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Ezekiel Edgerton, son of Joseph and Lucy (Lyon) Edgerton.

Lucy Fales, daughter of Ebenezer and Esther (Bingham) Fales.

Children:

1. Harvey, b. January 25, 1801; Hawley, Franklin Co., MA.
2. Almira, b. January 11, 1803; Hawley, Franklin Co., MA.
3. John, b. August 11, 1804; Hawley, Franklin Co., MA.
4. Justus, b. January 11, 1806; Hawley, Franklin Co., MA.
5. Sardis, b. January 14, 1808; Hawley, Franklin Co., MA.
6. Anna, b. May 25, 1809; Hawley, Franklin Co., MA.
7. David, b. June 21, 1811; Hawley, Franklin Co., MA.
8. Eliza, b. April 19, 1813; Hawley, Franklin Co., MA.
9. Clarinda, b. January 28, 1815; Hawley, Franklin Co., MA.
10. Ezekiel, b. October 15, 1816; Hawley, Franklin Co., MA.
11. Lucy Fales, b. January 4, 1818; Hawley, Franklin Co., MA.
12. Hiram Bingham, b. March 11, 1820; Hawley, Franklin Co., MA.

Lydia Cromack

Ezekiel Edgerton was born at Norwich, Connecticut on October 30, 1773, the fourth son and fifth child of Joseph and Lucy (Lyon) Edgerton.  He was baptized at the Bozrah Congregational Church in Bozrah (then Norwich), Connecticut on November 14th of the same year.  At a very young age, Ezekiel removed with his parents to Hawley, Franklin County, Massachusetts, where he resided for the remainder of his life.

Ezekiel Edgerton was married on March 13, 1800 at Charlemont, Massachusetts to Lucy Fales.  Lucy was the daughter of Ebenezer and Esther (Bingham) Fales, who had also come to Massachusetts from Norwich, Connecticut.  She was born at Charlemont on April 7, 1777.

Ezekiel and Lucy had a large family of twelve children – seven sons and five daughters.  The family was fully recorded in the vital records of Hawley, Massachusetts.  Three of Ezekiel’s children died at a young age:  Eliza, at age 10; Ezekiel Jr., at age 15; and Lucy F., at age 13. 

The household of Ezekiel Edgerton was recorded in the 1810 Federal Census of Hawley, Franklin County, Massachusetts (pg. 243), with the following enumeration:

1 male “of 26 and under 45”  (Ezekiel);

1 male “of 16 and under 26”  (?);

1 male “of 10 and under 16”  (son Harvey – actually aged 9);

3 males “under 10 years of age”  (sons John, Justus and Sardis);

1 female “over 45 years of age”  (mother Lucy);

1 female “of 26 and under 45”  (wife Lucy);

1 female “of 10 and under 16”  (?); and,

2 female “under 10 years of age”  (daughters Almira and Anna).

The household of Ezekiel Edgerton was recorded in the 1820 Federal Census of Hawley, Franklin County, Massachusetts (pg. 21), with the following enumeration:

1 male “of 45 years and upwards” (Ezekiel);

2 males “of 16 and under 26”  (sons Harvey and John);

1 male “between 16 and 18”  (son John);

2 males “of 10 and under 16”  (sons Justus and Sardis);

3 males “under 10 years of age”  (sons David, Ezekiel and Hiram);

1 female “of 45 years and upwards”  (mother Lucy);

1 female “of 26 and under 45”  (wife Lucy);

1 female “of 16 and under 26”  (daughter Almira);

1 female “of 10 and under 16”  (daughter Anna); and,

3 females “under 10 years of age”  (daughters Eliza, Clarinda and Lucy).

The household of Ezekiel Edgerton was recorded in the 1830 Federal Census of Hawley, Franklin County, Massachusetts (pg. 87), with the following enumeration:

1 male “of 50 and under 60”  (Ezekiel);

2 males “of 30 and under 30”  (sons Justus and Sardis);

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

1 male “of 10 and under 15”  (son Ezekiel);

1 male “of 5 and under 10”  (son Hiram);

1 female “of 40 and under 50”  (second wife Lydia);

2 females “of 20 and under 30”  (daughters Almira and Anna);

1 female “of 15 and under 20”  (daughter Clarinda); and,

1 female “of 10 and under 15”  (daugher Lucy).

History of the Town of Hawley, Massachusetts from its First Settlement in 1771 to 1887 (William Giles Atkins; West Cummington, Mass.: privately published; 1887; pg. 102) provides the following brief biography of Ezekiel Edgerton:

“Ezekiel Edgerton succeeded to the homestead, and was the only one of his name and generation whose life was spent and family reared in Hawley.  He was a farmer and mechanic, and besides being a carpenter and builder he had a shop in which he made various kinds of cabinet work, wagons and sleighs.  He was a very well educated man of his day.  He married Lucy, daughter ef Dea. Ebenezer Fales of Charlemont, in 1800.  They had twelve children, as follows: Harvey, born in 1801, Almira, born in 1803, John, born in 1805, Justus, born 1806, Sardis, born in 1808, Ann, born in 1809, David, born in 1811, Eliza, born in 1813, Clarinda, born in 1815, (the writer of this sketch,) Ezekiel, born in 1817, Lucy F., born in 1818, Hiram B., born in 1820.  The father died in 1837, the mother in 1823, are buried in the cemetery in Bozrah, and by their side rests three of their children, Eliza, whose death occurred the same year of her mother’s, Lucy and Ezekiel.  Three of them died in North Royalton, Ohio, Hiram in 1884, aged 64, John in 1883, aged 79, David in 1837, aged 26.  Harvey is living at No. Royalton, O., aged 86, Justus is living at Brecksville, O., aged 81, Sardis is living at Royalton, aged 79, Clarinda is living at Brecksville, aged 72.”

Mrs. Lucy (Fales) Edgerton died at Hawley, Massachusetts on November 19, 1823, aged 46 years.   She was buried in the family plot at Bozrah Cemetery in Hawley.  Her gravestone bears the following inscription:

Following Lucy’s death, Ezekiel was remarried to Lydia Cromack, of nearby Colrain, Massachusetts.  The intention of their marriage was published at Colrain on February 27, 1828.

Ezekiel Edgerton died at Hawley, Massachusetts on December 5, 1837, aged 64 years.  He was buried in the family plot at Bozrah Cemetery, where his first wife and young children were previously interred.  His gravestone bears the following inscription:

Most of Ezekiel and Lucy Edgerton’s surviving children removed from Massachusetts and settled in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, where a number of cousins and other family members had previously settled.  Four of the sons – Harvey, John, Sardis and Hiram B. – settled in North Royalton and were influential and respected members of that community.   The youngest surviving daughter, Clarinda, married Isaac Oakes, and settled in Brecksville.

Original Source Documents:

1810 Federal Census – household of Ezekiel Edgerton; Hawley, Franklin Co., MA.

1820 Federal Census – household of Ezekiel Edgerton; Hawley, Franklin Co., MA.

1830 Federal Census – household of Ezekiel Edgerton; Hawley, Franklin Co., MA.

Gravestone photo – Ezekiel Edgerton; Bozrah Cemetery; Hawley, Franklin Co., MA – photo courtesy of Mark Fairbrother.

Gravestone photo – Mrs. Lucy (Fales) Edgerton; Bozrah Cemetery; Hawley, Franklin Co., MA – photo courtesy of Mark Fairbrother.