Person:Joseph Edgerton (8)

Captain Joseph Edgerton was the eldest son of Richard and Elizabeth (Scudder) Edgerton. He was born in Norwich, Connecticut on January 17, 1696/7, and may have been named after his uncle, Joseph Edgerton, his father’s youngest brother. Prior to 1739, he was referred to in Norwich deeds and records as “Joseph Edgerton Junr.”, so as to distinguish him from this uncle who died in that year. In 1753, when he witnessed the will of his mother, Elizabeth, he was still referring to himself as “Junr.”

Joseph Edgerton was married at Norwich, Connecticut on December 10, 1722 to Elizabeth Haskins, daughter of Richard and Mary (Tisdale) Haskins who had come to Norwich from Taunton, Massachusetts. Elizabeth was born in Taunton circa 1701, and died in Norwich on April 10, 1776. [Unfortunately, early vital records at Taunton were destroyed by fire in the mid 1800’s, so no record of Elizabeth’s birth is available.]

Joseph lived in Norwich throughout his life and earned his livelihood as a farmer and planter. He and his wife had eight children, all born in Norwich and recorded in the vital records there (VRp I:91). Joseph and Elizabeth were members of the First Congregational Church of Norwich. “Joseph Edgerton and his wife, Elizabeth” owned the covenenant of the Church on June 6, 1725 (ChR 2:94), and their eldest daughter, Hannah, was baptized on the same date. The younger seven children were also baptized at the Church each shortly after their birth. A further church record shows that “Elizabeth, wife of Joseph Edgerton” was admitted to the Church on October 17, 1747 (ChR 2:214).

Joseph Edgerton was active in the Connecticut military, and attained the rank of Captain. During the French and Indian War, he enlisted on March 25, 1762 (at the age of 64), in Lieut. Col. Israel Putnam’s Second Company of the First Regiment of Connecticut Troops, raised for the attack on Cuba. The siege was successful and Havana fell to the Colonial troops in July of 1762. However, most of Col. Putnam’s company, Joseph included, contracted yellow fever. Joseph died in Havana on September 2nd of that year. It has been erroneously stated in some histories that Joseph was lost at sea. Although he may indeed have been aboard ship when he died, he was still stationed in Havana, Cuba at the time of his death. (for further reference, see Dumas, David W., Joseph Edgerton of Norwich, CT and his Descendants, East Greenwich, RI, 1982)

1. ↑ Norwich, New London, Connecticut, United States. Vital Records of Norwich, 1659-1848. (Hartford, Conn.: Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Connecticut, 1913)
   46.

   Jofeph Edgerton [s. Richard & Elizabeth] was born Janur 17 1696/7