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Albert Woodworth Edgerton, son of Asa Baldwin and Mahala (Moseley) Edgerton.

Ellen L. Collins, daughter of Joseph Collins.

Children:

1. Albert E., b. April 13, 1865; Columbia, Tolland Co., CT.
2. Bessie Maud, b. April 1871; Columbia, Tolland Co., CT.
3. stillborn son, b. September 13, 1877; Hartford, Hartford Co., CT.

Nettie A. Clark, daughter of Charles H. and Carrie Clark.

Children:

4. Lucy Winnifred, b. August 14, 1879; Hartford, Hartford Co., CT.
5. Flossie M., b. February 5, 1882; Hartford, Hartford Co., CT.
6. Albert Woodworth, b. May 3, 1883; Columbia, Tolland Co., CT.
7. Cynthia Raymond, b. December 6, 1884; Columbia, Tolland Co., CT.
8. Edward Thrall, b. January 19, 1887; Columbia, Tolland Co., CT.
9. Bessie A., b. November 5, 1888; Columbia, Tolland Co., CT.
10. Allie, b. August 14, 1890; Columbia, Tolland Co., CT.
11. Chester D., b. October 28, 1893; Columbia, Tolland Co., CT.

Albert Woodworth Edgerton was born in Mansfield, Connecticut on October 18, 1833, the son of Asa Baldwin Edgerton I and his second wife, Mahala Moseley.  No direct record of Albert’s birth has been located; the aforementioned birthdate is derived from the age at death listed in Albert’s death record (Columbia VR 1:362 – “ae 60y, 9m, 4d”).

Albert was a farmer.  He resided for most of his life in Columbia, Tolland County, Connecticut, with the exception of a few years in the city of Hartford.  At the time of the 1850 Federal Census, Albert was recorded in the household of [Wickham?] and Fanny Slate in Pomfret, Windham County, Connecticut (pg. 233; dwelling #230; family #266; enum. November 14, 1850).  He was enumerated as “Albert W. Edgerton, laborer, aged 17, born in Connecticut”.

Albert W. Edgerton was married twice.  He was married first on October 7, 1858 at Windham, Connecticut to Ellen L. Collins, daughter of Joseph Collins of Columbia, Connecticut.  According to the age listed in her death record (see below), Ellen was born in June 1836.  The marriage of Albert W. Edgerton and Ellen Collins was entered in the Windham Vital Records (Book E, pg. 143).  According to the record, both Albert and Ellen were born in Columbia.

Albert and Ellen (Collins) Edgerton had two children – a son, Albert E., and a daughter, Bessie Maud – both of whom died young.  The son, Albert E., died at Hartford, Connecticut on June 17, 1867, aged 2 years, 2 months, 4 days (Hartford VR D2:203) was buried at Center Cemetery in Columbia, Connecticut.  The daughter, Bessie Maud, died on August 3, 1871 (presumably at Columbia), aged 4 months; her death was recorded at the Columbia Congregational Church (Book 6, pg. 316).  Ellen also gave birth to a stillborn male child in Hartford, Connecticut on September 13, 1877 (Hartford VR D3:316).

The household of Albert W. Edgerton was recorded in the 1860 Federal Census of Columbia, Tolland County, Connecticut (pg. 850; dwelling #182; family #149; enum. June 11, 1860), as follows:

On April 22, 1861, Albert and his wife, Ellen, jointly issued a quit-claim deed for certain property in Columbia to Samuel A. Collins (probably Ellen’s brother).  The deed was executed at Tolland County Surrogate Court, and read in part:

“…We Albert W. Edgerton and Ellen L. Edgerton both of Columbia County of Tolland and State of Connecticut …for the consideration of Five Hundred dollars received to our full satisfaction of Samuel A. Collins of said Columbia…by these presents do for ourselves jointly, absolutely remise, release, and forever quit-claim unto the said Samuel A. Collins…all such right & title as we the said Albert W. & Ellen L. Edgerton have or ought to have in or to a certain tract of land lying in sd Columbia, it being the undivided fifth part of all the real estate which was given to Joseph Collins now decd by the late Asahel Allen of said Columbia and known as the Allen farm…The said Ellen L. Edgerton being a daughter and heir-at-law of the said Joseph Collins decd and the said Albert W. Edgerton being the husband of the said Ellen L. unites with her in this deed…”  (Columbia Deeds, Volume 5, pg. 371).

