On this page: Descendants of William Edgar
Latest update: Thursday, 12 March, 2015
Find details, photos, and sources in the Family Tree Database.
WILLIAM EDGAR (12 March 1824 - 01 October 1882)
(Family Tree Database)
The fourth son and fourth child of James and Selah, William was born on 12 March 1824 in TENNESSEE, probably in Maury
County.
By 1850,
•
First brother Jospeh Smith had died in 1837 as a result of "battle wounds" from the Battle of San Jacinto of the
Texas Revolutionary War.
•
Second brother John had been in Texas about five years and had served three tours of duty in the U.S. Army
during the Mexican War. He had secured two of the three parcels of land granted to his deceased,
older brother’s heirs.
•
Third brother Henry was married to Annis Morton. They had two children (Nancy Jane and
Tennessee Alabama) and were living "next door to" his parents and was certainly farming with them.
•
The rest of James and Selah clan lived at the Edgar Homestead in far northwestern Maury County, TENNESSEE,
near the headwaters of Lieper’s Lick Creek.
And in 1850, while the rest of James' and Selah's family was farming and preparing for the relocation to TEXAS, twenty six
year old William had already left home to become a scholar. In the 1850 Maury County Census, William lived in the "boarding
house" of Tax Collector Hamilton, his wife and two teenage Hamilton girls and
- one twenty five year-old woman
- five teenagers attending school (not including the two Hamilton girls)
- three twenty-something stone cutters
- one sixty year-old cabinet maker
- and William EDGAR, a twenty six year-old student.
And in 1850 Sarah M. ROBINSON, was eighteen, attending school, and living with her parents and eight siblings in Maury
County.
When the James and Selah family relocated in 1853, William stayed behind in Maury County because on 01 April 1853
Edward L. ROBINSON (who later became William Edward EDGAR) was born out of wedlock to Sarah M. ROBINSON (21 years
old) and apparently fathered by William EDGAR (29).
On 14 January 1858, in Maury County, Sarah M. ROBINSON (age 26) married William F. COOPER (age 25). COOPER
brought with him one child, John Newton COOPER, from his previous marriage to Mary J. ALDERSON.
The next year, in 1859, William G. COOPER was born to Sarah (age 27) and William F. COOPER (age 26).
And on 08 November 1859, William EDGAR (age 35) petitioned to legally adopt his six year old son; "Petitioner states that said
Wm F. Cooper and his wife Sarah M are in indigent circumstances and said Sarah M. Cooper is willing for your petitioner to
take said child adopt [,] raise and educate him." Declaring that he was "satisfied that said Edward L. Robinson is his son,"
William EDGAR legally adopted Edward L. ROBINSON and changed his name to William Edward EDGAR.
According to the 1860 census of Maury County, TENNESSEE, just the father William and son William Edward lived together,
and William was a school teacher.
And in the same 1860 census of Maury County, William F. COOPER was an Overseer with RE value of $1500 and Personal
value of $400, a mere year after he was too indigent to keep his step-son. William F. lived with his wife Sarah M. COOPER,
age 28, and sons, N. J. COOPER, age 6, and W. G. COOPER, age 1.
In 1865, William (age 41) and son William Edward (age 12) finally joined the James and Selah EDGAR clan in DeWitt Co,
TEXAS. Perhaps the Civil War (1861 to 1865) kept them from relocating sooner. To date, there is no record of William
participating as a soldier in the US Civil War, but living in TENNESSEE he could not have avoided being affected by the war.
William EDGAR is mentioned in "A History of DeWitt County" by Nellie MURPHREE (edited by Robert W. Shook, Victoria
College, 211 pp. Graham Printing Co., Victoria. $4, 1962). In the section about Crossenville, she wrote, “In 1859 and
continuing for several years, Bill Edgar rode horseback eight miles from his house near Edgar to teach the Crossenville
children who met in a log school house.” However, at least three sources confirm the date of this reference is incorrect. In
1859, William EDGAR and son William Edward EDGAR lived in Maury County, TENNESSEE, and did not immigrate to Texas
until 1865.
• Adoption Records for William EDGAR aka Edward L. ROBINSON by William EDGAR, 08 Nov 1859,
Maury County, TENNESSEE
• 1860 Census for Maury County, TENNESSEE, which includes William EDGAR and William Edward EDGAR
• Obituary of William Edward EDGAR, 06 July 1938
(Sources documented and detailed in the Family Tree Database.)
According to the Sons of DeWitt Colony, “William Edgar was born 1824 and died in 1882. He had one son, William E. Edgar.
William Edgar is buried in the Edgar family cemetery.”
William died at fifty eight years old, on 01 October 1882 in DeWitt Co, TEXAS and is buried in the Edgar Family Cemetery.
To date, there is no record William ever married. However, William Edward EDGAR did marry. He and his wife, Louanna (Lou
Anna) JACOBS had eight children, seven of whom grew to adulthood. Of those seven children, five married, and at the time of
his death on 06 July 1938, William Edward EDGAR was survived by his seven grown children and by eleven grandchildren.
The following is an excerpt from the obituary of William Edward EDGAR, "Mr. Edgar was well and favorably known throughout
this section for his many fine traits of character and for his hospitality and service to his fellowman. For 11 years he taught
school at the old community of Burnt Camp, south of Hallettsville, [Lavaca Co, TEXAS] to become one of the pioneer
educators of this county."
TREE OF WILLIAM EDGAR
The marriages, children and grandchildren of William EDGAR, 1821 - 1908, fourth child and fourth son of James EDGAR and
Selah WITHERINGTON EDGAR:
(1) William EDGAR, b. 12 Mar 1824, TN, d. 1 Oct 1882, DeWitt Co, TX
& Sarah M. ROBINSON, b. TN
Unmarried
(2) William Edward EDGAR (Edward L. ROBINSON)
b. 1 Apr 1853, TN, d. 6 Jul 1938
& Lou Anna JACOBS
b. Jan 1868, TX
m. abt 1888
(3-1) Myrtle Ina EDGAR
b. 1 Oct 1888, TX, d. 27 Apr 1986, Houston, Harris Co., TX
(3-2) Mabel (Mable) E. EDGAR
b. 1 Oct 1888, TX
(3-3) William M. (Bill) EDGAR
b. 22 Jul 1890, d. 16 Jan 1974
& Gladys JAEGER
b. 5 Mar 1899 - d. 22 Sep 1980
(3-4) Clifford Arthur EDGAR Sr.
b. 5 Oct 1893, d. 23 Jan 1972, Yoakum, Lavaca Co, TX
& Lota JAEGER
b. 19 Dec 1896, TX, d. 14 Feb 1975, Yoakum, Lavaca Co, TX
m. abt 1926
(3-5) Lemuel Bertran EDGAR
b. 26 Aug 1895, Yoakum, DeWitt Co, TX, d. 7 May 1979, DeWitt Co, TX
& Emma TARGAC
b. 20 Jun 1913, Yoakum, Lavaca Co, TX, d. 30 Jul 2005, Brazoria, Brazoria Co, TX
(3-6) Cecil Elmo EDGAR
b. 21 Aug 1897, TX, d. 6 Sep 1963, Harris Co, TX
(3-7) Vera V. EDGAR
b. Jul 1899, TX