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Daniel A. Edgerton, son of Samuel M. and Anna (Andrus) Edgerton.

Clarinda Wickers, daughter of John and Mary (Elston) Wickers.

Children:

1. Harriet Ann, b. September 28, 1862; Wallingford, Rutland Co., VT.
2. John Clark, b. 1865; Wallingford, Rutland Co., VT.
3. William E., b. May 16, 1867; Benson, Rutland Co., VT.
4. Charles Daniel, b. August 22, 1869; Benson, Rutland Co., VT.
5. George Martin, b. October 20, 1875; Wallingford, Rutland Co., VT.

Daniel A. Edgerton was born in Wallingford, Vermont on March 16, 1833, the third son and youngest child of Samuel and Anna (Andrus) Edgerton. The family lived on West Hill in District 9, where Daniel, along with his brothers and sister, was raised and schooled.  Upon the death of his father in 1857, Daniel minherited the bulk of his father's lands, including the home farm, upon which he was to “provide a home with good support” for his mother, Anna, throughout her natural life.  His elder brothers already had nearby lands of their own, and from the wording in their father's will, there seems to be some dubiousness as to the reliability of elder brother, Harley.  Daniel also inherited all of his father’s farming equipment and stock, as well as certain personal items, including his father’s desk.

Daniel’s wife was Clarinda (“Clara”) Wickers, daughter of John and Mary (Elston) Wickers of Wilton, New York.  Clarinda first appeared in Vermont records in the 1860 Federal Census of Wallingford, where she was listed under her maiden name, aged 21, and born in New York.  At this point, she was living in the household of Mr. Francis Crary.   Daniel and Clarinda were probably married shortly after 1860; as yet no record of the marriage has been found.  Their first child, daughter Harriet Ann, was born in Wallingford on September 28, 1862.  A second child, a son, John Clark, was born in Wallingford in 1865.

In the years 1860 – 1863, Daniel’s property on West Hill, comprising 144 acres, was appraised at $3,744.59, and was noted in the grand lists as lands of “Daniel Edgerton and mother”.  By 1866, Daniel had sold or transferred most of this property, leaving the home farm to his brother Harley, who took over the support of their mother there until her death in 1871. 

On December 12, 1866, Daniel purchased from Franklin and Elizabeth Post of Wallingford, two tracts of land, totaling about 500 acres, in Benson, Vermont (in the northwestern part of Rutland County), for the price of  $10,005.00.  In a deed signed the same day, he mortgaged the property for $4,000.00 to the same Franklin Post.  The terms for repayment of the mortgage were laid out as follows:

“I, the said Daniel Edgerton shall...well and truly pay or cause to be paid according to their tenor and meaning eight promissory notes even date herewith for five hundred dollars each, signed by me the said Daniel Edgerton to said Post or bearer, with interest annually after the first day of April next, the first payable the first day of April 1868, and one of said notes made payable on each first day of April thereafter, till and including the first day of April 1875.”

By the year 1867, Daniel and Clarinda had settled in Benson, where they had two more sons –  William E., born on May 16, 1867, and Charles Daniel, born on August 22, 1869.  The family was enumerated in the 1870 Federal Census of Benson, Rutland County, Vermont (pg 281; dwelling #39; family #41; enum. June 2, 1880) as follows:

The “Mary Flagg” listed here was Clarinda’s twice-widowed mother.

The farm of “D. Edgerton” is shown on the 1869 F.W. Beers’ Rutland County Atlas Map of Benson in district 9, in the southeast corner of Benson, just east of the Hubbardton River and bordering the property of “G. Root”.

It does not appear that Daniel was at all successful in Benson.  By 1872, he was seriously delinquent in repayment of the mortgage and owed a balance of $3,856.52 on five of the notes plus interest.  This would seem to indicate that he had not yet been able to make payment on any of the promissory notes.  On March 29, 1872, Daniel took a second mortgage on a portion of the property (his wife, Clarinda joining in the deed) from his neighbor, George Root, for $500.00, presumably to make the upcoming payment on the mortgage and hold off his creditors.  However, in April of the same year, the land was foreclosed upon by Ephraim Hulett, who had purchased the mortgage from the original holder, Franklin Post.   The deed of foreclosure was dated April 18, 1872, and demanded that Daniel pay the balance due (including interest) on the five delinquent notes, plus court costs, totaling $3,881.42.  Daniel was obviously unable to raise this amount and was forced to forfeit the property.  Daniel may have been able to retain a portion of his property in Benson, as his eldest son, John Clark, is later found residing there (c. 1885 – 1890).

By 1875, Daniel and Clarinda had returned to Wallingford.  Their youngest son, George Martin was born in Wallingford on October 20, 1875.  The family was now residing in District 9, which lay on the east side of town, bordering Mount Holly. There are no records or deeds showing that Daniel owned any land in Wallingford at this time, so it is assumed that the family was either living with relations or renting property.  Daniel’s only daughter, Harriet Ann, died in East Wallingford in 1876 and was buried at Sugar Hill Cemetery there.

In 1879, Daniel was working in the marble quarries at Sutherland Falls, when he suffered an accident on May 12th.  Details of the accident are not yet known, but he died from his injuries five days later.  The following obituary notice was printed in The Rutland Daily Herald and Globe on Wednesday, May 21, 1879:

“SOUTH WALLINGFORD…Daniel Edgerton’s remains were brought here for burial on the 17th.  He was injured in the marble quarry at Sutherland Falls, on Wednesday the 12th [actually a Monday], and lived until the Friday following.  He was a son of Samuel Edgerton, an old-time resident of Wallingford.”

Daniel was buried next to his parents, Samuel and Anna, in West Hill Cemetery, near his boyhood home.  A photo of his gravestone is attached.

Daniel’s widow, Clarinda, was remarried later that year on November 22, 1879 at Castleton, Vermont to Benjamin Augustus Patch.  Clarinda and the two younger sons were enumerated with Benjamin in the 1880 Federal Census of Hampton, Washington County, New York.  By the time of the 1900 Federal Census, Benjamin and Clarinda were residing in Mount Holly, Vermont (where Clarinda’s sons, Charles and George, were then residing) and when the 1910 Federal Census was taken, they were residing in Fair Haven, Vermont (where Clarinda’s youngest son, George Martin, had settled).

Mrs. Clarinda Patch died at Wallingford, Vermont on March 16, 1914, aged 74 years, 11 months and 25 days.  Her death was noted in the Wallingford Town Report for the year 1914 under “Deaths Reported in the Town of Wallingford”.  Clarinda’s death certificate, filed in the Wallingford Town Vital Records (Deaths, Book 7, pg. 155), gives the following particulars:

The four sons of Daniel and Clarinda (Wickers) Edgerton were each married and lived in Vermont.   The eldest, John Clark, married Nellie Martin of Buffalo, New York, and lived in Benson, Weston and Londonderry, Vermont; he died at Fort Edward, New York in 1898 and his widow was remarried to Burt Brown.  The second-born son, William E., was married to Eliza Cherbano and lived in Castleton Vermont; he died in 1924, aged 57.  Charles Daniel was married to Jessie S. Fuller, and lived in Mount Holly; he died on September 23, 1912, seven days after being hit by a street car in Rutland.  The youngest son, George Martin, was married to Susan Angela Wyman of Weston (to the east of Wallingford); he resided for a few years in Mount Holly, Vermont and later settled in Fair Haven, Vermont.

Original Source Documents:

1860 Federal Census – household of Daniel A. Edgerton; Wallingford, Rutland Co., VT.

1870 Federal Census – household of Daniel A. Edgerton; Benson, Rutland Co., VT.

1880 Federal Census – household of Benjamin Augustus Patch; Hampton, Washington Co., NY.

1900 Federal Census – household of Benjamin Augustus Patch; Mount Holly, Rutland Co., VT.

1910 Federal Census – household of Benjamin Augustus Patch; Fair Haven, Rutland Co., VT.

Gravestone photo – Daniel A. Edgerton, West Hill Cemetery; Wallingford, Rutland Co., VT.

Obituary – Daniel A. Edgerton, The Rutland Daily Herald and Globe, Wednesday, May 21, 1879.

Death Certificate – Mrs. Clarinda (Wickers) Edgerton Patch, Wallingford Town Vital Records, Deaths, Book 7, pg. 155.