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The Edgerton Database |
Richard Edgerton, son of Jonathan and Freedom (Buell) Edgerton.
Judith Graves, daughter of Thaddeus and Elizabeth Graves.
Children:
Richard Edgerton was born at West Simsbury, Connecticut, probably circa 1761, the son of Jonathan and Freedom (Buell) Edgerton. He was raised in West Simsbury, where his father had settled shortly before his birth. No primary record has been found indicating Richard’s date of birth. He was almost certainly born after his parents had removed to West Simsbury in 1760, as his elder siblings born in Lebanon were all recorded there, either in town or church records. It can be surmised that Richard was born no later than 1762 or 1763, as he was old enough to enlist for Revolutionary War service in July of 1780. According to Simsbury Soldiers in the War of the Revolution (Delores L. Dupuis, ed.; published by the Abigail Phelps Chapter of the DAR, Simsbury, Connecticut; 1982), Richard Edgerton of Simsbury served in Capt. Samuel Hait’s Company, 5th Connecticut Regiment, commanded by Col. Phillip B. Bradley. The Pay Roll for Capt. Hait’s company lists Richard Edgerton, “of Simsbury”, receiving pay commencing from July 1, 1780 to December 9, 1780. Further records of Richard’s services have not been located. Following the Revolution, Richard married Judith Graves, daughter of Thaddeus and Elizabeth Graves of Tyringham, Massachusetts. Judith was born in Tyringham on March 19, 1767. Richard and Judith resided briefly in Tyringham, where one son, Henry Graves, was born in 1788. According to some accounts, Richard and Judith also had a daughter, but no record of such has been found. Richard apparently deserted his family when his son, Henry, was still an infant. By the year 1790, Richard Edgerton had taken a second wife, Mary Gilford, under the name of “Richard Buell”, apparently adopting his mother’s maiden name. Richard and Mary had four children (surname Buell) – three sons, Richard Jr., David, and Napoleon Bonaparte; and one daughter, Clarinda (aka “Clarinday”). The children were all born circa 1790 – 1800, probably in New York State. Richard Edgerton was most likely “Richard Edgerton” who was listed as a head of household in the 1800 Federal Census of New Windsor, Orange County, New York (pg. 287). The enumeration of the household tallies fairly well with the second family of Richard Edgerton/Buell; that is: 1 male “of 26 and under 45” (Richard); 1 male “of 16 and under 26” (?); 1 male “of 10 and under 16” (son Richard Jr.); 2 males “under 10 years of age” (sons David and Napoleon); 1 female “of 26 and under 45” (second wife Mary); 1 female “of 16 and under 26” (?); and, 1 female “under 10 years of age” (daughter Clarinda). In 1803, Richard was residing in Hartford, Connecticut, as witnessed by a Simsbury land deed of that year (dated September 17, 1803), in which he conveyed to his brother, Jedediah, land which had descended from their father, Jonathan Edgerton (see Jacobus, Donald Lines; “Edgerton Family of Simsbury”, The American Genealogist, January 1965, Vol. 41, no. 1, pgs. 227-230). Richard Edgerton/Buell later settled in Batavia, Genesee County, New York, where he resided for the remainder of his life. He was a school teacher and cattle dealer by profession. He died at Batavia, New York in the year 1819, leaving a will, dated February 3, 1819, which was probated on June 14th of that year. In the will, Richard mentions only his second family; ie. wife Mary and three of his “Buell” children. (David Buell had predeceased his father in 1816). Richard was reportedly buried at the Pioneer Cemetery in Batavia, New York. Unfortunately, this cemetery has fallen into serious disrepair, and few, if any, of the stones are still legible. Richard’s second wife, Mary, died at Batavia, New York on June 5, 1846, “aged 88 years”. She was buried at the Daw’s Corner Cemetery in Batavia, New York, where her gravestone is still standing and in good condition. For an interesting account of Richard Edgerton/Buell’s second life (told undoubtedly from his point of view and replete with romantic innaccuracies), see Chronology of the Buell Family by John H. Buell (1940), as posted on the US GenWeb archives. Richard’s first wife, Judith (Graves) Edgerton, was probably the “Parmela Edgerton” who was listed as a head of household in the 1810 Federal Census of Tyringham, Berkshire County, Massachusetts (pg. 200). No other Edgerton families are known to have resided in Tyringham at this time. The household was enumerated with the following individuals: 1 female “of 26 and under 45” (Judith); and, 1 male “of 16 and under 26” (son Henry). In 1817, Judith settled in Barre, Orleans, New York (just a short distance north of Batavia), along with her son Henry G. Edgerton and his wife, Jane. In 1831, the family removed to Elba, Genesee County, New York, where Judith died on October 3, 1836. She was buried at Maplelawn Cemetery, where her son and daughter-in-law, and several other descendants, were later buried. Her gravestone there was inscribed: “GRANDMOTHER / JUDITH / WIFE OF RICHARD EDGERTON / DIED OCT. 3, 1836 / AGED 69 YRS” Francis A. Porter’s article, “Some Descendants of Jonathan Edgerton” (The American Genealogist, January 1968, Vol. 44, no. 1, pg. 124), provides the following biography of Richard Edgerton: “Richard Edgerton, son of Jonathan and Freedom (Buel) Edgerton, was born in West Simsbury, Conn., between 1760 and 1765, and served in the Revolution as a private in Capt. Hait’s Co., Col. Bradley’s 5th Conn. Regt, from 1 July to 9 Dec. 1780. About 1787 he married Judith, daughter of Thaddeus Sr. and Elizabeth (-----) Graves of Tyringham, Mass. She was born there 19 March 1767 and died in Elba, Genesee County, N.Y., 3 Oct. 1836. Richard Edgerton deserted his wife soon after the birth of their first child. In 1803 he made a deed in Simsbury, giving his residence as Hartford, Conn. In 1806 he appeared in Batavia, Genesee County, N.Y., calling himself Richard Buell. In his will, dated 3 Feb. 1819 and probated 14 June 1819, he mentions his wife Mary and three children Richard, Clarinday, and Napoleon Buell. He was a school teacher and cattle dealer.” Richard and Judith’s only son, Henry Graves Edgerton, lived in Elba, New York throughout his life. He and his wife, Jane (West) Edgerton, raised a large family, most of whom remained in the area for many years. Original Source Documents: 1800 Federal Census
– household of Richard Edgerton; New Windsor, Orange Co., NY. 1810
Federal Census – household of Mrs. Judith (Graves) Edgerton; Tyringham,
Berkshire Co., MA. Gravestone
photo – Mrs. Judith (Graves) Edgerton; Maplelawn Cemetery; Elba, Genesee
Co., NY. |
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