To Everything A Season: James EDGAR and Selah WITHERINGTON EDGAR Family

Arthur S. EDGAR

c. 1857

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Harriet Brown

c. 1870

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Arthur S. EDGAR

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On this page: Biography; Descendants

Latest update: Thursday, 12 March, 2015

Find details, photos, and sources in the Family Tree Database.

ARTHUR S. EDGAR (14 July 1828 - October 1863)

(Family Tree Database)

"This is the only photo we have found (thus far) of my great great grandfather, Arthur S. Edgar. I had

never seen this until January 2006 when we visited my granduncle, James D. Edgar, in Albertville, AL.

He had an old, small photo (it appears to be tintype but it could have been an ambrotype or a

daguerreotype) of his grandfather.  James'  father, Perry Eugene Edgar (one of Arthur's two sons), had

given it to him. I had the photo scanned and then restored. And, it is a treasure indeed. It was undated,

but we believe it was taken about the time of Arthur's marriage to Harriet Elizabeth Brown on 01 Jan

1857." (source: Robert Merritte WEBB, August 2006) (Photo untouched.)

Born in Maury County, TENNESSEE on Monday, 14 July 1828, Arthur S. and his twin brother Joshua N. were the sixth and

seventh children of James EDGAR and his wife Selah WITHERINGTON EDGAR.

Arthur S. is recorded as one of three males under five years old in his father's household in the 1830 Census, Maury County,

TENNESSEE. And he is recorded as one of four males between ten and fifteen years old in the 1840 Census for father's

household in Maury County.

By the 1850 Census, 22-year-old Arthur was living with his widowed, paternal Aunt Abigail EDGAR WALKER and her two

grown sons in Davidson Co, TENNESSEE, about fifty miles from Arthur's parent's EDGAR Family Homestead in Maury Co,

TENNESSEE.

In 1853, Arthur relocated with parents' family from Maury County, TENNESSEE to DeWitt County, TEXAS.

Arthur S. married Harriet Elizabeth BROWN (27 November 1839 - 11 January 1913) on 01 January,

1857 in Clinton, DeWitt County, TEXAS (TEXAS marriage certificate). Arthur was twenty nine (29)

years old, and Harriet was seventeen (17) years old when they were married. 

There is a reference to Arthur and his family at Sons of DeWitt Colony Texas: “Arthur "Art" Edgar was the fifth child of James

and Selah Edgar. He married Harriett Brown and their children were Perry and Lee Edgar.”

Their first child and first son Perry Eugene EDGAR was born 09 November, 1857 in Edgar, DeWitt County, TEXAS.

Arthur Lee EDGAR, their second child and second son, was born 24 June, 1860, in DeWitt County, TEXAS.

"And, I believe the place of birth for both Perry and Lee was the small house near Edgar, TEXAS that Arthur built for his new

bride, Harriet Elizabeth Brown, on the 40 acres given to him by his father [James EDGAR] from the 1,476 acres of Edgar land

between Cuero and Yoakum that had been granted to Joseph S. Edgar’s heirs for his service in the Texas

Revolution." (Robert Merritte WEBB)

Arthur S. and his family were reported in the 1860 Census in DeWitt County, TEXAS, living "next door" to his parents. This is

Arthur's only Census as head of his family. Note: Although second child Arthur Lee was born 24 June, and the Census was

taken 27 June, Arthur Lee is not enumerated with his family.

However, Arthur S. is not found in 1870 Census; his sons Perry and Oscar [sic, should be Arthur] lived with their mother and

step-father W.P McManus (William Jasper McManus, 26 Sep 1840 - 30 Apr 1918) in Princinct #5 of DeWitt Co, TEXAS.

