A GENEALOGICAL RECORD of the DESCENDANTS of JOHN EDWARDS 168- to 1915 BY LLEWELLYN NATHANIEL EDWARDS "The man who feels no sentiment of veneration for the memory of his forefathers; who has no regard for his ancestors, or his kindred, is himself unworthy of kindred regard or remembrance." Daniel Webster. Copyright 1916 By LLEWELLYN NATHANIEL EDWARDS Toronto, Ontario PRESS OF B385B TO MY WIFE WHOSE UNTIRING ASSISTANCE HAS RENDERED IT POSSIBLE THIS BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED CONTENTS CHAPTERS PAGE I. HISTORICAL SKETCH .................................................................. ~.............. 7 THE EDwARDS Co AT OF ARMS................................................................ 10 FAMILY RECORDS OF FIRST Two GENERATIONS.................................. 13 II. DESCENDANTS OF JOHN AND JEMIMA (WALLINGFORD) EDWARDS.... 17 III. DESCENDANTS OF RICHARD AND HANNAH (LATHROP) EDWARDS.... 65 IV. DESCENDANTS OF JONATHAN AND HANNAH (HEATH) EDWARDS.... 124 V. DESCENDANTS OF SAMUEL AND MARY ( EDWARDS............ 160 VJ. DESCENDANTS OF NATHANIEL AND SARAH (HUNT) EDWARDS........ 190 VII. DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM AND LYDIA (BAKER) EDWARDS............ 218 INDEX ...................................................................................... ····················· 331 PREFACE It is with pleasure that I present to the descendants of John Edwards this genealogical record in which they may "In endless line the fortunes of the race Go back for years and grandsire's grandsires trace." F. H. King. I In the compilation of the data contained herein, I have received valuable assistance from many of the descendants and allied families; and it is appropriate that I here express my sincere thank:s for assist­ ance rendered in this work, which has for its object "To attend to the neglected and to remember the forgotten." BURKE. I wish to express my indebtedness to Col. Albert M. Edwards and to Dr. E. Gardner Edwards, who have given me the full advantage of researches made by them prior to 1906, the year in which I began my work; and to my father, Dominicus J. Edwards who has given me more assistance than any other descendant, because of his intimate knowledge of the Jonathan, Nathaniel, and William branches, extending over a period of more than eighty years. I shall be grateful to any and all who call my attention to errors and omissions; doubtless much has been omitted which might have been avoided had I had the opportunity of making a personal exami­ nation of many public records, to which for various reasons access has not been possible. It is hoped that at some future date a second edition of this record may be compiled, in which all available data, together with a greater amount of general information, incidents of family history, family anecdotes, copies of legal papers, etc., not now available, will appear. LLEWELLYN N. EDWARDS. Toronto, Ont. P. 0. Box 23 December, 1915 NOTE TO THE READER In the arrangement of the records the division of the family at the third generation into six branches, viz :-John, Richard, Jonathan, Samuel, Nathaniel, and William, has been adopted as being both natural and convenient. Referring to the record of any specific family, it will be found that following the nam.e at the head of the family the full line of descent is indicated, as for example:- John Laton Edwards (John 1st., John 2nd., John 3rd., John 4th., John 5th.); indicates that he is of the sixth generation from John 1st. and that his children are of the seventh. The asterisk placed before a name indicates the marriage of the person and that his or her record is to be found in its order among the descendant families. A GENEALOGICAL RECORD OF THE DESCENDANTS OF JOHN EDWARDS CHAPTER I "Few families can establish a loftier lineage or deduce their descent through more numerous stocks of historic distinction than the family of Edwards of Wales." (Colonial Families of America, by George Mackenzie). John Edwards (born 168-) immigrated to America about the begin­ ning of the eighteenth century. Family tradition places the date at 1710-11. No authentic record, however, of the exact date appears to be available. From the fact that this John Edwards was married (1712) in Portsmouth, N. H., as shown by official and church records (North Church), it appears probable that he landed at Portsmouth. That he moved to Haverhill, Mass., soon after his marriage seems equally probable, since the official records of that city give the dates of birth (1713 and 1715) of his two sons, John and Nathaniel. David Edwards (page 30) in a letter dated Newbury, Vt., May 24, 1878, to Col. Albert M. Edwards writes:-"In regard to my forefathers, tradition says that about 1710 two brothers by the names of John and Jonathan Edwards came to America from Wales. John settled in Haverhill, Mass., and Jonathan in Connecticut. I have no reason to doubt that my forefathers came from Wales. My father had two articles which this John Edwards brought from Wales that bore the Edwards coat of arms." While the above tradition relative to John and Jonathan appears to