The

Edgerton

Database

Home

Index

Sources

Search

Researchers

Notes...

Contact info

Photos

Links

Credits…

Peter Edgerton, son of Samuel and Alice (Ripley) Edgerton.

Hannah Ripley, daughter of Jeremiah and Mary (Gager) Ripley.

Children:

1. Nathan, b. January 8, 1733/4; Norwich, New London Co., CT.
2. Hannah, b. January 18, 1736/7; Norwich, New London Co., CT.
3. Abigail, b. December 28, 1739; Norwich, New London Co., CT.
4. Mary, b. April 10, 1744; Norwich, New London Co., CT.
5. Merriam, b. October 20, 1746; Norwich, New London Co., CT.
6. Sarah, b. May 10, 1749; Norwich, New London Co., CT.

Hannah Webb, daughter of Samuel and Hannah (Ripley) Webb.

Children:

7. Sarah, b. December 10, 1754; Norwich, New London Co., CT.
8. Huldah, b. April 4, 1756; Norwich, New London Co., CT.
9. Jerusha, b. May 20, 1758; Norwich, New London Co., CT.

Peter Edgerton was born at Norwich, Connecticut on January 14, 1705/6, the second son of Samuel and Alice (Bradford) Ripley.  A few genealogies have listed his first name as “Perez” (eg. Edgerton Family Genealogy), but this is not corroborated by any known documentation.  Peter’s gravestone at the Gagertown Cemetery (Franklin, Connecticut), as well as all accounts of his family in the Norwich Vital and Land Records list his given name as “Peter”.  The name “Peter” was quite common in the Ripley family and it is likely that Peter was named after a relative of his mother, Alice – possibly an uncle or cousin.  [Alice was a great-granddaughter of Rev. Peter Hobart, the noted minister of Hingham, Massachusetts.]

Peter Edgerton was a farmer and resided in Norwich his entire life – in the district known as West Farms (later to become the township of Franklin).  Property was laid out there for him by the proprietors in November 1730, as noted in the Norwich Book of Grants (pg. 536):

“To Peter Edgerton…Five acres of land northward of Ayer’s land laid out Nov. 23, 1730 & 2 acres on the Great Plain eastward of Samuel Edgerton’s farm, laid out Nov. 23, 1730.”

In 1748, Peter inherited additional lands in Norwich through the estate of his father, Samuel.

Peter Edgerton was married twice.  He married first, at Norwich on January 2, 1732/3, Hannah Ripley, a cousin of his mother, Alice Ripley.  Hannah was the daughter of Jeremiah and Mary (Gager) Ripley and was born at Windham, Connecticut on January 21, 1707/8.

Peter and Hannah were members of the Franklin Congregational Church.  Shortly after their marriage, Hannah was admitted to the church, December 30, 1733,  “on profession” (ChR 1:27).  All six of Peter and Hannah’s children were baptized at the Franklin Church.

Mrs. Hannah (Ripley) Edgerton died at Norwich, Connecticut on July 23, 1751, “aged 43”, and was buried in the Gagertown Cemetery.  She left behind six children:  a son, Nathan, and five daughters, Hannah, Abigail, Mary, Merriam and Sarah. 

On May 2, 1753, Peter married for his second wife, Hannah Webb, the daughter of Samuel and Hannah (Ripley) Webb.  Hannah was Peter’s first cousin and also a relation of his first wife, Hannah Ripley.  The Edgerton Family Genealogy incorrectly lists Peter’s second wife as Mrs. Hannah Webb, though correctly listing her birthdate of June 29, 1715.  Peter Edgerton had three more daughters by his second wife:  Sarah (2nd), Huldah and Jerusha.

Peter Edgerton died at Norwich, Connecticut on February 12, 1773, and was buried at the Gagertown Cemetery, where his parents and first wife were already interred.  His headstone there was inscribed:  “Peter Edgerton, died Feb. 12, 1773, aged 66 years”.

