Alpheus Edwards is the son of Joseph Edwards and Prudence. He was born 9 Jan 1807/1808 in Connecticut. He died 25 Oct 1888 at age 80/81 in Graham County, Kansas. He is buried at South Star Cemetery, Graham County, Kansas.

On 7 Mar 1830, he married Leah Shriner in Lancaster, Fairfield, Ohio. She is the daughter of Peter Shriner (Sr.) and Sara. She was born 14 May 1812 in Liberty, Fairfield, Ohio. She died 6 Aug 1879 at age 67 in Hancock County, Ohio. She is buried at Clymer Cemetery, Hancock, Ohio.

Children of Alpheus Edwards and Leah Shriner:

1. Hulda Edwards was born 16 Nov 1830 in Fairfield County, Ohio.
2. Sarah Edwards was born 30 Oct 1831 in Fairfield County, Ohio. [There is much incorrect information about Sarah on the internet. See the note below.]
3. Norman Ulysses Edwards (Sr.) was born 14 Sep 1833 in Lancaster, Fairfield, Ohio.
4. Samuel Edwards was born 16 Mar 1835 in Fairfield County, Ohio. He died sometime before 1850.
5. Polly Edwards was born 22 Aug 1837 in Hancock County, Ohio. She died sometime before 1850.
6. (unnamed) Edwards was born 27 Apr 1838 in Hancock County, Ohio. This child died sometime before 1840.
7. (female) Edwards was born between 1839 and 1840.
8. Martha Ann Edwards was born 11 Jul 1840 in Blanchard, Hancock, Ohio.
9. Joseph Edwards was born 6 Apr 1842 in Blanchard, Hancock, Ohio.
10. Ezekiel Edwards was born 24 May 1844 in Blanchard, Hancock, Ohio.
11. Elizabeth Jane Edwards was born 27 Jun 1846 in Blanchard, Hancock, Ohio.
12. Minerva Edwards was born 20 Feb 1848 in Blanchard, Hancock, Ohio.
13. Janette Edwards was born 2 Jan 1850 in Blanchard, Hancock, Ohio.
14. Lancen Edwards was born 31 Oct 1852 in Blanchard, Hancock, Ohio. He died sometime before Aug 1860.
15. Alphia Edwards was born 14 Oct 1854 in Blanchard, Hancock, Ohio. He died sometime before Aug 1860.
16. John Clabaugh Fremont was born 6 Dec 1856 in Ohio.

Notes

Sarah: The information regarding Sarah has become greatly confused over the years.

• At least three family trees available on the internet list Sarah as having died in Y, Somme, Picardie, France. No date is given. This is completely wrong. It stems from a family tree that listed "Death: Y" for Sarah. The researcher meant to say that "Yes, Sarah is deceased". Other researchers misunderstood the notation to mean that Sarah had died in Y, France.
• Other family trees list her as the spouse of Luther Norton who lived in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kansas, in that order. Mrs. Sarah Norton moved back to Indiana after Luther's death. The problem with this identification is that the census information on Mrs. Sarah Norton does not agree with the information we have on our Miss Sarah Edwards.
  • Miss Sarah Edwards was reportedly born in Oct 1831. The 1850 census would seem to corroborate this, listing Sarah's age as 18.
  • Mrs. Sarah Norton, in the 1900 census, says she was born in Nov 1835. This age is corroborated by the 1870 and 1880 censuses as well as the 1885 Kansas census where her age is given as 34, 44 and 49 respectively.
  • Miss Sarah Edwards' parents were born in Connecticut and Ohio.
  • Mrs. Sarah Norton tells us, in both the 1880 and 1900 censuses, that her parents were both born in Ireland.
• There is, however, another Sarah Edwards living in Hancock county in 1850 who fills the bill as the spouse of Luther Norton. She is the daughter of Josiah P. Edwards (who was born in Ireland), and she is listed in 1860 in Union, Hancock, Ohio as Sarah Ann Edwards, 14 years old and born in Ohio. I believe this is the Sarah Edwards who married Luther Norton, not our Sarah Edwards.

Polly, (unnamed) and (female): These may all be the same person.

John: Tradition says that John was adopted.

Sources

Alpheus: Birth from his own biographical sketch.
Marriage from Marriage Index: Ohio 1786-1850.

Leah: Birth from German Reformed Church Records.

Census Listings

The individuals in this family appear in the following census listings.

• Alpheus (presumed): 1820 census. Greenfield, Fairfield, OH. p. 86.
• Leah (presumed): 1820 census. Liberty, Fairfield, Ohio. Page 92.
• 1830 census. Walnut, Fairfield, OH. p. 184.
• 1840 census. Blanchard, Hancock, OH. p. 9.
• 1850 census. Blanchard, Hancock, Ohio. Page 809.
• 1860 census. Blanchard, Hancock, OH. p. 243.
• 1870 census. Blanchard, Hancock, OH p. 21.
• 1880 census. Blanchard, Hancock, OH. p. 9.