Person:Edmund Pendleton (1)

"EDMUND(3) PENDLETON, (Capt. James(2), Major Brian(1)), was born at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 24 June, 1665, and died at Westerly, Rhode Island, in 1750.

Comparatively few items were found regarding Edmund Pendleton on the records of Westerly where the greater part of his long life was spent, and these, aside from the inventory and the administration of his estate, relate almost entirely to a few sales of property he had inherited there under the wills of his father, Capt. James Pendleton, and of his grandfather, Major Brian Pendleton. …

As a boy, Edmund Pendleton undoubtedly attended the First Congregational Church of Stonington, Connecticut. He became one of its members, with his wife Mary, 28 July 1700. This is the only record known giving the first name of his wife, and as she did not join with him in any of the deeds he made beginning in 1712-a requirement under the laws of Rhode Island-it is reasonable to assume she had died before that date. Her family name is unknown, her marriage to Edmund Pendleton not being of record, nor any will having been found mentioning a daughter, Mary, wife of Edmund Pendleton.

The Probate records of Westerly, R. I., show that inventory was presented on the estate of Edmund Pendleton, deceased, on the 30th of April, 1750, amounting to £1375-16-00. Receipts were given to Edmund Pendleton, Jr., administrator, by his sisters, Hannah 'Britton,' widow of James 'Britton' of Dighton, Mass.; Mary Pendleton; Rebecca, wife of Oliver Steward; and Dorothy, wife of John 'Jemison.' …

The reason why Edmund Pendleton took no active part in the affairs of Westerly, as his brothers did, is a very simple one. He was blind. The tragic story of his loss of sight as a boy of twelve or so, is told in certain depositions included with one of the later published volumes of the York Deeds. It appears from these that young Edmund had returned to his birthplace on the Great Island at Portsmouth, N. H.-afterwards the town of New Castle-and about the year 1677 when he met with this frightful calamity, was living with his kinsman, John Kettle, a cooper. Perhaps he had been sent there to learn a trade as was the custom in those days for the younger sons in a family- or he may have been sent there to visit his old grandfather, Brian Pendleton, who was living there at the time after the Indians had driven him from his home at Winter Harbor."^[1]

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4} Edmund Pendleton, in Pendleton, Everett Hall. Early New England Pendletons: With some Account of the three groups who took the name Pembleton, and notices of other Pendletons of later origin in the United States. (South Orange, New Jersey: E. H. Pendleton, 1956)
   56-57.
2.   LAND:
   -April 11, 1711 Deed from heirs of Brian Pendleton (grandchildren) Edward Pendleton, Caleb Pendleton, Eleazer Brown, William Walker, Nicholas Cottrell, Ann Brown, Elener Walker, Dorothy Cottrell, to Edmond Pendleton, Westerly. Witnesses: James Noyes, John Saunders. [RI ROOTS, June 1988, p. 52]
3. ↑ Date also listed in Dover, NH records.