On this page: Photo of Joshua and Martha; Biography; Descendants
Latest update: Thursday, August 4, 2011
Find details, photos, and sources in the Family Tree Database.
Martha Washington WOLLARD and Joshua N. EDGAR, circa 1880s
This photo was originally presented in the book Wollard-Woolard-Woollard
and their Descendants in America from 1650 by Janes K "Jim" WOLLARD
(Wollard Genealogy and Their Descendants in America) and contributed by
Julie WOLLARD TROUT, (Julie Wollard Trout's Genealogy Page)
JOSHUA N. EDGAR (14 July 1828 - 16 May 1900)
(Family Tree Database)
Joshua N. and his twin brother Arthur S. were born in Maury County, TENNESSEE on Monday, 14 July 1828. (source: Joshua
Edgar Family Bible) (source: Obituary of Joshua N. EDGAR, Cuero Daily Record, 22 May 1900, Cuero, DeWitt County,
TEXAS, copy and transcription posted in Documents and below) His brother Arthur S. [1828 to 1863] is assumed Joshua's
twin, although documentation referring to Joshua and Arthur as twins has yet to be discovered.
In the 1830 Census, Maury County, TENNESSEE (copy and transcript posted in Documents), Joshua lived with his parents
and was one of the three "Free white males under five years of age."
In the 1840 Census, Maury County, TENNESSEE (copy and transcript posted in Documents), Joshua lived with his parents
and was one of the four "Free white males of ten and under fifteen." Just "a few doors down" lived Churchel WOLLARD (also
WOOLARD) and his family, which included Martha Washington WOLLARD [4 Jun 1827 to 10 Feb 1906], Joshua's future wife.
On 01 November 1848 in Maury County, TENNESSEE, Justice of the Peace B. D. Wall presided over the marriage of Joshua
N. EDGAR to Martha Washington WOLLARD. (source: Joshua Edgar Family Bible) (source: Marriage Record for Joshua N.
EDGAR and Martha Washington WOLLARD, Maury Co, TENNESSEE, posted in Documents)
Their first child and only son William James Darden “Darden” EDGAR was born on 20 Aug 1849 in Maury County,
TENNESSEE (source: Joshua Edgar Family Bible) (source: Obituary of William James Darden “Darden” EDGAR, posted in
In the 1850 Census, Maury County, TENNESSEE (copy and transcript posted in Documents), Joshua was a farmer and the
head of the house with his wife Martha and year-old son. Their family lived "next door" to Nancy D. CALDWELL HADLEY, wife
of Ambrose HADLEY, Jr. (who died in 1847 at the age of 43) and her six children. Nancy was the mother of Martha Jane
HADLEY EDGER, the wife of Joshua N.'s older brother James D.
Joshua's and Martha's second child and only daughter Celie Emily Emirintha Caledonia Teleth Ann “Callie” EDGAR was born
29 May 1852 in Maury County, TENNESSEE. (source: Joshua Edgar Family Bible) (source: Obituary Abstract of Callie EDGAR
HUGO; GENEALOGICAL ABSTRACTS FROM REPORTED DEATHS; THE NASHVILLE CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE 1890-1893;
www.tngenweb.org/records/davidson/obits/nca/nca90-04.htm)
With his parent's family and his wife and two young children (4 years and 1 year), Joshua N. emigrated from Maury County,
TENNESSEE to DeWitt County, TEXAS in 1853.
On his first Texas census - 1860 Census DeWitt Co, TEXAS (copy and transcript posted in Documents) - Joshua was recorded
as a farmer with "Value of Real Estate 600, Value of Personal Estate 600" and head of his household with wife Martha, son
Darden and daughter Callie.
“He served in the cause of the south in the civil war [1861–1865] and received an honorable discharge at its close.” (source:
Obituary of Joshua N. EDGAR, Cuero Daily Record, 22 May 1900, Cuero, DeWitt County, TEXAS, copy and transcription
posted in Documents and below)
In May 1869, Joshua N. sent a letter from "Concrete P. O., DeWitt County, Texas" to the County Court of Maury County,
TENNESSEE requesting information about the estate of his father-in-law Churchel WOLLARD. (Transcription of letter posted
in Histories)
"Joshua’s place was about mid-way between the Edgar and Concrete communities. It may be that by the time he wrote the
letter, Concrete still had a P.O. (making that their official mailing address) whereas Edgar ceased to have a P.O. sometime in
the late 1800s." (source: Robert Merritte WEBB, email March 17, 2008)
In the 1870 Census, DeWitt County, TEXAS (copy and transcript posted in Documents), forty-two year old Joshua was a
farmer -- with "$400 value of real estate, $555 value of personal property" -- living with his wife Martha, twenty-year-old son
Darden and and fourteen-year-old daughter Callie. On the same census page is Joshua's mother Selah, who was the head of
the household, including her fifth son James D., her ninth son Benjamin Franklin Washington, and Selah's grandchildren by
her only daughter Paulina, James Wiley CARR, Virginia CARR, and John Edgar CARR.
In February 1880, Joshua N. sent a letter from "Concrete, DeWitt County, Texas" to his wife's brother Elijah Nelson WOLLARD
in Maury County, TENNESSEE. (Transcription of letter posted in Histories) In this letter, Joshua mentions a photograph, which
may be the photograph at the top of this page.
In the 1880 Census, DeWitt County, TEXAS (copy and transcript posted in Documents), Joshua was a farmer and lived with
his wife Martha and a border. Living "next door" were Joshua's and Martha's daughter Callie and her husband Ottoman G.
