The Edgerton Database |
William Edgerton, son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Haskins) Edgerton.
Lucy Birchard, daughter of John and Jane (Hyde) Birchard.
Children:
William Edgerton was born at
William was mentioned in the will of his bachelor uncle, Jacob Edgerton, dated March 29, 1772. According to the will, William inherited a portion of Jacob’s lands in Bozrah, on the condition that he and his brother, Joseph, provide a support for their mother, Elizabeth, during her natural life. William was also named as residual legatee of the estate. William Edgerton was married
to Lucy Birchard, daughter of John and Jane (Hyde) Birchard, on April 27,
1775 at the Bozrah Congregational Church in Bozrah (then The family of William and Lucy (Birchard) Edgerton was not recorded in the Vital Records of Norwich or Bozrah, but later census, land and probate records have established that they had a family of five children: one son, William, and four daughters, Sarah (”Sally”), Mary (“Polly”), Lucy and Fanny. A “William Edgerton” was
listed as a “Grenadear” in the roster of Captain Waterman’s Company of the
20th Connecticut Militia Regiment, which was returned at William was almost certainly the “William Edgerton” who died in April 1790, as noted in the private records of Nehemiah Waterman, J.P., of Bozrah (Book I, page 55). Other than this, no death record or burial site has been found for William. William Edgerton had died without leaving a will. On June 1, 1790, “Benjamin Throop and Nehemiah Waterman Junr of Bozrah” were appointed administrators on the estate of “Mr William Edgerton late of Bozrah, deceased”, and they duly executed a bond of administration to the Norwich District Probate Court in the amount of 300 pounds. On March 17, 1791, the administrators exhibited an “Inventory of the Real & personal Estate of William Edgerton Late of Bozrah”, which totaled £268-10-6, and included in addition to numerous household and farming items, “44 Acres & 60 Rods of land” appraised at £177-10-0, and one dwelling house, valued at £35-0-0. At a subsequent probate hearing held in Norwich on March 26, 1791, David Hough and Elias West (both of Norwich) were appointed to distribute the estate of “Mr. William Edgerton, late of Bozrah, deceased”, and they subsequently made a return to the Probate Court, dated June 17, 1781, describing the land set out to “Lucy Edgerton, widow and relict of Mr. William Edgerton, late of Bozrah, deceased her dower or thirds in the real estate of the said deceased agreeable to law…” The land set off to Lucy consisted of two parcels totaling “eleven acres and one hundred and forty seven rods”, both located in Bozrah. The property was described as bordering lands of Richard Downer and William Throope. When the 1790
Federal Census was taken, William
Edgerton’s widow, “Lucy Edgerton”, was recorded as the head of household in 1 male “under 10 years of age” (son William); and, 4 females (Lucy, and daughters Mary, Lucy and Fanny). Mrs. Lucy Edgerton was recorded as a head of household in the 1800 Federal Census of Bozrah, New London County, Connecticut (pg. 766). The family at this time consisted of: 1 female “over 45 years of age” (Lucy); 2 females “of 16 and under 26” (daughters Mary and Lucy); and, 1 female “of 10 and under 16” (daughter Fanny). The only son, William Jr. (then aged about 18), was not listed with the family in this census enumeration, so it is presumed that he was out on his own by this time, perhaps working on a neighboring farm. Mrs. Lucy Edgerton was listed again as a head of household in the 1810 Federal Census of Bozrah, New London County, Connecticut (pg. 221). The enumeration of her household was as follows: 1 male “of 16 and under 26” (son William); 1 female “over 45 years of age” (Lucy); 2 females “of 26 and under 45” (daughters Sarah and Mary); and, 1 female “of 16 and under 26” (daughter Fanny). On April 15, 1812, “Lucy
Edgerton, William Edgerton, Sarah Edgerton, Polly Edgerton, Fanny Edgerton
all of Bozrah in New London County & State of Connecticut and Lucy
Macknell & Thomas Macknell of Ellington County of Tolland in said
State...” sold two parcels of land including a dwelling house to Gurdon
Meach, also of Bozrah. The deed was
signed (or marked) by all seven of the aforementioned individuals (Bozrah LR
3:287-9). The property was similarly
described as that previously set out as the dower to “Lucy Edgerton, widow
and relict of Mr. William Edgerton, late of Bozrah”. It was presumably at this time that Lucy
moved from Bozrah into The records of the Bozrah
Congregational Church contain a number of entries relating to this Edgerton
family. As previously mentioned,
William and Lucy had been married at the Original Source Documents: 1790
Federal Census – household of Mrs. Lucy
(Birchard) Edgerton; New London Co., CT. 1800
Federal Census – household of Mrs. Lucy
(Birchard) Edgerton; Bozrah, New London Co., CT. 1810
Federal Census – household of Mrs. Lucy
(Birchard) Edgerton; Bozrah, New London Co., CT. |