The

Edgerton

Database

Index

Sources

Jedediah Edgerton, son of Jonathan and Freedom (Buell) Edgerton.

born:	April 22, 1753; Lebanon, New London Co., CT. (VR 1:81)
bapt:	June 10, 1753; Goshen Church; Lebanon, New London Co., CT.
died:	October 7, 1838; Richford, Tioga Co., NY. (BR)

married:

September 23, 1779; West Simsbury, Hartford Co., CT. (BR)

Sarah Bunce, daughter of Phineas and Mary (Reade) Bunce.

born:	~1764; Simbury, Hartford Co., CT. (from age at death, BR – “ae 77y”)
died:	November 11, 1841; Richford, Tioga Co., NY. (BR)

Children:

Jonathan, b. October 28, 1780; West Simsbury, Hartford Co., CT.
Freedom, b. July 23, 1783; West Simsbury, Hartford Co., CT.

Jedediah Edgerton was born at Lebanon, Connecticut on April 22, 1753, the eldest son and first child of Jonathan and Freedom (Buell) Edgerton. He was baptized at the Goshen Church in Lebanon on June 10, 1753. During his childhood, the family moved from Lebanon to West Simsbury (Hartford County), Connecticut. Jedediah was known variously as both “Jedediah” and “Jediah”. The latter, shortened name, which appears on numerous deeds and land documents, was evidently of his own choosing.

Jedediah Edgerton was married at West Simsbury, Connecticut on September 23, 1779 to Sarah Bunce, daughter of Phineas and Mary (Reade) Bunce. Sarah was born in Simsbury, Connecticut circa 1764. Jedediah’s mother-in-law, Mary, had recently married Jedediah’s widowed father, Jonathan Edgerton. Jedediah and Sarah resided initially in Simsbury, where their two children – Jonathan and Freedom – were born.

Jedediah Edgerton was listed as a head of household in the 1790 Federal Census of Simsbury, Hartford County, Connecticut (pg. 460), residing adjacent to his father, Jonathan. His household consisted of the following individuals:

1 male “of 16 years and upward” (Jedediah);

1 male “under 16 years” (son Jonathan); and,

2 females (wife Sarah and daughter Freedom).

Jedediah was listed again as a head of household in the 1800 Federal Census of Simsbury, Hartford County, Connecticut (pg. 227). The enumeration of the household at that time was as follows:

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

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

1 female “of 26 and under 45” (wife Sarah).

Jedediah’s only daughter, Freedom, was already married by the time of this census. Her husband, “Tim^y Holcomb”, was also listed as a head of household in Simsbury, enumerated two houses away on the same page of this census roll.

In 1803, Jedediah removed from Simsbury and settled in the town of Hamilton, in Madison County, New York. He and his son, Jonathan, were recorded there in the 1810 Federal Census (pg. 846), residing on adjacent lands. Both were listed as “J. Edgerton”. Jedediah’s household was enumerated with only himself and his wife – both aged “45 years and upwards”.

The household of Jedediah Edgerton was recorded in the 1830 Federal Census of Hamilton, Madison County, New York (pg. 308), with the following enumeration:

1 male “of 70 and under 80” (Jedediah);

1 male “of 15 and under 20” (? – possibly a grandson);

1 female “of 60 and under 70” (wife Sarah); and,

1 female “of 5 and under 10” (? – possibly a granddaughter).

A great deal of information on the family and descendants of Jedediah Edgerton is found in his Revolutionary War Pension File (#R3235), which contains the family record page from Jedediah Edgerton’s Bible. This family record documents births and deaths of four generations of the Edgerton family, from Jedediah’s parents through his grandchildren (children of his son, Jonathan Edgerton).

Abstracts of Revolutionary War Pension Files, Vol I; Virgil D. White, ed.; Waynesboro, Tenn.: The National Historical Publishing Company; 1990; pg. 1082) provides the following excerpt summarizing Jedediah’s Revolutionary Pension File:

“EDGERTON...Jedediah, Sarah, R3235, CT Line, sol was b in 1753 in Lebanon CT & sol lived at Simsbury CT at enl & after the Rev War sol lived there then moved to Hamilton in Madison Cty NY then moved to Chenango Cty NY then moved to Berkshire NY then moved to Richford NY both in Tioga Cty NY & sol appl 19 Nov 1832 at Richford NY & sol d there 7 Oct 1838, sol had m Sarah Bunce 23 Sep 1779 at Simsbury CT & she d 11 Nov 1841 aged 77 and sol & wife had 2 children; Jonathan b 28 Oct 1780 & d 16 Oct 1813 & Freedom a daughter b 23 Jul 1783 & she appl 7 Feb 1844 at Richford in Tioga Cty NY as only surviving child, also shown were the following, towit: Freedom Edgerton 1st wife of Jonathan Edgerton d 22 Jun 1771, Jonathan Edgerton 1st d 11 Nov 1796, Mary Edgerton 2nd wife of Jonathan Edgerton 1st d 28 Mar 1800, Leander Edgerton son of Jonathan Edgerton 2nd b 2 Sep 1808, Luna b 3 Dec 1809 & Minerva b 5 Jan 1813 & in 1845 one Timothy Holcomb aged 73 a res of Richford NY stated he was a son-in-law of sol, in 1844 one John E. Holcomb made aff'dt in Tioga Cty NY but no relationship stated, in 1843 one John Edgerton aged 68 of Nelson in Madison Cty NY stated he was at the wedding of sol & Sarah Bunce.”

Similar information to the above (and apparently derived the same military records) is found in Francis A. Porter’s article, “Some Descendants of Jonathan Edgerton” (The American Genealogist, January 1968, Vol. 44, no. 1, pgs. 119-125).

Original Source Documents:

1790 Federal Census – household of Jedediah Edgerton; Simsbury, Hartford Co., CT.

1800 Federal Census – household of Jedediah Edgerton; Simsbury, Hartford Co., CT.

1810 Federal Census – household of Jedediah Edgerton; Hamilton, Madison Co., NY.

1830 Federal Census – household of Jedediah Edgerton; Hamilton, Madison Co., NY.

Bible Record – Jedediah Edgerton Family Bible; Revolutionary War Pension File #R3235.

Pension Affidavit – Jedediah Edgerton; November 19, 1832, Tioga Co., NY; Revolutionary War Pension File #R3235.

Certificate of Pension – Jedediah Edgerton; December 15, 1832, Berkshire, Tioga Co., NY; Revolutionary War Pension File #R3235.