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Edgerton

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Josephus Edgerton, son of Jacob and Nancy (Lee) Edgerton.

Lorenda Reed, daughter of Roswell and Eunice (Case) Reed.

Children:

1. Porter, b. ~1831; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.
2. Sarah Louisa, b. January 1835; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.
3. Judd, b. 1837; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.
4. Mary M., b. ~1839; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.

Josephus Edgerton was born at West Granby, Connecticut circa 1804, the son of Jacob and Nancy (Lee) Edgerton.  He was a farmer and resided in West Granby his entire life.

On February 7, 1830, Josephus Edgerton and Lorenda Reed “both of Granby” were married at Granby by Joab Griffin, Justice of the Peace (Granby VR, Book I, pg. 3).  Lorinda was the daughter of Roswell and Eunice (Case) Reed of Simsbury, Connecticut.  According to the bible record of her second husband, Enoch Hayden Buttles (Barbour Collection of Connecticut Bible Records; Connecticut State Library, Hartford, Conn.), Lorinda was born in Granby on March 26, 1807.

Josephus and Lorenda Edgerton had at least four children (possibly more):  two sons, Porter and Judd; and two daughters, Sarah Louisa and Mary M.   The younger son, Judd, died on October 8, 1838 at the age of one and a half years and was buried at the West Granby Cemetery.

The household of Josephus Edgerton was recorded in the 1840 Federal Census of Granby, Hartford County, Connecticut (pg. 125), with the following enumeration:

1 male “30 – 40”  (Josephus);

1 male “5 – 10”  (son Porter);

1 male “under 5”  (son ?);

1 female “30 – 40”  (wife Lorenda); and,

1 female “5 – 10”  (daughter Sarah Louisa).

Josephus Edgerton died at West Granby on November 7, 1840, aged 36 years – just a few weeks after the death of his mother, Nancy on September 18th.  The following obituary notice was published in The Hartford Courant on December 16, 1840:

“DEATHS…  At Granby, on the 12th ult. [sic] Mr. Josephus Edgerton, aged 36”

Josephus was buried at the West Granby Cemetery and his death was entered in the register of the “West Granby Burying-Ground” (pg. 13, no. 263), as follows:

“[1840]…Nov 7…Josephus Edgerton…consumption…[age] 36…[lot] 34”

Josephus Edgerton died intestate.  On February 1, 1842, a bond of administration on Josephus’ estate was executed to the Granby District Probate Court by “Alonson Edgerton as principal and Lee Edgerton as surety both of Granby” (ie. Josephus’ elder brothers).  The only other return to the Probate Court was a guardianship bond, dated April 2, 1855, in which, “Porter Edgerton as principal and Enoch H. Buttles as surety both of Granby” were appointed guardians “to Louisa Edgerton a minor about 19 years of age and to Mary M. Edgerton about 16 years of age both in Granby of said district”.

Josephus’ widow, Lorenda, was remarried on December 4, 1844 to Enoch Hayden Buttles, of Granby.  In the 1850 Federal Census of Granby, Hartford County, Connecticut, Lorenda (Reed) Edgerton Buttles and her daughter, Louisa, were listed in the household of her second husband (pg. 151; dwelling #134; family #141; enum. Aug. 1, 1850).  The entire family was enumerated as follows:

Josephus and Lorenda’s younger daughter, Mary M., was recorded at this time in the household of Elder Abbot in Granby (dwelling #367; family #386; enum. August 9, 1850), where she was enumerated as, “Mary Edgerton, aged 11, born in Connecticut”.

Mrs. Lorenda (Reed) Edgerton Buttles died at Granby, Connecticut on June 4, 1857.  She was buried at the West Granby Cemetery, and her death was entered in the register of the “West Granby Burying-Ground” (pg. 20, no. 415), as follows:

“[1857]…June 4…Lorenda wife of Hayden Buttles formerly widow of Josephus Edgerton…[age] 50…[lot] 19”

There is no further account of Josephus and Lorenda’s youngest daughter, Mary M., beyond the aforementioned 1850 Census and 1855 guardianship bond.  The elder daughter, Sarah Louisa, was married at New Hartford, Connecticut in 1858 to Edwin Franklin Strong and later removed to New Haven, Connecticut.  The only surviving son, Porter Edgerton, was working as an engraver at Meriden, Connecticut in 1864 when he was struck by a beam during a catastrophic fire there in the early morning hours of March 9th and died within an hour.  His body was returned to Granby and interred at the West Granby Cemetery.

Original Source Documents:

1840 Federal Census – household of Josephus Edgerton; Granby, Hartford Co., CT.

1850 Federal Census – household of Enoch Hayden Buttles; Granby, Hartford Co., CT.

Obituary notice – Josephus Edgerton; The Hartford Courant – December 16, 1840.