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Ebenezer Edgerton, son of Richard and Hannah (Calkins) Edgerton.

Desire Granger, daughter of George and Ann (Holcomb) Granger.

Children:

1. Ebenezer, b. 1764; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.
2. Jacob, b. 1765; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.
3. Anna, b. 1769; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.
4. Asenath, b. 1771; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.
5. Joshua, b. ~1780; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.
6. Lorancey, b. April 24, 1788; West Granby, Hartford Co., CT.

Ebenezer Edgerton was born at Norwich, Connecticut on January 5, 1732/3, the second son of Richard Edgerton II and his first wife, Hannah Calkins.  He was baptized nine days later (January 14,  1732/3) at the First Congregational Church of Norwich.  In childhood, Ebenezer removed with his family from Norwich to Lebanon, New London County, Connecticut, and then later to Simsbury, Hartford County, Connecticut.

Ebenezer Edgerton was married to Desire Granger, daughter of George and Ann (Holcomb) Granger, of Simsbury, Connecticut.  Desire was born in Simsbury circa 1740.  A few secondary sources have provided a specific year of 1762 for the marriage of Ebenezer and Desire, however no primary record of the event has been located.

Shortly after his marriage, Ebenezer removed to West Granby, Connecticut, where he resided for the majority of his adult life.  He was a farmer and also raised stock.  Ebenezer and his wife were recommended to the First Congregational Church of Granby on March 27, 1768 “by Mr. Gedian Mills” (ChR 1:69) and they owned the covenant of the Church on the same date (ChR 5:73). 

It is reported that Ebenezer and Desire Edgerton had as many as eighteen children (see Simsbury Soldiers in the War of the Revolution; Delores L. Dupuis, ed.; published by the Abigail Phelps Chapter of the DAR, Simsbury, Connecticut; 1982), however only five have been currently documented – sons Ebenezer Jr., Jacob and Joshua; and daughters Asenath and Lorancey.  The two elder sons each married and lived in West Granby for a number of years, Ebenezer Jr. later removing to Tolland, Hampden County, Massachusetts.  Jacob resided in West Granby his entire life and raised a large family there.  The younger son, Joshua, resided in Barkhamsted (in neighboring Litchfield County) for a few years and then removed for a time to New York State, after which there is very little account of him.  Although there is currently no documentary proof, it is probable that Anna Edgerton (1769 – 1846) of Simsbury, Connecticut was one of Ebenezer and Desire’s daughters.  She was married first to Daniel Moses (1759 – 1805) and second to William Wilcox (1758 – 1827) and resided in Canton and Simsbury (both in Hartford County, Connecticut, just south of Granby).  Another daughter have been Candace Edgerton who married Moses Sykes on January 31, 1804 in Suffield, Connecticut (Suffield VR NB1:283).

During the Revolution, Ebenezer Edgerton served in the Connecticut Line from 1781 to 1783.  On March 20, 1781, he enlisted at Simsbury for a three year engagement in Col. Phelps Company.  He was also noted as serving in Col. Sheldon’s Light Dragoons (see Simsbury Soldiers in the War of the Revolution, Delores L. Dupuis, ed.).

Ebenezer “Egeton” was listed as a head of household in the 1790 Federal Census of Granby, Hartford County, Connecticut (pg. 470), with the following enumeration:

2 males “over 16 years of age”  (Ebenezer and son Jacob);

1 male “under 16 years of age”  (son Joshua);

3 females  (wife Desire and two daughters Anna, Asenath and Lorancey).

Ebenezer’s eldest son, “Ebenezer Egeton Jr.” was also listed in the 1790 Granby Census, residing adjacent to or very nearby his father.

Ebenezer Edgerton was listed again as a head of household in the 1800 Federal Census of Granby, Hartford County, Connecticut (pg. 283).  The enumeration of his household at that time was as follows:

1 male “over 45 years of age”  (Ebenezer);

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

1 female “over 45 years of age”  (wife Desire); and,

1 female “of 16 and under 26”  (daughter Lorancey).

Ebenezer was listed again as a head of household in the 1810 Federal Census of Granby, Hartford County, Connecticut (pg. 488).  At that time, his household consisted of only himself and his wife (both “over 45 years of age”).  Ebenezer’s son, Jacob, was living nearby; his household was enumerated just a few houses away on the same page of the census roll.

Ebenezer Edgerton was not listed as a head of household in the 1820 Federal Census of Granby, Hartford County, Connecticut.  His two elder sons, Ebenezer and Jacob, were both listed as heads of households in Granby – the former with the designation of “Jr.”, indicating that his father was still living.  Ebenezer Sr. and his wife, Desire, were probably living at this time with their son Jacob, whose household was enumerated with two males over 45 years and two females over 45 years.

Ebenezer Edgerton applied for a Revolutionary War Pension on February 1, 1819, as a resident of Granby, Hartford County, Connecticut (File #S37904).  According to an affidavit which he made on August 1st of the following year, Ebenezer was aged 87 years old and had enlisted from Simsbury, serving in the Connecticut line, commanded by Col. Andrew Ward.  He also stated that he was a farmer and that his family at the time consisted of himself and his wife, who was aged eighty years old.  Unfortunately, no children were referenced in the file. “Ebenezer Edgerton Sr.” was subsequently placed on the Hartford County Pension Rolls on October 15, 1819.  His annual allowance was $96.00, and he received a total disbursement of $729.06.

Ebenezer Edgerton died at Canton, Connecticut on October 5, 1826.  He was buried at the North Canton Cemetery.  Although no extant gravestone is found there, Ebenezer’s name is found in the burial records of the cemetery, the entry reading:  “453d Mr Ebenezer Edgerton who died Oct 5th 1826 aged 93 years” (see “North Canton Cemetery Inscriptions, 1754 – 1855”; The Connecticut Historical Society Bulletin; Vol. 31, No. 3; July 1966; p. 93).  The only probate record found for Ebenezer Edgerton Sr. is a bond dated at Simsbury, September 28, 1829, granting administration on the estate of “Ebenezer Edgerton Senior, late of Canton” to Ezra Adams Jr. (principal) and James Cornish (surety).  Unfortunately, no other returns or distributions were returned to the Probate Court.

Mrs. Desire (Granger) Edgerton died on November 3, 1828 – probably at Canton, Connecticut.  Her death was recorded in the records of the Canton Center Congregational Church as “Desire Edgerton, widow, aged 88” (ChR 2:102).  Desire was buried at the North Canton Cemetery, her death being entered in the burial records there as:  “473 Widow Desire Edgerton aged 88 years she died Nov 3d 1828” (see “North Canton Cemetery Inscriptions, 1754 – 1855”; The Connecticut Historical Society Bulletin; Vol. 31, No. 3; July 1966; p. 94).

Original Source Documents:

1790 Federal Census – household of Ebenezer Edgerton; Granby, Hartford Co., CT.

1800 Federal Census – household of Ebenezer Edgerton; Granby, Hartford Co., CT.

1810 Federal Census – household of Ebenezer Edgerton; Granby, Hartford Co., CT.

Certificate of Pension – Ebenezer Edgerton; October 15, 1819, Hartford Co., CT; Revolutionary War Pension File #S37904.

Pension Affidavit – Ebenezer Edgerton; August 1, 1820, Granby, Hartford Co., CT; Revolutionary War Pension File #S37904.

For the maternal ancestry of Desire (Granger) Edgerton, consult:

• McCracken, George E.; “Thomas Holcombe’s Earlier Posterity”; The American Genealogist; Vol. 57, No. 2; April 1981.