be common throughout the family, the author finds through research no evidence that John of Haverhill had a brother Jonathan; and he further finds no family connection between this family and 8 A GENEALOGICAL RECORD OF THE that descended from William Edwards of Hartford, Conn. (Immi­ grated to America 1640) from whom Jonathan Edwards, the eminent educator, metaphysician, and divine descended. It is, of course, possible that the two families have a common origin prior to their immigration to America, but of this no evidence has been found. Family tradition, unfortunately, has not handed down to us the emigration point in Wales from which the family came to America; but of the fact that John Edwards, known in this genealogical record as John Edwards 1st. came from that country, there is practically no doubt, since evidence of this family tradition has been found, existing independently, in no less than three (John 3rd., Richard 3rd., and Jonathan 3rd.) of the secondary branches of the family. The common tradition is that the family's first settlement in America was at Haverhill, Mass.; but it is apparent that the immi­ gration point must have been elsewhere, since Haverhill is not a seaport. It is only recently (Aug., 1913) that the evidence noted above indicating that the family took its origin at Portsmouth, N. H., or vicinity was discovered. There is, however, a record that John and Jonathan Edwards were at Falmouth, Me. (now Portland, Me.) in 1683. It is possible that from one of these men John Edwards 1st. may have descended. This possibility gives strength to the previous- . ly mentioned tradition of John and Jonathan. A distinctive characteristic of the early descendants is that they were strongly imbued with the pioneer spirit. This is shown by the fact that the six brothers, grandsons of John 1st., became, without exception, pioneers in the virgin forests of New Hampshire and Maine. William and Jonathan were among the early settlers of Gilmanton, N. H. After residing there only a few years they moved, in Feb. and in May, 1797, to Otisfield, Me. About 1797 or possibly earlier John. moved from Haverhill, Mass., to Gilmanton, N. H. Richard, when a boy, accompanied an uncle, probably a brother to his mother, to Gorham, Me. Nathaniel also settled in Gorham, but he did not go there until several years after his brother Richard. A few years later he moved to Raymond, Me., and settled in that portion of the town which is now the town of Casco, Me. Samuel located in Buxton, Me. DESCENDANTS OF JOHN EDWARDS 9 Just what produced the movement to Gilmanton can only be con­ jectured. One of the proprietors of that township was Nicholas Wallingford, and it is possible that the intermarriage of the Edwards and Wallingford families may have influenced this migration. It also seems quite probable that the American Revolution may have had much to do with this general pioneer movement, since at the end of that war many families were more or less impoverished, and the general inactivity of industrial conditions which followed made it a necessity for many such families to seek new homes and new occupations. 1 In connection with this migration of our early ancestors, it is of interest to trace the probable routes by which they reached their several destinations. An examination of the early maps available shows that for the movement from Haverhill, Mass., to Gilmanton, N. H., either one of the following routes might be chosen:­ (a) Haverhill to Newbury along the Merrimack river, then via the Newbury Saltsbury (Salisbury) road northward to Dover, thence to Gilmanton by roads not apparently recognized as main thorough­ fares. (b) Haverhill to Amesbury along the Merrimack river, then by the Amesbury road northward across Rockingham County by roads which were more or less recognized as main thoroughfares. For the movement from Gilmanton, N. H., to Otisfield, Me., the probable route appears to have been as follows:-Gilmanton to Dover, from there to York, thence via the old Piscataqua, York, Wells, Saco, Falmouth, Portland, Yarmouth, Pownalboro road to Yarmouth, Me., then by the old so-called Portland-Bridgton road to a point where the eight mile blazed trail referred to on pages 125 and 220 intersected this main thoroughfare. This pioneer life of the early generations required pluck and endur­ ance of the hardiest kind; and it is, no doubt, to a marked extent, through earning a living by honest toil, economy and thrift, respons­ ible for the well developed physique and the strength of character of their descendants. As a general rule, the Edwards are a strong, sturdy, broad shouldered, well built class, in stature above medium height, and having rather dark complexion, blue eyes, and dark hair. 10 A GENEALOGICAL RECORD OF THE From a critical study of the family the author feels, that while few of the descendants have aspired or attained to distinction as leaders of their fellows; yet, on the whole, we may be justly proud of the fact that they have been plain, respectable people, having a full share of the cardinal virtues of honor, patriotism, truthfulness, and self-dependence.