At the time of the 1850 Federal Census, Jeremiah Edgerton was residing in Hartford, Connecticut in the household of Jeremiah B. Austin. He was enumerated as, “Jeremiah Edgerton, barkeeper, aged 18, b. Conn.” (Hartford, Hartford Co., Conn., pg. 337; dwelling #2263; family #2905; enum. October 5, 1850).

Jeremiah Edgerton was married to Mary Jane Howland of Stafford, Connecticut on April 2, 1856 at Ellington, Connecticut. They had one child – a son, George S., born in Ellington circa 1857. Jeremiah and Mary Jane were divorced in April 1861. The divorce petition cited “desertion” as the grounds for divorce, and also noted that Jeremiah was in prison (see Knox, Grace Louise and Barbara B. Ferris (comp.); Connecticut Divorces – Superior Court Records for the Counties of New London, Tolland and Windham, 1719 – 1910; Heritage Books, Inc.; Bowie, Maryland, 1987).

At the time of the 1860 Federal Census, Jeremiah Edgerton was incarcerated at the Connecticut State Jail in Wethersfield for “high crimes and misdemeanors”. He was enumerated there as, “Jeremiah Edgerton, aged 29, b. Conn., blacksmith” (Wethersfield, Hartford Co., Conn.; pg. 48; dwelling #367; family #382; enum. July 10, 1860).

Jeremiah’s wife, Mary Jane, and his son, George, were recorded in the 1860 Federal Census of Andover, Tolland County, Connecticut, residing in the household of Horace J. Jones (pg. 860; dwelling #41; family #42; enum. June 19, 1860), where they were enumerated respectively as, “Jane Edgerton, aged 22, b. Conn.” and “George Edgerton, aged 2, b. Conn.”

Mrs. Mary Jane (Howland) Edgerton was remarried circa 1865 to Marcus C. Spencer of Hartford, Connecticut and removed with him to Brooklyn, New York. She had two more sons with her second husband, Marcus and Walter.

Original Source Documents:

1850 Federal Census – household of Jeremiah B. Austin; Hartford, Hartford Co., CT.

1860 Federal Census – Connecticut State Jail; Wethersfield, Hartford Co., CT.

1860 Federal Census – household of Horace J. Jones; Andover, Tolland Co., CT.