The

Edgerton

Database

Index

Sources

Porter Edgerton, son of Simeon and Elizabeth (Griswold) Edgerton.

born:	September 30, 1805; Pawlet, Rutland Co., VT. (VR 1:17)
died:	December 5, 1883; Pawlet, Rutland Co., VT. (GI)
buried:	Northeast Cemetery; Pawlet, Rutland Co., VT. (GI)

married:

1: September 15, 1829; Pawlet, Rutland Co., VT. (VR 1:167)

Sylvania Andrus, daughter of David and Sally (Welch) Andrus.

born:	September 14, 1808; Pawlet, Rutland Co., VT. (VR 1:22)
died:	April 13, 1863; Pawlet, Rutland Co., VT. (GI)
buried:	Northeast Cemetery; Pawlet, Rutland Co., VT. (GI)

Children:

Mary Jane, b. October 12, 1832; Pawlet, Rutland Co., VT.

married:

2: March 20, 1867; Poultney, Rutland Co., VT. (VR 1:33:5)

Rhoda A. Cook

born:	~1820; Vermont. (CR VT1870 Pawlet – “ae 50y”)
died:	November 15, 1897; Hebron, Washington Co., VT. (NY State DC #45668)

Porter Edgerton was born at Pawlet, Vermont on September 30, 1805. He was presumably named after his maternal grandmother, Elizabeth (Porter) Griswold. Porter grew up in Pawlet and resided there for most of his adult life. He made his living as a farmer.

Porter Edgerton was married twice. He married first, on September 15, 1829 at Pawlet, Sylvania Andrus, daughter of David and Sally (Welch) Andrus, of Pawlet. Sylvania was born in Pawlet on September 14, 1808 (VR 1:22). The vital records of Pawlet list only one child for Porter and Sylvania – a daughter, Mary Jane, born October 12, 1832 (VR I:76).

The household of “Peter” Edgerton was recorded in the 1830 Federal Census of Pawlet, Rutland County, Vermont (pg. 90), with the following enumeration:

1 male “of 20 and under 30” (Porter); and,

1 female “of 20 and under 30” (wife Sylvania).

The household of Porter Edgerton was recorded in the 1840 Federal Census of Pawlet, Rutland County, Vermont (pg. 111), with the following enumeration:

1 male “30 and under 40” (Porter);

1 male “15 and under 20” (?);

1 female “50 and under 60” (mother-in-law Sally);

1 female “30 and under 40” (wife Sylvania); and,

1 female “5 and under 10” (daughter Mary Jane).

The family of Porter Edgerton was recorded in the 1850 Federal Census of Pawlet, Rutland County, Vermont (pg. 291; dwelling #1994; family #2194; enum. Oct. 29, 1850), residing in the household of Andrew Willard. The family was enumerated as follows,

Porter Edgerton	46	b. VT	farmer $2,000 real estate
Silvania Edgerton	42	b. VT
Mary J.	18	b. VT
Sally Andrus	60	b. VT	$900 real estate
Fayette	26	b. VT	laborer

The household of Porter Edgerton was recorded in the 1860 Federal Census of Pawlet, Rutland County, Vermont (pg. 215; dwelling #1543; family #1510; enum. August 10, 1860), as follows:

Porter Edgerton	57	b. VT	farmer #2,400 real estate / $800 personal estate
Sylvana	51	b. VT
Mary J.	27	b. VT
Hulett Andrus	35	b. VT

Mrs. Sylvania (Andrus) Edgerton died on April 13, 1863, presumably at Pawlet, Vermont. She was buried at the Northeast Cemetery in Pawlet, in the family plot where her mother-in-law and father-in-law had recently been buried. Shortly afterwards, Porter removed from Pawlet to Castile, New York. He apparently kept up ties with his hometown, as he was remarried on March 20, 1867 in Poultney, Vermont (just north of Pawlet) to Rhoda A. Cook. According to the Poultney marriage record (VR I:33:5), Porter was a “farmer, residing in Castile, New York, and born in Pawlet”. Rhoda was listed only as “residing in Middletown [Vermont]”. It was the second marriage for both Porter and Rhoda.

The parentage and ancestry of Porter’s second wife, Rhoda Cook, is not known. Cook was probably her married name. According to later census records (see below), Rhoda was born circa 1818-1820 in Vermont, her father was born in Rhode Island and her mother was born in Vermont. Rhoda may have been a relative or in-law of Porter’s brother-in-law, Erasmus Darwin Cook (husband of his younger sister, Charlotte).

The household of Porter Edgerton was recorded in the 1870 Federal Census of Castile, Wyoming County, New York (pg. 93; dwelling #79; family #81; enum. June 11, 1870), as follows:

Porter Edgerton	64	b. VT	Ret. Farmer $700 real estate
Rhoda Edgerton	50	b. VT	Keeping House $700 personal estate

The household of Porter Edgerton was recorded in the 1880 Federal Census of Pawlet, Rutland County, Vermont (pg. 211; dwelling #197; family #213; enum. June 13, 1880), as follows:

Name	Rel.	Age	Bp	F Bp	M Bp	Occ
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Porter Edgerton		74	VT	CT	NH	farmer
Rhoda	wife	62	VT	RI	VT	milliner

Porter Edgerton died on December 5, 1883, presumably at Pawlet, Vermont, although no death record is found there. He was buried beside his first wife at Northeast Cemetery in Pawlet. His gravestone was inscribed with the following epitaph:

PORTER EDGERTON

DIED

DEC. 5, 1883

AE. 78 yrs 2 mos

Porter Edgerton’s second wife, Rhoda A. (Cook) Edgerton survived him thirteen years. She died at Hebron, New York on November 15, 1897. A copy of her death certificate was filed with the New York State Department of Health (year 1897; certificate #45668).

Porter Edgerton’s only child, Mary Jane, was married to Daniel Lovejoy Morgan of Middletown Springs, Vermont and resided there most of her life. She was buried, along with her husband, at the Old Middletown Cemetery in Middletown Springs.

Original Source Documents:

1830 Federal Census – household of Porter Edgerton; Pawlet, Rutland Co., VT.

1840 Federal Census – household of Porter Edgerton; Pawlet, Rutland Co., VT.

1850 Federal Census – household of Andrew Willard; Pawlet, Rutland Co., VT.

1860 Federal Census – household of Porter Edgerton; Pawlet, Rutland Co., VT.

1870 Federal Census – household of Porter Edgerton; Pawlet, Rutland Co., VT.

1880 Federal Census – household of Porter Edgerton; Pawlet, Rutland Co., VT.

Gravestone photo – Porter Edgerton; Northeast Cemetery; Pawlet, Rutland Co., VT.

Gravestone photo –Mrs. Sylvania (Andrus) Edgerton; Northeast Cemetery; Pawlet, Rutland Co., VT.