The

Edgerton

Database

Index

Sources

William Edgerton, parentage unknown.

born:	July 2, 1826; Essex Co., NY. (from age at death, GI – “ae 67y, 9m, 12d”)
died:	April 14, 1894; Otego, Otsego Co., NY. (GI)
buried:	Flax Island Cemetery; Otego, Otsego Co., NY. (GI)

married:

May 5, 1852; Herkimer Co., NY.

Sophronia Salisbury, daughter of Calvin and Mary (Pearce) Salisbury.

born:	May 24, 1817; Fairfield, Herkimer Co., NY.
died:	December 3, 1873; Felton, Kent Co., DE.

Children:

Emily Mary, b. September 11, 1854; Fairfield, Herkimer Co., NY.
William Wallace, b. March 11, 1859; Newport, Herkimer Co., NY.

The parentage of William Edgerton has not been established. It is known from later census, military and burial records that he was born in Essex County, New York in the year 1826. According to the precise age at death reported on his gravestone (see below), William’s birthdate was July 2, 1826. A comprehensive search of the Essex County census records conducted by Lynn C. Sirois of Chandler, Arizona (a descendant of William Edgerton) found that Jacob Edgerton of Moriah was the only Edgerton head of household to have a son born between 1826 and 1830. Ms. Sirois has therefore speculated that this Jacob Edgerton (son of Jedediah Edgerton Sr., formerly of Pawlet, Vermont) may have been William’s father; however this is far from proven. The various census records of Jacob’s household (1810, 1820, 1830) indicate that he had a large family, including an unidentified son of the right age as this William. Most of the data included here regarding William Edgerton and his descendants has been provided by Ms. Sirois, who has extensively researched this branch of the Edgerton family.

The first definitive reference to William Edgerton is from the 1850 Federal Census of Fairfield, Herkimer County, New York (pg. 179, enumerated on August 24, 1850), where he was enumerated as “William Edgerton, aged 24 years, born in New York”.

William Edgerton was married at Herkimer County, New York on May 5, 1852 to Sophronia Salisbury, daughter of Calvin and Mary (Pearce) Salisbury. Sophronia was born in Fairfield, New York on May 24, 1817. She was apparently a Mayflower descendant, as she, her children and grandchildren are all listed in the Mayflower Index (Vol. III, pg. 256; Edwin Louis Neff, ed.). For reference on the family and ancestry of Sophronia Salisbury, please consult Genealogy of the Richard Salisbury Family (C.E. Morey, W.A. DeVoit, C.L. Spencer and O.C. West, privately published, 1924).

William was a house carpenter and resided first in Herkimer County, New York. His two children were born there – Emily Mary, on September 11, 1854 in Fairfield, and William Wallace, on March 11, 1859 in Newport. When the 1860 Federal Census was taken, Sophronia and the two children were living with her brother, Richard Salisbury, in Clay, Onondaga County, New York. They were recorded as aged 43, 5 and 1, respectively – all born in New York. William was not included in the household. He may have been away working, having left his family in the care of his brother-in-law.

William Edgerton served in the Union Army during the Civil War. He enlisted at Syracuse, New York on November 24, 1863 and was mustered in as a private in L Company, 9th New York Heavy Artillery Regiment of New York. William enlisted for a term of three years. He was promoted to Second Lieutenant on April 17, 1865 and transferred to E Company, US Colored Troops, Heavy Artillery Division. Later that year, he was ordered to Louisville, Kentucky to enlist men for the 13th Regiment. William was mustered out at Louisville on October 9, 1865. William later applied (on August 10, 1892) for a Civil War Pension, citing “disease of kidneys and heart, defective eyesight, rheumatism and general disability”. The application was rejected on July 6, 1893, claiming “no rateable degree of disability”. Lynn C. Sirois has numerous records of William Edgerton’s Civil War service, including letters, enlistment papers and the aforementioned pension application.

Following the War, William Edgerton left New York State with his family and settled in Kent County, Delaware. In the 1870 Federal Census, the family was recorded in Felton Township, Kent County, Delaware, as follows:

William Edgerton	44	b. NY	house carpenter $1000 real estate / $800 pers. estate
Sophronia	50	b. NY	keeping house
Emily	15	b. NY
William	11	b. NY	at home

Mrs. Sophronia (Salisbury) Edgerton died at Felton, Delaware on December 3, 1873. William later returned to New York State and was residing in the town of Sidney (Delaware County) at the time of his pension application in 1892.

William Edgerton died on April 14, 1894, and was buried at the Flax Island Cemetery in Otego, Otsego County, New York (just north of Delaware County). According to the gravestone inscription, he was aged 67 years, 9 months and 12 days at the time of his death. No other Edgertons appear to have been buried at the Flax Island Cemetery.