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Andrew Edgerton, son of John and Elizabeth (Prentice) Edgerton.

Catherine Murray, daughter of William Murray.

Children:                                                                                                                                                                                                             

1. Polly, b. 1802; Palantine, Montgomery Co., NY.
2. James Murray, b. July 23, 1803; Palantine, Montgomery Co., NY.
3. Elizabeth, b. April 8, 1805; Palantine, Montgomery Co., NY.
4. Harriet, b. ~1807; Palantine, Montgomery Co., NY.
5. Andrew, b. ~1811; Palantine, Montgomery Co., NY.
6. Hannah, b. ~1812; Palantine, Montgomery Co., NY.
7. Deborah, b. ~1818; Reading, Schuyler Co., NY.

Andrew Edgerton was born in Norwich, Connecticut on March 24, 1768, the youngest son of John and Elizabeth (Prentice) Edgerton.  He was baptized at the First Congregational Church of Norwich on May 15, 1768.

Andrew was raised in Norwich. His father died in 1778 and Andrew (along with his siblings) inherited a portion of his father’s lands.  Upon his maturity, Andrew removed from Norwich and settled briefly in Wallingford, Rutland County, Vermont, where several cousins (children of his uncle Capt. Daniel Edgerton) then resided.  Andrew’s elder brother, John, had previously gone to Rutland County (circa 1780) and was living at that time in Clarendon, just to the north of Wallingford.  In a deed dated in Wallingford on October 18, 1791, Andrew Edgerton “of Wallingford, County of Rutland, and State of Vermont” sold a portion of his property in Norwich, to his brother-in-law, Jabez Tracy (Norwich LR 29:231-2).  The deed was witnessed by his elder brother, John Edgerton.

By October 1797, Andrew had left Vermont and settled in Palantine, Montgomery County, New York.  On October 18, 1797, Andrew Edgerton “of Pallintine in the County of Montgomery and State of New York but formerly of Norwich” sold the remainder of his property in Norwich to Daniel Huntington Junr. (Norwich LR 33:15).  The deed was signed in Norwich; and this is the last known reference to Andrew in Connecticut.

The household of “Andrew Edgarton” was recorded in the 1810 Federal Census of Salisbury, Montgomery County (now Herkimer County), New York (pg. 107), with the following enumeration:

1 male “of 26 and under 45”  (Andrew);

1 male “of 10 and under 16”  (?);

1 male “under 10 years of age”  (son James);

1 female “of 45 years and upward”  (?);

1 female “of 26 and under 45”  (wife Catherine);

3 females “under 10 years of age”  (daughters Polly, Elizabeth and Harriet).

Although it has not yet been directly proven that Andrew Edgerton of Yates County, New York was the Andrew Edgerton, youngest son of John and Elizabeth (Prentice) Edgertonm, extensive research conducted by Richard W. Edgerton, Mark Armstrong and Brian G. Edgerton has produced a large amount of circumstantial evidence proving this connection fairly conclusively.  Firstly, the age at death of Andrew Edgerton of Yates County, New York (from his tombstone) coincides correctly with the year in which Andrew, son of John, was born in Norwich (that is, 1768).  Also, Andrew of Yates County had daughters named Elizabeth and Hannah, presumably named after his mother and only sister, respectively.  Richard W. Edgerton (a descendant of Andrew Edgerton) also reports that Andrew of Yates County was known to have had a brother named Jedediah.  There are similar migrations patterns and times between Andrew and his elder brothers, Stephen and Jedediah from Connecticut to New York State.  And furthermore, the aforementioned 1810 Montgomery County Census tallies precisely with the known family of the Andrew Edgerton who settled in Reading, Steuben County (now Schuyler County), New York circa 1814.  Finally, later census records of Andrew’s elder children state variously that they were born in either Herkimer or Montgomery County – the younger ones being born in Steuben County.  Despite the growing collection of circumstantial evidence, no primary documentation of Andrew’s parentage has been uncovered to date.

At any rate, it is known that Andrew Edgerton arrived in Reading, New York circa 1814 with a family of six children.  The youngest daughter, Deborah, was born a few years after their arrival in Reading.  Andrew was first listed as a head of household in Reading, Steuben County, New York in the year 1820.

The household of “Andrew Edgeton” was recorded in the 1820 Federal Census of Reading, Steuben County, New York (pg. 266), as follows:

1 male “of 45 years and upwards”  (Andrew);

1 male “of 16 and under 26”  (son James);

1 male “between 16 and 18”  (son James);

1 male “under 10 years of age”  (son Andrew Jr.);

1 female “of 26 and under 45”  (Catherine);

2 females “of 10 and under 16”  (daughters Elizabeth and Harriet); and,

2 females “under 10 years of age”  (daughters Hannah and Deborah).