To date the details of Arthur's death and burial are unconfirmed.  "We do know that he prepared his will, signed it, and had

it witnessed 28 May 1862.  We have a copy of the will.  Given the participation of several of his brothers in the Concrete Home

Guard and/or the Confederate Army, we believe he prepared that will at such an early age (34) in anticipation of some

hazardous duty somewhere.  There are no records of his having served in the Confederate Army.  And, most of the Concrete

Home Guard records were either lost or are at least still missing."   (Robert Merritte WEBB, email 26 May 26 2007)

In addition, "when Arthur S. Edgar prepared his will in May 1862, the two people who witnessed the will were Elijah Parker and

Allen Parker.  So far, all we know is that they were originally from TN and were about Arthur's age.  We are suspecting they

were cousins, friends, neighbors and/or fellow participants in some sort of Civil War support activity." (Robert Webb, 10 June

2006)

"We know that he died prior to 17 Nov 1863 because his will was presented to the DeWitt County Court for probate on that

date.  We believe the court met at least once a month, and we believe there would not have been much delay in submitting his

last will and testament for probate.  So our speculation is that he died in late Oct or early Nov 1863.  We are hoping to find

some more definitive records of that, and we have some target locations for pursuit (one of these days)."  (Robert Merritte

WEBB, email 26 May  2007)

"Family lore, passed down through Arthur’s older of two sons (Perry Eugene Edgar) to his children (including my grandmother

and my granduncle James) was that Arthur died in some sort of wagon or buggy accident.  Perry Eugene Edgar was

about 6 years old (b. 09 Nov 1857) when his father died, so he probably wouldn’t have had first hand knowledge and maybe

not much clear memory of the events surrounding his father’s death.  But, that’s the story passed down through the family,

anyway (some sort of wagon or buggy accident).  We do know there were supply lines going from Texas to the war front in the

Civil War, and it may have been he was in the process of transporting supplies when an accident occurred."  (Robert Merritte

WEBB, email 26 May 2007)

"We believe that Arthur’s grave was the first (or at least one of the first) in the old Edgar Cemetery... Arthur died before either

of his parents.  James’ and Selah’s grave sites are in the corner of the cemetery nearest where the old house used to be. 

Next to those two graves is a grave with a good-sized sandstone/fieldstone marker with no inscription remaining.  We believe

that’s where Arthur may have been buried, in the third spot in the cemetery with the first two spots reserved for his parents

who were buried there later.  But, that’s all speculation based on a methodical exclusion of other possibilities and based on the

prominence of the location of that third gravesite and the logic that in 1863, with a war increasing and 'times being hard in

Texas,' a fieldstone was probably all the family could afford to place on Arthur’s grave.  We hope in time to get some evidence

that will either help prove or disprove all this speculation." (Robert Merritte WEBB, email 26 May 2007)

* "He [Joshua N. EDGAR,1828 to 1900] was buried at the old Edgar graveyard beside his parents

[James S. EDGAR b. 1790 and Selah WITHERINGTON EDGAR b. 1794] and two brothers

[William EDGAR b. 1824 d. 1882 and Arthur S. EDGAR b. 1828 d. 1863], who had gone before."

(source: Obituary of Joshua N. EDGAR, Cuero Daily Record, 22  May 1900, Cuero,

DeWitt County, TEXAS)

Arthur's will was presented to the DeWitt County Court for probate on 17 Nov 1863. "In... his will, Arthur named 'my brother

Henry Edgar' as executor of his estate and he gave 'my brother Henry Edgar” authority to manage the portion of his estate

(mainly cows) left directly to his two “beloved sons, Perry and Lee, until Perry reached 16 years of age.”  Most of [Arthur's]

estate was designated in the will to go directly to 'my beloved wife, Harriet Elizabeth Edgar.'" (source: Robert Webb, email May

26, 2007, at 11:31)

There is evidence Arthur S. was close to his older brother Henry. "I think they [Henry and Arthur] must have been close

because in Arthur's will, Henry was named executor of Arthur's estate and guardian of his family... So Henry was probably very

involved with watching over Harriet and her two young sons, Perry Eugene and Arthur Lee, after Arthur S. died,  especially

prior to Harriet's remarriage to William Jasper McManus in 1867.”  (source: Robert Webb) In addition, “Arthur's wife was

Harriet Elizabeth Brown. And, Henry Edgar's second wife was Tabitha Jane Brown, Harriet's sister. So, those brothers married

sisters! And, that may have been another reason Arthur and Henry were close.” (source: Robert Webb)

end