HUGO, who lived with Ottoman's mother Albertina HUGO (and a border). Joshua and family also lived near Joshua's older
brother Henry and his family and Joshua's older brother John and his family.
In March 1884, Joshua N. again sent a letter from "Concrete, DeWitt County, Texas" to his wife's brother Elijah Nelson
WOLLARD in Santa Fe, Maury County, TENNESSEE. (Transcription of letter posted in Histories)
Joshua N. was one six of nine Edgar brothers born to James S. Edgar and Selah Witherington, who attended the 27 Aug 1898
Edgar Family Reunion. (source: Cuero Record [Newspaper], 28 Aug 1898, Cuero, DeWitt County, TEXAS)
Although all censuses record Joshua as a farmer, his obituary (below) credits him as "having served for many successive
terms as justice of the peace, also notary public and county commissioner for the precinct in which he resided.
" (source: Obituary of Joshua N. EDGAR, Cuero Daily Record, 22 May 1900, Cuero, DeWitt County, TEXAS, copy and
transcription posted in Documents and below)
Joshua N. died 16 May 1900, this “sad event took place at his old home near the town of Edgar.” (source: Obituary of Joshua
N. EDGAR, Cuero Daily Record, 22 May 1900, Cuero, DeWitt County, TEXAS, copy and transcription posted in Documents
and below)
"He 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, copy and
transcription posted in Documents and below)
His obituary was published on 22 May 1900 in the Cuero Daily Record, newspaper of Cuero, DeWitt County, TEXAS.
[editorial comment]
[From microfilm in Cuero Library in Cuero, DeWitt County, TEXAS]
Center Shots.
Center, May 18.
It again becomes our sad duty to chronicle the passing away of an other one of our old land marks and
most estimable citizen, in the person of Mr. Joshua Edgar, which sad event took place at his old home
near the town of Edgar -- which was named in honor of him -- at ten o'lock [sic] Wednesday May 16.
The subject of this brief sketch was born July 14, 1828, in Maury county, Tenn.; was married to
Miss Martha Woolard [WOLLARD} of that state November 30, 1848, and with his lifetime companion
moved to Texas in the fall of 1853 and settled in DeWitt county, of which he has ever been classed among
its most esteemed citizens, having served for many successive terms as justice of the peace, also notary
public and county commissioner for the precinct in which he resided. He served in the cause of the south
in the civil war and received an honorable discharge at its close. He leave a wife, one son; Mr. Darden
Edgar, and several grand children, who have the sympathy of this entire section in this their hour of
bereavement. He 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.
Peach C.
TREE OF JOSHUA N. EDGAR
The marriage, children and grandchildren of Joshua N. EDGAR, 14 Jul 1828 to 16 May 1900, the seventh child and seventh
son of James and Selah Witherington EDGAR:
(1) Joshua N. EDGAR, b. 14 Jul 1828, Maury Co., TN
& Martha Washington WOLLARD, b. 4 Jun 1827, Maury Co, TN
m. 1 Nov 1848, Maury Co, TN
(2-1) William James Darden (Darden) EDGAR, b. 20 Aug 1849, Maury Co, TN
& Mary Susan Margareth NYEGAARD, b. 23 Jun 1857, Union Parish, LA
m. 26 Jan 1875, Gonzales, TX
(3-1) J. S. EDGAR, b. 5 Sep 1875, DeWitt Co, TX, d. 11 Sep 1875, DeWitt Co, TX
(3-2) (unnamed) EDGAR, b. 5 Jul 1878
(3-3) Nettie May EDGAR, b. 1 Mar 1881, TX, d. 4 Jul 1977, Gonzales Co, TX
& Joe Porter BOOTHE
(3-4) Frankie May EDGAR, b. 21 Jul 1886, Frio Co, TX, d. 23 Jul 1886, Frio Co, TX
(3-5) Rachael Rebecca (Reba) EDGAR
b. 19 Apr 1888, Frio Co, TX, d. abt Feb 1949, Electra, Wichita Co, TX
& Herman August RATHKE
b. 13 Jul 1883, Wharton Co, TX d. 23 Feb 1967, Wichita Falls, Wichita Co, TX
m. abt 1908
& William T. FRAZIER, b. abt 1871
& John S. DRESSLER, b. abt 1874, NE, d. abt Jan 1950, Electra, Wichita Co, TX
m. bef 1931
(3-6) (unnamed) EDGAR, b. 2 Feb 1890, d. 2 Feb 1890
(3-7) Joshua Nyegaard EDGAR, b. 29 Jun 1891, TX, d. 20 Jun 1950
& Susie Eva KENNEDY, b. 26 Sep 1890, d. 13 Feb 1966
m. abt 1909
(3-8) Martha May EDGAR, b. 06 Dec 1893, d. 18 Feb 1977, Wichita Falls, Wichita Co, TX
& Herman August RATHKE
b. 13 Jul 1883, Wharton Co, TX, d. 23 Feb 1967, Wichita Falls, Wichita Co, TX
m. 27 Aug 1913
(3-9) John Henry EDGAR, b. 21 Feb 1897, DeWitt Co, TX, d. 3 Jun 1897, DeWitt Co, TX
(2-2) Celie Emily Emirintha Caledonia Teleth Ann (Callie) EDGAR
b. 29 May 1852, Maury Co, TN, d. 2 Mar 1891, Frio Co, TX
& O. G. HUGO
m. 3 Sep 1879, Frio Co, TX