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Curtis Edgerton, son of Jedediah and Lucy (Curtis) Edgerton.

Amy Harris

Children:

1. Zeno Cromar, b. ~1809; Warsaw, Wyoming Co., NY.
2. Zoa, b. August 19, 1811; Warsaw, Wyoming Co., NY.
3. Alanson, b. June 28, 1816; Warsaw, Wyoming Co., NY.
4. Amy Sophronia, b. April 28, 1819; Warsaw, Wyoming Co., NY.
5. Clarence, b. 1823; Woodstock Twp., Oxford Co., Ontario, Canada.
6. Lucy M., b. May 12, 1826; Woodstock Twp., Oxford Co., Ontario, Canada.
7. Duncombe, b. May 1828; Woodstock Twp., Oxford Co., Ontario, Canada.
8. John Q., b. May 6, 1830; Woodstock Twp., Oxford Co., Ontario, Canada.
9. Lophila, b. 1835; Woodstock Twp., Oxford Co., Ontario, Canada.
10. Harris, b. August 20, 1839; Berlin, St. Clair Co., MI.

Curtis Edgerton was born at Pawlet, Vermont on April 19, 1786, the third son of Jedediah and Lucy (Curtis) Edgerton.  He was baptized on August 3, 1788 at the First Congregational Church of Pawlet, along with his brothers, Jedediah Jr., Jacob and Joshua.  Curtis was raised in Pawlet, Vermont and later in Moriah, New York, where his parents settled circa 1803.

As a young man, Curtis Edgerton removed to Warsaw, Wyoming County (then Genesee County), New York.  Curtis name was listed among the earliest land buyers in Warsaw Township, having purchased 144 acres in the “east part of lot 60” on July 3, 1806.  Of this property, he retained 104 acres to himself and deeded the remaining 40 acres to Robert Burdick (see Young, Andrew White; History of the Town of Warsaw, New York, from its First Settlement to the Present Time; Buffalo, New York: Press of the Sage, Sons & Co. Ltd; 1869; pg. 31).

Curtis Edgerton was married at Warsaw, New York on May 1, 1808 to Amy Harris.  Amy’s parentage has not been completely identified.  According to the precise age at death recorded on her gravestone (see below), Amy was born May 15, 1791, and the 1850 Federal Census lists her birthplace as New York.  It is known that Amy had a brother named Alanson Harris, whose will she witnessed in 1851, and that her mother’s given name was also Amy, as seen by a later guardianship document (see below).  Amy may have been related to Edna Amanda Harris, who married Curtis’ younger brother, Ebenezer Leffingwell Edgerton, in 1816.

Curtis and Amy (Harris) Edgerton had a large family of ten children – six sons, Zeno Cromar, Alanson, Clarence, Duncombe, John Q. and Harris; and four daughters, Zoa, Amy Sophronia, Lucy M. and Lophila.  There is occasional reference in family accounts to another son, William, who died in childhood, but to date there is no documentation of his existence.

The household of Curtis Edgerton was recorded in the 1810 Federal Census of Warsaw, Genesee County (now Wyoming County), New York (pg. 127), with the following enumeration:

1 male  “of 26 and under 45”  (? – possibly an in-law);

1 male  “of 16 and under 26”  (Curtis);

1 male  “under 10 years”  (son Zeno);

1 female  “of 16 and under 26”  (wife Amy); and,

1 female  “under 10 years”  (daughter ?).

The household of Peter W. Harris was enumerated directly after Curtis’ household on this census roll.  Peter (aged “45 years and upwards”) was probably a relative of Curtis’ wife, Amy (Harris) Edgerton – possibly her father or an uncle.  It is notable that Curtis and Amy’s eldest daughter, Zoa (Edgerton) Churchill, named her first-born son, Peter Churchill.

Curtis Edgerton was an ensign in the War of 1812.  He served in Churchill’s 164th Regiment of the New York Militia (Company E) under Captain Jairus Crittenden.  Diane Hosler has provided a copy of the Muster and Pay Cards from the National Archives and Records Administration (cards #37655773, #37655868, and #37655963) detailing Curtis’ service in the War of 1812.  Also included in Curtis’ file is a Substinence Account for his service from August 29, 1814 to September 17, 1814.  On September 11, 1856, Curtis Edgerton, “aged 70, of St. Clair Co., Mich.” gave a deposition on behalf of the pension claim of Levi Banister, stating that he served with Levi as an ensign in Captain Stratton’s Company of the New York Militia (see War of 1812 Pension Files, #WO22726).   Several of Curtis’ brothers also served in the War of 1812.