By 1830, the family had moved to nearby Rock Stream (Starkey Township) in Yates County, New York.  Andrew was recorded there in the 1830 Federal Census.  Andrew’s nephew, Stephen P. Edgerton (son of his elder brother, Stephen Edgerton) was residing in the neighboring township of Milo at this time.

The household of Andrew Edgerton was recorded in the 1830 Federal Census of Starkey, Yates County, New York (pg. 257), with the following enumeration:

1 male “of 60 and under 70”  (Andrew);

1 male “of 15 and under 20”  (son Andrew Jr.);

1 female “of 50 and under 60”  (wife Catherine);

2 females “of 20 and under 30”  (daughters Elizabeth and Harriet);

1 female “of 15 and under 20”  (daughter Hannah); and,

1 female “of 10 and under 15”  (daughter Deborah).

History of Yates County, New York (Stafford C. Cleveland, 1873) gives the following biographical excerpt regarding Andrew Edgerton:

“Andrew Edgerton was born in 1768, in Hartford, Conn., and his wife, Catharine Murray, who was a sister of Mrs. Enos Allen was born in Vermont, in 1777.  They moved into Reading in 1814, and settled close by Rock Stream, where they bought fifty acres of land.  He died there in 1832, and she in 1861.  Their children were Polly, James, Elizabeth, Harriet, Andrew, Hannah and Deborah.”

An intesting item from the Penn Yan Democrat (published on Friday, January 16, 1925) describes the Edgerton family homestead, first occupied by Andrew Edgerton in the year 1814 and subsequently passed to his daughter, Harriet Edgerton, and then to his grandson, George Ingham Edgerton.

Andrew Edgerton died at Rock Stream, New York on June 21, 1832, aged 64 years.  He was buried at the Rock Stream Cemetery, where his wife, Catherine, and many of his descendants were later interred.

Following Andrew’s death, Catherine and her two unmarried daughters, Harriet and Hannah, went to live with Catherine’s son-in-law, William Chambers (husband of her eldest daughter, Polly).  They were recorded in William’s household in the 1850 Federal Census of Starkey, Yates County, New York (pg. 152; dwelling #173; family #174; enum. August 20, 1850).  A grandson, Gilbert Proper (son of Catherine’s deceased daughter, Elizabeth) was also living with the family at this time.  The complete household was enumerated as follows:

The household was again recorded in the 1855 New York State Census (dwelling #4; family #4; enum. June 4, 1855).  The family was still living Starkey (election district #2), and their “frame” house was valued at $800.00.  The household was much smaller at this time, consisting of only William, his mother-in-law, and two sisters-in-law.  William’s wife, Polly, had died four years earlier.

On September 14, 1857, “Catherine Edgerton of the town of Starkey, Yates County, State of New York” submitted an affidavit appointing her son, James M. Edgerton, as her attorney in seeking a Revolutionary War pension claim based upon the service of her father, William Murray.  A copy of the affidavit was entered in William Murray’s Revolutionary War Pension File (#M804).

The household of “C. Edgerton” was recorded in the 1860 Federal Census of Starkey, Yates County, New York (pg. 832; dwelling #330; family #315; enum. August 6, 1860), as follows:

Mrs. Catherine (Murray) Edgerton died on August 5, 1861, presumably at Rock Steam, New York.  She was buried in the family plot at Rock Stream Cemetery, adjacent to her husband, Andrew.  According to the inscription on her gravestone, Catherine was aged 83 years, 8 months and 9 days at the time of her death.

Our thanks are extended to Richard Wallace Edgerton of Billings, Montana, who has provided much of the data included here regarding the family and descendants of Andrew and Catherine (Murray) Edgerton.  Mr. Edgerton is descended through Andrew Edgerton’s eldest son, James Murray Edgerton.

Original Source Documents:

1810 Federal Census – household of Andrew Edgerton; Salisbury, Montgomery (now Herkimer) Co., NY.

1820 Federal Census – household of Andrew Edgerton; Reading, Steuben Co., NY.

1830 Federal Census – household of Andrew Edgerton; Starkey, Yates Co., NY.

1850 Federal Census – household of William H. Chambers; Starkey, Yates Co., NY.

1860 Federal Census – household of Mrs. Catherine (Murray) Edgerton; Starkey, Yates Co., NY.

Pension affidavit – Mrs. Catherine (Murray) Edgerton; Revolutionary War Pension Files, file #M804.

Newspaper item – Andrew Edgerton homestead; Penn Yan Democrat – Friday, January 16, 1925.