My Genealogy Back to Thomas Edgerly of Massachusetts Bay Colony
The following is my genealogy to my ancestor Thomas Edgerly, a Puritan civil leader part of Massachusetts Bay Colony.
- Margie Ruth Johnson McCarter (1929 – present) – my mother
- Bettie Ruth McNamara Johnson (1905 – 1979)
- Ina Rose Scott McNamara (1884 – 1954)
- Thomas Scott ( ? – 1934 )
- Cecilia Edgerly (1828 – 1912)
Below is Cecilia Edgerly’s descent from Thomas Edgerly as documented at https://www.worldfamilies.net/surnames/edgerly/pats (this genealogy is also noted in the Cresap book, because on her mother’s side she was the great granddaughter of Michael Cresap) :
Thomas Edgerly, b England, “one of seven judges of the province of New Hampshire”, m Rebecca (Ault) Hallowell –
Samuel Edgerly, b 1668, Durham NH, m Elizabeth Tuttle
John Edgerly, b 1700, New Durham NH, m Elizabeth Wakeham
Caleb Edgerly, b 29 Dec 1743, New Durham NH, m Abia Sylley
John Edgerly, b 15 Sep 1766, New Durham NH, m Alice Allard
Daniel Ward Edgerly, b 11 Dec 1795, New Durham NH, m Eleanor Keene Cresap
Cecelia Edgerly, 11 Jan 1828, Erie AL, m Thomas Hazard Perry Scott
The biography of the Thomas Edgerly above is found at https://www.ancestry.com/boards/surnames.edgerly/133.1/mb.ashx :
EDGERLY, JUDGE THOMAS, 1635-1715. He
was received as an inhabitant in Dover, at Oyster
River, 19 January, 1665 ; took the oath of fidelity 21
June, 1669; made freeman 15 May, 1672. In 1665, he
began to serve on the grand jury and served in that
capacity many times ; it was then a very important
office. When New Hampshire became a separate Pro-
vince, Mr. Edgerly was appointed one of the Justices
of the Provincial Court, consisting of Captain Walter
Barefoot, Nathaniel Fryer, Henry Green, Peter CofRn,
Thomas Edgerly and Henry Robie. In 1684, Rev.
Joshua Moody, minister at Portsmouth, was arraigned
before this court for nonconformity, in that he refused
to administer the Communion service for Governor
Cranfield in accordance with the Ritual of the Church
of England. After hearing the evidence the Judges
debated the question. A vote was taken ; two voted
for conviction — Barefoot and CofRn ; the others dis-
sented. The next morning the court convened and the
case was reconsidered ; outside influence had induced
Green and Robie to change their opinion and they
joined with Barefoot and Coffin, condemning Mr.
Moody, and he was sent to jail, where he was confined
for three months. Judge Edgerly was cashiered by
Governor Cranfield, for his courage in standing by Mr.
Moody; he was restored to office after the Cranfield
government went to pieces. He was deputy to the con-
vention of 1689, held for reorganization of the govern-
ment. In July, 1694, his garrison was burned by the
Indians, when the awful massacre took place at Oyster
River. He was taken prisoner, with his son Joseph
and daughter, but they managed to escape, and soon
returned home. His garrison was on the shore of Little
Bay, near Durham Point. He was married by Capt.
Richard Walderne 28 Sept., 1665, to Rebecca, daughter
of John and Remembrance Ault ; she was the widow of
Henry Halloway, at her second marriage. …
was received as an inhabitant in Dover, at Oyster
River, 19 January, 1665 ; took the oath of fidelity 21
June, 1669; made freeman 15 May, 1672. In 1665, he
began to serve on the grand jury and served in that
capacity many times ; it was then a very important
office. When New Hampshire became a separate Pro-
vince, Mr. Edgerly was appointed one of the Justices
of the Provincial Court, consisting of Captain Walter
Barefoot, Nathaniel Fryer, Henry Green, Peter CofRn,
Thomas Edgerly and Henry Robie. In 1684, Rev.