Circa 1820, Curtis removed with his family from New York State to Zorra Township (now Woodstock), in Oxford County, Ontario, Canada.  Curtis Edgerton was first listed on the Zorra Township tax rolls in the year 1822.  According to the “Assessment Roll” of that year, Curtis’ property in Zorra Township consisted of 100 acres of cultivated land.  Curtis’ brother-in-law, Alanson Harris, was also listed on the 1822 Assessment Roll of Zorra Township.  On December 31, 1831, Curtis purchased a tract of property in Zorra Township from Alanson (see Oxford County Land Records, folio #357, deed #1936).

Curtis remained with his family in Woodstock about fifteen years.  In 1837, he purchased land in West Berlin, St. Clair County, Michigan near Smith village, where he subsequently settled.  According a later deed of sale (see below), Curtis’ property in Berlin was located in Section 21, Town 6 North, Range 13 East (Southwest corner of  the East half of the Southwest quarter).  On January 22, 1838, Curtis sold his property in Zorra Township (100 acres, W1/2 Lot 17, Concession 12) to David Lord (abstract of deed courtesy of Diane Hosler).

The household of Curtis Edgerton was recorded in the 1840 Federal Census of Berlin, St. Clair County, Michigan (pg. 222), with the following enumeration:

1 male “50 and under 60”  (Curtis);

1 male “15 and under 20”  (son Clarence);

2 males “5 and under 10”  (sons John and Duncombe – the latter actually aged 12);

1 male “under 5 years”  (son Harris);

1 female “40 and under 50”  (wife Amy);

1 female “10 and under 15”  (daughter Lucy); and,

1 female “5 and under 10”  (daughter Lophila).

On June 12, 1845, Curtis Edgerton petitioned the St. Clair County Probate Court for guardianship of his mother-in-law, Amy Harris.  A transcript of the guardianship file (St. Clair County, Michigan Probate Court, File #1-127) has been provided by Diane Hosler of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The household of Curtis Edgerton was recorded in the 1850 Federal Census of Berlin, St. Clair County, Michigan (pg. 426; dwelling #439-440; family #439-440; enum. August 26, 1850), as follows:

Curtis and Amy resided in West Berlin for the remainder of their lives.  On July 11, 1857, they sold their property in Berlin to their two unmarried children, John and Lophila (see Berlin Township Land Deeds, pg. 168).  Amy died later that month on July 21st.   She was buried at the West Berlin Cemetery (aka. “United Methodist Cemetery”) in West Berlin (now Allenton), Michigan, where her gravestone bears the following inscription:

AMY

wife of

CURTIS EDGERTON

DIED

July 21 1857

aged

66 Yrs, 2 M’s, 6 D’s

A number of secondary accounts (eg. family group sheets) report that Curtis Edgerton died in West Berlin, Michigan either on December 15, 1857 or on December 15, 1867.  To date, no primary record has been found to determine which (or either) year of death is correct.  Given that Curtis does not appear to be found in the 1860 Federal Census, it is likely that the earlier year is correct. 

Sextons records held by the Berlin Town Clerk show that Curtis Edgerton was buried at the West Berlin Cemetery, along with his wife and their two unmarried children, John and Lophila, but no other information is provided about the burial.  Reports from  Linda Cendro and Denise Gregory indicate that while a headstone was found for Amy, no headstones were found standing for Curtis or the two children.

Original Source Documents:

Baptismal Record – Curtis Edgerton; Records of the Congregational Church in Pawlet; Vol. I.

1810 Federal Census – household of Curtis Edgerton; Warsaw, Wyoming (then Genesee) Co., NY.

War of 1812 Muster and Pay Cards – Curtis Edgerton; National Archives Records Administration; cards #37655773, #37655868, and #37655963.

War of 1812 Substinence Account – Curtis Edgerton; National Archives Records Administration.

1840 Federal Census – household of Curtis Edgerton; Berlin, St. Clair Co., MI.

1850 Federal Census – household of Curtis Edgerton; Berlin, St. Clair Co., MI.

Gravestone photo – Mrs. Amy (Harris) Edgerton; West Berlin Cemetery; Berlin, St. Clair Co., MI.