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The Edgerton Database |
Nathaniel Edgerton, son of John and Phebe (Harris) Edgerton.
Eunice Post, daughter of John and Eunice (Backus) Post.
Children:
Nathaniel Edgerton was born at Norwich, Connecticut on December 31, 1746, the youngest son of John Edgerton II and his second wife, Phebe Harris. He was baptized on March 22nd of the following year at the First Congregational Church of Norwich. Upon his maturity, Nathaniel removed from Norwich and settled in Salisbury, Litchfield County, Connecticut, where he was married on June 12, 1777 to Miss Eunice Post, also of Norwich. Eunice was born at Norwich, Connecticut on July 27, 1753. She was the only child of John Post and his first wife, Eunice Backus, who had died less than month after her daughter’s birth. In 1781, Nathaniel and his wife, Eunice, jointly sold a parcel of land in Norwich, which Eunice had inherited from her mother, Eunice (Backus) Post. The deed was dated May 26, 1781, and read in part: “To all People to Whom these presents Shall Come Greeting. Know ye that we Nathaniel Edgerton & Eunice Edgerton his wife late of Norwich in the County of New London in the State of Connecticut in America now of Salsbury in the County of Litchfield in the State aforesaid for the Consideration of Twenty five pounds Lawfull money Recd to our full Satisfaction of Elijah Backus Esqr of Said Norwich we have & do Give Grant Bargain Sell and Confirm forever unto him the Said Backus & to his heirs & assigns One Certain piece of Land lying in Said Norwich…Which Land decended to me the said Eunice Edgerton from my Hond Mother Eunice Post Deceased late wife of Mr. John Post of Said Norwich & Decended to her from her hond Father, Lieut. Samuel Backus’s Estate…” (Norwich Deeds, Volume 24, pg. 12). Four children were recorded to Nathaniel and Eunice Edgerton in Salisbury – Nathaniel, born March 16, 1778; Lucy, born June 10, 1782; Phebe, born June 26, 1788; and Samuel. Unfortunately, no birthdate was listed in the record for the younger son, Samuel, however later burial records indicate that he was born circa 1791. The family resided in Salisbury for a number of years. Nathaniel’s elder brother, Capt. Daniel Edgerton, also lived there briefly, before moving his family to Vermont. Daniel died in 1783 not long after the move to Vermont, and the probate record of his estate showed a debt of 313 pounds, 7 shilling due to Nathaniel. Nathaniel Edgerton earned his living as a farmer, and was also a tradesman of some sort. The following reference is found in Connecticut Apprentices, 1637-1900 (Ritter, Kathy A.; 1986.; p. 36): “Cool, Lemuel, ran away from Nathaniel Edgerton of Salisbury. Lemuel is age 14, 5’ tall, has dark brown hair, and light complection. Reward six pence.” It is believed that Nathaniel Edgerton served in the Connecticut line during the Revolution, however, conclusive documentation of his military service has not been found. A Nathaniel Edgerton was listed in Record of Connecticut Men in Military And Naval Service during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783 (Henry P. Johnston; Hartford, 1889; page 620). According to the reference, this Nathaniel was born in Connecticut circa 1750, which would fit with the known facts. A “Sergt Nathaniel Edgerton” was listed on the roster of Captain Benajah Leffingwell’s Company, from Norwich in 1777. Stephen Edgerton, Nathaniel’s nephew (son of his elder half-brother, John), was also listed on the roll of Capt. Leffingwell’s company, as were John Edgerton and Abel Edgerton. In the early 1790’s, Nathaniel Edgerton removed to Canaan (aka. “New Canaan”), New York just across the Connecticut/New York border in Columbia County, New York. Nathaniel Edgerton was listed as a head of household in the 1800 Federal Census of Canaan, Columbia County, New York. The household was enumerated with the following individuals: 1 male “over 26 and under 45” (Nathaniel – actually aged 54?); 1 male “of 16 and under 26” (son Nathaniel); 1 female “over 45 years of age” (wife Eunice); 1 female “of 16 and under 26” (daughter Lucy). Nathaniel Edgerton died at Canaan, New York shortly after this census was taken. His gravestone in Canaan, New York records the death of “Mr. Nathaniel Edgerton” on August 3, 1800, aged 54 (see Old Tombstones and Unusual Cemeteries in Columbia Co., NY, Gerda E. Divine). This gravestone is also referenced in Abstract of Graves of Revolutionary Patriots, Vol. 1 (Hatcher, Patricia Law; Pioneer Heritage Press, Dallas, TX 1987), where the cemetery is recorded as “Baldwin-Hamilton plot...nr Canaan, Columbia Co NY”. Other sources list the cemetery as the “Old Canaan/New Lebanon Community Cemetery”. Buried nearby Nathaniel were his son, Samuel Edgerton, who died in Canaan on June 5, 1799, aged 8; and a daughter-in-law, Charlotte (Backus) Edgerton, first wife of his son Nathaniel Jr. The former’s gravestone inscription lists him as the son of “Mr. Nathaniel and Mrs. Eunice Edgerton”. There is currently no record of the death of Mrs. Eunice (Post) Edgerton. She may have removed from New York with her son, Nathaniel Jr., who migrated to Ohio with his second wife circa 1820 – 1830. Original Source Documents: 1800 Federal Census
– household of Nathaniel Edgerton; Canaan,
Columbia Co., NY. |
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