Joshua Moody, minister at Portsmouth, was arraigned
before this court for nonconformity, in that he refused
to administer the Communion service for Governor
Cranfield in accordance with the Ritual of the Church
of England. After hearing the evidence the Judges
debated the question. A vote was taken ; two voted
for conviction — Barefoot and CofRn ; the others dis-
sented. The next morning the court convened and the
case was reconsidered ; outside influence had induced
Green and Robie to change their opinion and they
joined with Barefoot and Coffin, condemning Mr.
Moody, and he was sent to jail, where he was confined
for three months. Judge Edgerly was cashiered by
Governor Cranfield, for his courage in standing by Mr.
Moody; he was restored to office after the Cranfield
government went to pieces. He was deputy to the con-
vention of 1689, held for reorganization of the govern-
ment. In July, 1694, his garrison was burned by the
Indians, when the awful massacre took place at Oyster
River. He was taken prisoner, with his son Joseph
and daughter, but they managed to escape, and soon
returned home. His garrison was on the shore of Little
Bay, near Durham Point. He was married by Capt.
Richard Walderne 28 Sept., 1665, to Rebecca, daughter
of John and Remembrance Ault ; she was the widow of
Henry Halloway, at her second marriage. …
The Thomas Edgerly described above was the son of Thomas Edgerly (the elder) who traveled in 1630 to Massachusetts Bay Colony on the flagship Arbella, as documented at https://www.ancestry.com/boards/surnames.edgerly/133/mb.ashx , and who graduated from Oxford after that:
“1630- April 1- Thomas Edgerly the First, when 16 years old
became an apprentice seamen, Signing a
contract with Captain Issac Thompson of
Roxbury, Mass. In Yarmouth, England.April 7- They sailed from Yarmouth with several ships
of the General Winthrop fleet. Their ship the
“Arabella” landed in Boston July 30, 1630.December- Captain Thompson was taken very ill and
died. Thomas Edgerly was released from
his control. He returned to England.
became an apprentice seamen, Signing a
contract with Captain Issac Thompson of
Roxbury, Mass. In Yarmouth, England.April 7- They sailed from Yarmouth with several ships
of the General Winthrop fleet. Their ship the
“Arabella” landed in Boston July 30, 1630.December- Captain Thompson was taken very ill and
died. Thomas Edgerly was released from
his control. He returned to England.
1637- Thomas Edgerly the Second was born in Oxfordshire,
England. Different sources say Shrewsbury or Great
Milton as town of birth site. No record of him attending
Oxford University. His grandfather ( Francis ) and great
uncle ( Robert ) were admitted to the University in 1595
and afterwards graduated.”
In 1630 a fleet of ships came from England to Massachusetts in order to found the Massachusetts Bay Colony of New England Puritans. The leaders of that Puritan community were on the flagship Arbella of that fleet. Thomas Edgerly (the elder) was on the flagship Arabella, along with Governor John Winthrop. Governor Winthrop preached his famous sermon on board the Arbella, called “The Model of Christian Charity”, in which he spoke of how Puritan New England could become a ‘city on a hill’ for the world to see. That speech has been alluded to by many American political leaders since. Arbella ship info can be read at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arbella .
Thomas Edgerly the Second was son of Thomas Edgerly (the elder) and grandson of Francis Edgerly, whose descent was as follows per https://www.worldfamilies.net/surnames/edgerly/pats :
William H. Edgerly b 1463 Great Milton, Oxfordshire, England – Milly Edgerly Hageman [milly-62 AT hotmail.com]
-
Richard Edgerly b 1498 England
-
Robert Edgerly b 1539 Oxfordshire, England
-
Francis Edgerly b 1576 Oxfordshire, England
-
-
Ancestor William Edgerly was part of the landed gentry in England.
Rebecca Ault Edgerly, wife of Thomas Edgerly (the Younger), was daughter of John Ault and Remembrance Tibbetts, who had come to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1631 and 1635, respectively (see http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/w/i/l/Delores-S-Willey/GENE4-0014.html).