The

Edgerton

Database

Home

Index

Sources

Search

Researchers

Notes...

Contact info

Photos

Links

Credits…

Jacob Edgerton, son of Ebenezer and Desire (Granger) Edgerton.

Nancy Lee, daughter of Daniel and Agnes (Campbell) Lee.

Children:

1. Alonson, b. 1793; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.
2. Daniel Lee, b. December 11, 1794; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.
3. Nancy, b. 1795; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.
4. Lester, b. ~1797; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.
5. Asahel, b. ~1799; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.
6. Loiza Desire, b. 1800; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.
7. Charlotte, b. ~1800; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.
8. Jefferson, b. ~1804; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.
9. Josephus, b. ~1804; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.
10. Judd, b. ~1805; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.
11. Maria, b. ~1807; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.
12. Jerusha, b. ~1808; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.
13. Angeline, b. 1810; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.
14. Willis, b. ~1812; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.
15. Margaret, b. ~1813; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.
16. Caleb, b. ~1817; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.

Jacob Edgerton was born at West Granby, Connecticut in the year 1765, the son of Ebenezer and Desire (Granger) Edgerton.  He was raised in West Granby and resided there throughout his lifetime.  He made his living as a farmer and laborer.

Jacob’s wife was Nancy Lee, daughter of Daniel and Agnes (Campbell) Lee of Westfield, Massachusetts.  Nancy was born at Westfield on July 16, 1772.  Jacob and Nancy had a large family of sixteen children – nine sons and seven daughters.  Some sources mention as many as nineteen children for Jacob and Nancy Edgerton.  To date, there is documented proof of sixteen.  The family of Jacob Edgerton was not entered in the Granby Vital Records.  The estimated birthdates provided here are all derived from later secondary records – eg. death records, census enumerations, burial records, etc.  It is presumed that the children were born at West Granby, Connecticut, where Jacob is known to have resided (per land deeds) and where he was uniformly recorded in the Federal Censuses.  Most of Jacob’s children resided in West Granby and in various neighboring towns of Hartford and Litchfield Counties (eg. Canton, Barkhamstead, Suffield).

Jacob Edgerton was recorded as a head of household in the 1800 Federal Census of Granby, Hartford County, Connecticut (pg. 523).  The enumeration of the household was as follows:

1 males “of 26 and under 45”  (Jacob);

1 male “of 16 and under 26”  (?);

4 males “under 10 years of age”  (sons Alonson, Lee, Lester and Asahel);

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

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

2 females “under 10 years of age”  (daughters Nancy and Loiza).

The household of Jacob Edgerton was recorded in the 1810 Federal Census of Granby, Hartford County, Connecticut (pg. 489), as follows:

1 male “over 45 years of age”  (Jacob);

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

3 males “of 10 and under 16”  (sons Lee, Lester and Asahel);

3 males “under 10 years of age”  (sons Jefferson, Josephus and Judd);

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

1 female “of 16 and under 26”  (?);

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

4 females “under 10 years of age”  (daughters Loiza, Charlotte, Maria and Jerusha).

The household of Jacob Edgerton was recorded in the 1820 Federal Census of Granby, Hartford County, Connecticut (pg. 281), with the following enumeration:

2 males “of 45 years and upwards”  (Jacob and father Ebenezer);

2 males “of 16 and under 26”  (sons Jefferson and Judd);

1 male “of 10 and under 16”  (Judd);

2 males “under 10 years of age”  (sons Willis and Caleb);

2 females “of 45 years and upwards”  (wife Nancy and mother Desire);

3 females “of 16 and under 26”  (daughters Nancy, Loiza and Charlotte);

3 females “of 10 and under 16”  (daughters Maria, Jerusha and Angeline); and,

1 female “under 10 years of age”  (daughter Margaret).

Jacob’s four elder sons, Alonson, Lee, Lester and Asahel, were presumbably out on their own by this time; however only two of them were listed as a heads of households in the 1820 Federal Census of Connecticut – Alonson in Granby and Lee in Barkhamsted (Litchfield County).

