.

“Elmira Edgerton, widow of Chester B.” was listed in the 1902 Directory of Chenango County, New York.  She was residing in the town of Lincklaen, as was her son, Charles H.

Mrs. Almira (Ives) Edgerton died at Greene, New York on November 25, 1903.  According to the record of her death at Greene (Births, Deaths & Marriages 1883 - 1906, pg. 31, #1079), she was a “widow; b. in Guilford, New York; father: Abram Ives (b. CT); mother: Lois Ives (b. CT).  Her age was listed as “92 years, 7 months”, and the cause of death was reported as “old age”.

Chester and Almira Edgerton were both buried at the Sylvan Lawn Cemetery in Greene, New York.  Although no stones are found there with their inscriptions, the aforementioned death records for Chester and Almira state that they were buried at “Sylvan Lawn Cemetery” and at “Greene, NY”, respectively.  Furthermore, cemetery records kept at the Greene Town Hall, show that Mr. and Mrs. C.B. Edgerton were buried in lot 37 of the Sylvan Lawn Cemetery – the same lot where Chester’s father, Whiting, is buried with his daughter, Loly, and second wife, Jane.  It is believed that the two small footstones at the far left of this plot belong to Chester and Almira.

Chester and Almira’s three sons all resided in Chenango County for most of their lives; Charles H. removed later in life to Binghamton.  All three of the sons are buried at Sylvan Lawn Cemetery.

Original Source Documents:

1850 Federal Census – household of Chester Benton Edgerton; German, Chenango Co., NY.

1860 Federal Census – household of Chester Benton Edgerton; German, Chenango Co., NY.

1870 Federal Census – household of Chester Benton Edgerton; Greene, Chenango Co., NY.

1880 Federal Census – household of Chester Benton Edgerton; Smithville, Chenango Co., NY.