Peter had died intestate and David Hartshorn, Joshua Barker and Ebenezer Lathrop Jr. were appointed to oversee his estate.  Two returns were subsequently filed with the Norwich Probate Court.  The first, dated March 12, 1774, detailed the property set out to the widow, Hannah Edgerton, as her “dower third”.  The second, dated October 18, 1774, disbursed the remaining property among the surviving children – “only son” Nathan, and daughters, Hannah, Sarah, Mary, Huldah, Jerusha, and Abigail.  Two parcels of land were also set out for the “heirs of Miriam Edgerton late of Norwich”, who had died (presumably unmarried) in September of 1774 before the estate was settled.

Mrs. Hannah (Webb) Edgerton survived her husband over forty years.  She was listed as a head of household in the 1790 Federal Census of New London County, Connecticut (pg 172) with the following enumeration:

1 male “under 16 years”  (?); and,

3 females  (Hannah, daughter Huldah and ?).

Hannah was listed again as a head of household in the 1800 Federal Census of Franklin, New London County, Connecticut (pg. 740), with the following family:

1 female “over 45 years of age”  (Hannah); and,

2 females “of 26 and under 45”  (daughter Huldah and ?).

Mrs. Hannah Edgerton was listed as a head of household in the 1810 Federal Census of Franklin, New London County, Connecticut (pg. 228).  At that time, her household consisted of two females “over 45 years of age”.

Mrs. Hannah (Webb) Edgerton died at Franklin, Connecticut in January 1817.  Her death was recorded at the Franklin Congregational Church, listing her age as “101 and ½ years” and giving the date of death as January 14th. (ChR 1:446)  The record of her death at Franklin (VR 1:191) lists a date of January 18th.   This latter record, as well the inscription on her headstone at Gagertown Cemetery, attest to her remarkable longevity – “101 years, 6 months, and 8 days”.

The Norwich Courier published the following obituary notice for Mrs. Hannah (Webb) Edgerton on Wednesday, January 29, 1817:

“Died…At Franklin on the 18th inst Mrs. Hannah Edgerton, relict of Mr. Peter Edgerton, aged 101 years 6 months & 8 days.  For more than 80 years she was an exemplary professor of the Christian religion, and for about 20 years was confined to her house, and the most of which time to her bed, where she exhibited a uniform pattern of patience and Christian resignation.”

An obituary notice was also published in The Connecticut Courant on Tuesday, February 4, 1817.

Peter’s only son, Nathan, resided in Norwich for most of his life, later removing along with his sons to New York State.  As far as is known, only three of Peter’s daughters were ever married – Mary, who married Abraham Porter of Lebanon in 1778; Sarah, who married John Ayer of Windham in 1775; and Jerusha, who married Squire Ayer (younger brother of John) in 1778.  All five of the surviving daughters were single when their father’s estate was settled in 1774.  As mentioned, daughter Miriam died in Norwich on September 24, 1774; she was buried in the family plot at Gagertown Cemetery.  Daughter Huldah died at Franklin on February 19, 1810, “aged 54” (VR 1:191).  It is not known what became of the two elder daughters, Hannah and Abigail; however, the following entry is found in the Colonial Records of Connecticut (Volume 15, pg. 379), under the date “May 1776”:

“Upon the memorial of the selectman of Norwich:  said town of Norwich have expended large sums of money for the support of two idiot daughters of Mr. Peter Edgerton, late of said Norwich, dec.  Said Peter left a small estate in lands, praying for liberty to sell lands of said idiots and apply the avails toward payment of charges…liberty was granted.”

Original Source Documents:

Gravestone photo – Peter Edgerton; Gagertown Cemetery; Franklin, New London Co., CT.

1790 Federal Census – household of Mrs. Hannah (Webb) Edgerton; New London Co., CT.

1800 Federal Census – household of Mrs. Hannah (Webb) Edgerton; Franklin, New London Co., CT.

1810 Federal Census – household of Mrs. Hannah (Webb) Edgerton; Franklin, New London Co., CT.

Obituary notice – household of Mrs. Hannah (Webb) Edgerton; The Connecticut Courant – Tuesday, February 4, 1817.