Jacob Edgerton was a member of the First Congregational Church of Granby.  The deaths of three of his daughters were entered in the Church records:

“Jacob Edgerton, his daughter [ie. Loiza Desire], d. January 24 or 25, 1828, aged 27”  (ChR 2:149);

“Jacob Edgerton, decd, his daughter [ie. Margaret], d. March 13, 1830, aged 17”  (ChR 2:151); and,

“Jerusha Edgerton, d. May 24, 1830; aged 22”  (ChR 2:151).

The marriages of Jacob’s daughters, Nancy and Charlotte (both in 1823) were also recorded at the Granby First Congregational Church. 

Jacob Edgerton died of “mortification” on November 15, 1828, presumably at West Granby, Connecticut, although no record of his death is found there.  He was buried at the West Granby Cemetery, where many of his children and descendants were also buried.  His gravestone there provides the aforementioned date of November 15, 1828 and lists his age as 63 years.  Jacob’s death was also recorded in the records of Granby Congregational Church under the date, “November 1828” (ChR 2:150).  His death was entered in the register of the “West Granby Burying-Ground” (pg. 8, no. 149), as follows:

“[1828]…Nov. 16…Jacob Edgerton…mortification…[age] 63…[lot] 34”

Jacob Edgerton did not leave a will.  His estate was administered by Bethiel Beman, Lorin Humphreys and Samuel Weed, who filed a distribution of the estate on October 16, 1829.  The distribution mentions wife, Nancy, and thirteen “children of the deceased”:  Alonson, Willis, Caleb, Jerusha, Maria, Angeline, Margaret, Josephus, Judd, Lester, Jefferson, Nancy and Charlotte.  Curiously, the second name is smudged out on its every occurrence throughout the deed. (It appears to be “Wyllys” or something to that effect – hard to tell.)   One of the elder sons, Lee, was not included in the distribution.  He had probably received lands of his father prior to Jacob’s death; and in a quit-claim deed dated December 4, 1828, “Daniel Lee Edgerton” released his claim on the estate for consideration of five hundred dollars received from the other heirs.

After Jacob’s death, his son Josephus apparently took over the family homestead, since he was listed as the head of household there when the 1830 Federal Census was taken.  The elder sons, Alonson, Lee, Lester, Asahel and Jefferson, were already out on their own and each was listed as a head of household in the 1830 Federal Census of Connecticut (in Granby, Barkhamsted and Canton).  Two of the elder daughters, Nancy and Charlotte, were already married; and one of the daughters, Loiza Desire, had died.

The household of “Cephas Edgerton” was recorded in the 1830 Federal Census of Granby, Hartford County, Connecticut (pg. 316), with the following enumeration:

3 males “of 20 and under 30”  (Josephus and brothers Judd and Willis);

1 male “of 15 and under 20”  (brother Caleb);

1 female “of 50 and under 60”  (mother Nancy); and,

4 females “of 20 and under 30”  (sisters Maria, Jerusha, Angeline and Margaret).

Although the number of total individuals listed in the household was correct, some of the age categories were recorded incorrectly.  For example, Willis was actually about 18; and the youngest sister, Margaret, should have both been placed in the “15 – 20” age range.

Mrs. Nancy (Lee) Edgerton survived her husband just under twelve years.  She died on September 18, 1840, presumably at West Granby, Connecticut.  She was buried at the West Granby Cemetery, in the same lot as her husband Jacob, although no stone was erected.  Her death was entered in the register of the “West Granby Burying-Ground” (pg. 13, no. 262), as follows:

“[1840]…Sep 18…Nancy widow of Jacob Edgerton…[age] 69…[lot] 34”

On May 19th of the following year, a distribution was filed with the Probate Court, dividing her dower among the heirs of her husband, Jacob’s estate.  By this time, a number of her children had predeceased her, and their rights in the dower were assigned to various relatives.  The total value of the dower was recorded as $931.54, each of the heirs (or their “assignees”) receiving an equal share of $71.66.  A transcript of the distribution is attached.

Original Source Documents:

1800 Federal Census – household of Jacob Edgerton; Granby, Hartford Co., CT.

1810 Federal Census – household of Jacob Edgerton; Granby, Hartford Co., CT.

1820 Federal Census – household of Jacob Edgerton; Granby, Hartford Co., CT.

1830 Federal Census – household of Josephus Edgerton; Granby, Hartford Co., CT.