Part V Edgerton
Regardless of ancestry, it is a fact that many of the great clan of Thomas of Haddonfield, have capably filled prominent places in the world's work. We can be thankful for a line of sturdy honest and respected ancestors.
Information contained in these pages has been gleaned from many fields. Perhaps the original inspirational force, which impelled the production of this work, came from a publication, the material for which was prepared many years ago by my mother's uncle, Jesse Edgerton (1845-1924). Several items of history are quoted from this pamphlet. The William Wade Hinshaw collection of Quaker Records of births, deaths, and marriages has been of great help and State Historical Libraries, and other public libraries have yielded valuable data.
Thomas Edgerton, Jr., son of Thomas Edgerton Sr. and Elizabeth Nicholson, was born in 1710, in Colledine, Ireland. He was a Quaker arriving at Philadelphia in 1733 with a removal of certificate from Colledine Monthly Meeting, Wexford County, Ireland. He lived in Newton, Glouchester County, New Jersey.
In 1733, he made application the Monthly Meeting of Friends at Haddonfield, New Jersey, for permission to marry Elizabeth Sarah Stephens, of that meeting. As was customary, a committee was appointed to investigate his qualifications as to morals and his membership with the Friends, etc, also requesting him to furnish a certificate from his own meeting stating his membership in good standing. It was not uncommon in those days for a young man to leave wife and children in the old country, come to one of the American colonies, marry a new wife and start life anew in a new country. Friends were careful to guard against this happening in their society.
Apparently the required certificate from the meeting at Colledine, County, Wexford, in Ireland was produced and he and Sarah Stephens were permitted to proceed with their marriage which took place 10-20-1733.
Sarah was the daughter of Robert Stephens, who was born in 1682, in Ireland, and Elizabeth ___, born in 1684.
The marriage certificate of Thomas and Sarah was signed by Elizabeth and Robert Stephens, Sarah's parents, and by Mary Doyl, who evidently was Sarah's sister who had married Philip Doyl in Ireland. Also signing this certificate as a witness was William Edgerton, of whom we have no further knowledge. About 1740, a Joseph Edgerton, with a certificate from Lambstown Meeting of Friends, County Wexford, Ireland, arrived at Haddonfield, New Jersey, where he married Grace Varman, who had also recently come from the same meeting in Ireland. William and Joseph Edgerton may have been brothers of Thomas. At least, it seems likely that they were relatives, and all had come from Ireland.
The Edgertons were English and not Irish. Records in Ireland seem to make no mention of the family. Just why Thomas, William, and Joseph Edgerton, Grace Varman and the Stephens family had been living in Ireland when they made the move to Haddonfield is not certain. They were originally from England and had been in Ireland only a short time. This was time of much religious unrest in England. It may be that these people, presumably all Quakers, had a brief sojourn in Ireland for religious reasons, and from there, soon came on to America. This is largely supposition on our part.
The marriage certificate of Thomas Edgerton and Sarah Stephens bears the signatures of various witnesses, among which may be observed the name of John Estaugh in the column of men's names, and another column of women's names is that of Elizabeth Estaugh. In this connection one is reminded of the poem included in Henry W Longfellow's "Tales of a Wayside Inn� entitled "Elizabeth� which refers to the romance of John Estaugh, a young Quaker minister from England, and Elizabeth Haddon, wealthy young Quaker maid, living then in the vicinity of Haddonfield, New Jersey, a town which was named for her family Among the wills on record in New Jersey is that of Elizabeth Estaugh, a wealthy widow, dated November 30, 1761. In this will, which mentions her various properties, reference is made to her "upper house and lot� described as being in "tenor� of Thomas Edgerton. We may guess that this was Thomas III, son of Thomas and Sarah (Stephens) Edgerton. He was then a young man, married two years prior to the date of this will. Elizabeth Estaugh died in 1762.
Thomas and Sarah Stephens Edgerton remained in Haddonfield. Sarah died between 1735 and 1738, when Thomas III was very young.
In 1738, at Handdonfield Monthly Meeting, Thomas Edgerton, Jr was married a second time, to Esther Bate, a widow with children by a former marriage The meeting appointed a committee to see that the interests of her children were provided for when she married Thomas Edgerton. This procedure was customary among Friends in such cases, and does not indicate mistrust of the new stepfather.
In 1751, Thomas and Esther transferred their membership to Philadelphia Monthly Meeting. His son, Thomas III moved back to Newton, New Jersey in 1760, and then later removed his family to Dobbs County, North Carolina in 1777 during the Revolutionary War.
Esther died 19 October 1760; Thomas died 19 October 1768, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In 1805, two of Thomas' sons moved to Ohio because of their opposition to slavery in North Carolina.
