The

Edgerton

Database

Index

Sources

Elijah Edgerton, son of Samuel and Alice (Ripley) Edgerton.

born:

December 1, 1715; Norwich, New London Co., CT. (VRp I:60)

married:

1: February 21, 1742/3; Norwich, New London Co., CT. (VRp I:219)

Sarah Gager, daughter of William and Elizabeth (Whiting) Gager.

born:	October 10, 1726; Lebanon, New London Co., CT. (VR I:121)
died:	January 18, 1766; Norwich, New London Co., CT. (VRp I:219) (GI)
buried:	Old Franklin Plains Cemetery; Franklin, New London Co., CT. (GI)

Children:

Ebenezer, b. March 8, 1744/5; Norwich, New London Co., CT.
Eliphalet, b. March 1, 1747/8; Norwich, New London Co., CT.
Luther, b. August 9, 1750; Norwich, New London Co., CT.
Cynthia, b. September 7, 1763; Norwich, New London Co., CT.

married:

2: September 1, 1766; Norwich, New London Co., CT. (VRp I:219)

Bethiah Billings

Children:

Sarah, b. May 27, 1767; Norwich, New London Co., CT.
Bradford, b. February 11, 1769; Norwich, New London Co., CT.

Elijah Edgerton was born in Norwich, Connecticut on December 1, 1715, the sixth son and seventh child of Samuel and Alice (Ripley) Edgerton. He was raised in Norwich and married there on February 21, 1742/3, Sarah Gager, the daughter of Rev. William Gager and his first wife, Elizabeth Whiting. Sarah was born in Lebanon, Connecticut on October 10, 1726.

The Vital Records of Norwich list three children for Elijah and Sarah – Ebenezer, Eliphalet and Luther (VRp I:219). Elijah and Sarah also had a baby daughter, Cynthia, who died on September 11, 1763, “aged 4 days”. This daughter was buried in the Old Franklin Plains Cemetery. The two eldest children – sons Ebenezer and Eliphalet – were baptized at the Franklin Congregational Church, on September 28, 1746 and April 17, 1748, respectively. There is no baptismal record found for the younger son, Luther.

Mrs. Sarah (Gager) Edgerton was mentioned in the will of her father, William Gager (dated November 25, 1763) as, “Sarah, wife of Elijah Edgerton, of Norwich” (Windham Probate Records, Book 7, pg. 170; and Book 8, pg. 343). William Gager died in Lebanon, Connecticut on March 3, 1766, and had apparently not amended his will after Sarah’s death just two months earlier.

Sarah (Gager) Edgerton died in Norwich, Connecticut on January 18, 1766, aged thirty-nine years. She was buried at the Old Franklin Plains Cemetery. Elijah was remarried later that year, on September 1, 1766, to Mrs. Bethiah (Billings) Clark Walden. Bethiah was the widow respectively of Theophilus Clark (1722 – 1755) of Ashford, Connecticut and Nathan Walden ( – 1762) of New Haven, Connecticut; her parentage has not been established.

Elijah and Bethiah Edgerton had two children – Sarah and Bradford – both recorded in the Norwich Vital Records (VRp I:219). Beyond this, there is no further account of the family. In three separate deeds dated June 8, 1765, October 30, 1765 and April 26, 1769, Elijah sold most of his property in Norwich to John Gager (probably a relative of his first wife, Sarah). In each of the deeds, Elijah referred to himself as “of Norwich”, making no mention of a future residence. Elijah Edgerton was not listed as a head of household in the 1790 Federal Census of New London County, Connecticut, so it is likely that he had died or removed from Norwich by this time. No burial site or death record has been located for Elijah Edgerton.

Elijah Edgerton, of Norwich, may have been the Elijah Edgerton who removed to West Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts and was married there on March 11, 1776 to Mercy Elmer. A Sarah Edgerton (possibly Elijah’s daughter by his second wife, Bethiah) was married at West Springfield on March 7, 1796 to Gideon Goss and had at least three children by him – Edwin, Bestey and Juliette.