The household of Albert W. Edgerton was recorded in the 1870 Federal Census of Columbia, Tolland County, Connecticut (pp. 18-19; dwelling #63; family #74; enum. June 9, 1870), as follows:

Mrs. “Ellenor L. Edgerton” died at Hartford, Connecticut on September 29, 1877, probably as a result of complications from the recent stillbirth on September 13th.  According to the record of her death (Hartford VR D3:316), she was married, aged 41 years, 3 months, and had been born in Hartford, Connecticut, the daughter of Joseph [Collins].  Her residence was listed as “Kenyon St.” and the cause of death was given as “Apoplexy”.  The following obituary notice was published in The Hartford Daily Courant on Tuesday, October 2, 1877:

“EDGERTON – In this city, Sept. 29, Ellen L., wife of A. W. Edgerton, aged 41 years.  Burial at Columbia this (Tuesday) morning at 10 o’clock.”

Albert W. Edgerton was remarried on  December 24, 1878 to Nettie A. Clark, daughter of Charles H. and Carrie Clark.  According to the marriage record (Hartford VR M1:306), Albert was aged 45, born in Mansfield, Connecticut, and Nettie was aged 18, also born in Mansfield.

Albert and Nettie (Clark) Edgerton had eight children:  Lucy Winnifred, Flossie M., Albert Woodworth Jr. (who died in infancy), Cynthia Raymond, Edward Thrall, Bessie A. (or E.), Allie and Chester D.  The family resided for a few years in Hartford, where the eldest two daughters were born, but returned to Columbia circa 1882 – 83.  The younger six children were each born in Columbia and entered in the Vital Records there.

The household of “Arthur” W. Edgerton was recorded in the 1880 Federal Census of Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut (pg. 437; dwelling #295; family #339; enum. June 12, 1880), as follows:

At the time of this census, the family was residing on Kenyon Street.

Albert Woodworth Edgerton died at Columbia, Connecticut on July 22, 1894.  According to the record of his death (Columbia VR 1:362), he was a farmer, married, aged 60 years, 9 months and 4 days.  The cause of death was listed as “chronic gastritis”.  The record also states that Albert was born in Mansfield, Connecticut, the son of “Baldwin and Matilda Edgerton”.

Albert W. Edgerton had died intestate.  His widow, Nettie A. Edgerton, petitioned for letters of administration and they were duly granted on July 26, 1894 to Chester H. Collins.  He subsequently returned an inventory of the estate on August 11, 1894, which valued the estate at $3,483.23.  These and other documents were filed with Andover District Probate, Volume 32, pp. 666 – 669, 678 – 680).  A transcript of the probate record is attached.

Mrs. Nettie A. (Clark) Edgerton died at Columbia, Connecticut on January 4, 1895.  According to the record of her death (Columbia VR 1:364), she was a widowed housewife, aged 33 years.  The cause of death was listed as “Bright’s disease”. 

It is not known what became of most of Albert and Nettie’s children.  To date, only two have been accounted for in the 1900 Federal Census: daughter Flossie M. Edgerton was enumerated as a servant in the household of William Little in Windham, Connecticut; and daughter Cynthia R. Edgerton was listed as a ward in the household of Alonzo Little in Columbia.  Cynthia was married at Columbia in 1905 to Claude Carlos Collins and died soon afterwards.  There is no further record of the remaining children, all of whom were minors when their parents died.  It is possible that the four younger children were adopted and thus had their surname changed.

Original Source Documents:

1860 Federal Census – household of Albert Woodworth Edgerton; Columbia, Tolland Co., CT.

1870 Federal Census – household of Albert Woodworth Edgerton; Columbia, Tolland Co., CT.

1880 Federal Census – household of Albert Woodworth Edgerton; Hartford, Hartford Co., CT.

Obituary – Mrs. Ellen L. (Collins) Edgerton; The Hartford Daily Courant – Tuesday, October 2, 1877.