Children:
Family Group A.
Thomas E Edgerton III, son of Thomas Edgerton Jr and Sarah Stephens, was born about 1735, in Haddonfield, Glouster County, New Jersey
It seems that Thomas E Edgerton III and Elizabeth Saint, although both were probably Quakers, were married 27 April 1759, but were not married in the Friends meeting for we find recorded in the Minutes of Haddonfield Monthly Meeting, New Jersey, the following entry dated 11-10-1760:
"Thomas Edgerton produced an acknowledgment on behalf of himself and wife for their outgoing in marriage which was read & on consideration received & is as followeth: To ye monthly Meeting held at Haddonfield ye 10th of ye 11th mo, 1760, Loving frds We ye Subscribers for want of Due regard to ye rules Established amongst frds have gone out in our marriage contrary thereto & ye present Trouble of mind at our Disunited State Ingages us to offer this as our Sincere acknowledgment Earnestly Desiring to be received into unity again Signed: Thomas and Elizabeth Edgerton.�
His ancestors came from Ireland, to New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, and then into the Carolina�s.
Elizabeth was born 1738, in Edgecomb, North Carolina, and died about 1776, in Haddonfield, Gloucester County, New Jersey. She was the daughter of Hercules Saint (born 1713 in Gloucester, New Jersey-died 26 February 1739 in New Jersey) and Rebecca ___.
Children:
James Edgerton, Sr., son of Thomas E Edgerton and Elizabeth Saint, was born 27 September 1764, Haddenfield, New Jersey, and died 21 January 1825, in Ceptina, Belmont County, Ohio.
A mill owner and Quaker Minister, he was married 22 December 1785, Neuse Meeting House, Contentnea Monthly Meeting, Wayne County, North Carolina, to Sarah Cox, who was born 26 August 1769, in Wayne County, and died 18 January 1828, in Belmont County, Ohio, daughter of Richard Cox & Mary Kennedy. (See: Cox Family, Part II)
During the winter of 1827, a serious epidemic, probably typhoid fever, swept through the Quaker community of Belmont County, Ohio, where James and Sarah settled, causing the death of 6 members of their family, including the mother. It was called by some, �Edgerton Fever� since so many of the Edgerton family were its victims. Two of James Jr�s sons, Joseph and Nathan, as well as some others of the neighborhood were also taken by the same epidemic.
Recommended reading: �Meet the Edgertons� for the many wonderful stories about these families. A copy is in the Kansas Genealogical Library, in Dodge City, Kansas.
Children:
Family Group B.
William Edgerton, son of Thomas Edgerton Jr. and his second wife, Esther Bate, was born about 1737, in Haddonfield, New Jersey.
He was married 22 June 1768, in Haddonfield Monthly Meeting, to Tabitha Henston (or Heuson) daughter of John Henston of Gloucester County, New Jersey. They were disowned by that meeting 12 January 1784. Both died before their only son was married.
Children:
Samuel Edgerton, minister, only son of William Edgerton (1) and Tabitha Heston, was born 13 March 1776, in Newton Township, Gloucester County, New Jersey.
He was married 16 October 1800, in Haddonfield Monthly Meeting, to Elizabeth Wilkins, who was born 8 October 1775, daughter of William J & Sarah Wilkins, of Newton Township. On 10 March 1806, Haddonfield Monthly Meeting issued a certificate for Sam and Elizabeth, William, Sarah, and Hannah to move to Concord Monthly Meeting, Belmont County, Ohio.
Samuel died 28 November 1836, and was buried in Poplar Ridge, Indiana. 9 children (For a full account of these descendants see "Meet the Edgertons.� A copy is in the Dodge City, Kansas Genealogical Library.
Children:
Prudence Edgerton, daughter of Samuel Edgerton and Elizabeth Wilkins, was born 14 February 1807, Concord Monthly Meeting, Belmont County, Ohio.
She was married 1 October 1833, at Westfield Monthly Meeting, near Camden, Preble County, Ohio, to Jonathan Dallas Stratton, who was born 8 November 1804, in Maurice River, New Jersey, the son of Eli Stratton and Eunice Dallas.
Eli Stratton, was born 20 December 1772, in Eversham Monthly Meeting, Burlington, New Jersey, the son of Jonathan Stratton and Sarah Owen. He died 17 August 1839, and buried at Spiceland Meeting House, in Henry County, Indiana. He was married 23 October 1799, to
Eunice Dallas, who was born 7 October 1771, in Maurice River Monthly Meeting, in Cumberland County, New Jersey, and died 16 February 1859, buried in Raysville Monthly Meeting, Henry County, Indiana, the daughter of William and Rebecca Dallas
Jonathan died 8 June 1879, in New Jersey
Children: