The

Edgerton

Database

Index

Sources

Jabez Edgerton, son of Abel and Mehitable (Tracy) Edgerton. (?)

born:	December 16, 1788; Franklin, New London Co., CT. (from age at death, GI – “ae 68y, 7m, 17d”)
died:	August 2, 1857; Canaan, Columbia Co., NY. (GI)
buried:	Canaan Center Cemetery; Canaan Center, Columbia Co., NY. (GI)

married:

June 8, 1813; Hudson, Columbia Co., NY. (MA The Northern Whig 6/22/1813)

Eliza Bradley

born:	1797.
died:	September 21, 1845; Columbia Co., NY.

Children:

Charles B., b. January 22, 1816; Hudson, Columbia Co., NY.
Jane M., b. April 5, 1818; Hudson, Columbia Co., NY.
Horatio Nelson, b. ~1822; Hudson, Columbia Co., NY.
William M., b. ~1827; Hudson, Columbia Co., NY.

The parentage of Jabez Edgerton has not yet been conclusively proven. According to the precise age at death recorded on his tombstone (see below), he was born on December 16, 1788. At the time of his marriage (see below), Jabez was reported to be “of Coventry, Connecticut”.

It is probable that Jabez Edgerton was the eldest surviving son of Abel and Mehitable (Tracy) Edgerton, who removed to Coventry from Franklin, Connecticut, around the turn of the century, and whose family has not yet been conclusively documented. Abel and Mehitable did have an elder son, Jabez, who died in infancy; and it is quite possible that they would have named their next male child after him. Both the 1790 and 1800 Federal Census enumerations indicate that Abel and Mehitable had a son born circa 1784 – 1790 who has not yet been identified.

Jabez Edgerton was married at Hudson, Columbia County, New York, on June 8, 1813 to Eliza Bradley (see The Northern Whig, June 22, 1813). According to the marriage announcement, Jabez was “of Coventry, Conn.” Eliza’s parentage has not been determined. Family records report that she was born in the year 1797 and died in 1845. This information is corroborated by the entry in the Schermerhorn–Derigon family Bible (descendants of daughter Jane M.), which states that “Eliza Edgerton died Sept 21st 1845 Aged 48”. In later censuses, Eliza’s children indicate that she was born in either Massachusetts or New York.

We are grateful to Linda Cook Muldoon of Hawthorne, New Jersey, who has provided copies of the family pages from the Schermerhorn–Derigon Bible. In addition to the aforementioned death record for Mrs. Eliza (Bradley) Edgerton, the family record pages of this Bible also contain entries for the birth of “Jane M. Edgerton, daughter of Jabez and Eliza Edgerton, Born April 5, 1818” and for the marriage of Jane M. Edgerton and William Schermerhorn on April 30, 1835, as well as numerous other vital records for the descendants of Jane and William Schermerhorn. Ms. Muldoon is descended from Jane and William’s second daughter, Julia Caroline (Schermerhorn) Derigon.

Jabez and Eliza (Bradley) Edgerton are known to have had four children: Charles B., born January 22, 1816 (m. Rhoda Milliman); Jane M., born April 5, 1818 (m. Willliam Schermerhorn); Horatio Nelson, born circa 1822 (m. Catharine M. Tenbroeck); and William M., born circa 1827 (m. Anna W. Heald).

Jabez was apparently away from home when the 1830 Federal Census was enumerated. His wife, “Eliza Edgerton” was listed as the head of household in the 1830 Federal Census of Livingston, Columbia County, New York (pg. 250). The enumeration of the household was as follows:

1 male “15 – 20” (son Charles),

1 male “5 – 10” (son Horatio),

1 male “under 5” (son William),

1 female “30 – 40” (Eliza), and

1 female “10 – 15” (daughter Jane).

Very little is known about Jabez Edgerton. Unfortunately, he does not appear to be documented in the 1840 Federal Census of Columbia County, New York; and although Jabez was apparently still living in 1850, there is so evidence of him in the 1850 Federal Census of New York State. Jabez’ eldest son, Charles B. Edgerton, was listed as a head of household in West Troy (aka “Watervliet”), Albany County, New York in the 1850 Federal Census; and his second son, Nelson Edgerton, was listed as a head of household in his hometown of Hudson, Columbia County, New York.

Jabez Edgerton died on August 2, 1857, “aged 68 years, 7 months, and 17 days”. He was buried at the Canaan Center Cemetery (aka. Austerlitz Cemetery) in Canaan Center, New York. (see Old Gravestones of Columbia Co., NY; Arthur C. M. Kelly; Kinship, Rhinebeck, New York, 1996; pg. 3)