Phineas S. Edgecomb (1795-1881), Mariah Brooks (d.1836), Mairah Brooks UNKNOWN, and Tabitha J. Shafer (1826-1894)

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Parents of Phileas S. Edgecomb

Phineas Spencer Edgecomb (1795-1881), Mariah Brooks (d.1836), Mairah Brooks UNKNOWN, and Tabitha J. Shafer (1826-1894)

Key words: Phineas Edgecomb, Mariah Brooks, Mariah Edgecomb, Phineas and Mariah Edgecomb, Phineas S. and Mariah Edgecomb, Mary Ann Brooks, Mary Ann Edgecomb, Phineas and Mary Ann Edgecomb, Phineas S. and Mary Ann Edgecomb, Mairah Brooks, Mairah Edgecomb, Phineas and Mairah Edgecomb, Phineas S. and Mairah Edgecomb, Tabitha Shafer, Tabitha Edgecomb, Tabitha J. Edgecomb, Phineas and Tabitha Edgecomb, Phineas S. and Tabitha J. Edgecomb, Phineas S. and Tabitha J. Shafer Edgecomb, Phineas and Tabitha Shafer Edgecomb

Phineas Edgecomb was a son of John Edgecomb (brother to Uriah b.1781) and Elizabeth Olmstead Edgecomb. He was born on 5 Sep 1795² in Canton, Hartford Co., Connecticut³. His mother died at the age of 26, when he was six years old. He was first married to Mariah (or Mary Ann) Brooks in "New Mulberry"³ (probably New Marlborough), MA on 20 Sep 1832. There were three children born to this marriage, with two living to adulthood:

Luther⁹ c. 1834 Ohio - 28 Jun 1923 Grand Traverse Co., MI
John V. 9 Mar 1836 Ohio - 1897.

It may be that Mariah died from complications related to childbirth since her death in Trumbull County was only eight days after the birth of John V. ⁴

After the death of Mariah, Phineas went from Ohio to Chenango Co., NY to marry Mairah, a sister of his first wife who was recently widowed. They had one child who died at a young age. In 1842, Phineas bought land in the northeast corner of section 14 of Bath Township, Allen Co., OH (across the road from Samuel and Elsie Bassitt) from John and Fanny (Doud) Lewis, brother-in-law and sister of Betsy (Doud) Edgecomb who was the wife of Phineas' uncle Uriah. In the deed, both parties are listed as "of Warren, Trumbull Co., Ohio". In 1843 Phineas moved to his land in Allen County.

Phineas' third marriage was to Tabitha J. Shafer (15 Jan 1826 - 30 Aug 1894) of Auglaize Co., OH on 1 Mar 1846, and they had eleven children (all born in Allen County, Ohio)⁵:

Mariah Edna (Rise) 28 Nov 1846 - 12 Jan 1929, m. Sep 1865 Thomas C. Rise.
Nancy S. (Boop) b. 28 Mar 1848, m. Sep 1866 Martin Boop.
Benton. 7 May 1850 - 6 Mar 1855.
Franklin Pierce. 17 Feb 1852 - 1949, m. 31 Oct 1880 Agnes J. Fensler 24 Sep 1859 - 16 Dec 1924.
Elizabeth M. (Patterson) (Clark) 26 May 1854 - 10 Oct 1926. m.(1) Moses W. Patterson and (2) UNKNOWN Clark. Edward. 12 Apr 1856 - 10 Jun 1858
Margaret C. 17 Jul 1858 - 23 Sep 1859.
Ida Ann (Hahn) b. 3 Jun 1862, m. 13 Sep 1893 Henry W. Hahn.
Edith Jane (Boop) b. 12 Jun 1864, m. 22 Oct 1883 Samuel A. Boop.
George S. 3 Oct 1869 - Apr 1906, m. 30 Jan 1898 Lulu V. Gray.
Jesse G. b. 17 Aug 1872 (when Phineas was 76 years old!), d. 11 Nov 1921, m.(1) 13 Jun 1899 Sarah R. Gray but she died on 9 Oct of the same year. m.(2) 11 Dec 1901 Margaret E. Hahn.

Phineas was a charter member of the Lima Masonic Lodge and was well-known for his orchards. "The cultivation and improvement of fruit has been his pride and delight, and he has one of the finest orchards in the county, and his fruit cannot be exceeded. A farmer who has been awarded the first premium on apples for a number of years finally revealed the fact that the fruit came from Mr. Edgecomb's orchard." ⁶

Frank P. Edgecomb recalled in an interesting interview (recorded in 1944 when he was 92 years old) that "when we were boys, Philo Bassett [son of Sarah Edgecomb Bassett] and I had never made rails but we wanted to try. [Split rails were used by pioneers for fences.] We made 4000 for my father [Phineas], 5000 for Lew Bassett (Philo's father) and 17 000 for Almon Hadsell. By that time we felt as if we knew how to make rails!"⁷ This story gives just one indication of the amount of hard manual labor that was involved in farming at that time, as well as the large number of trees that were being cut as the virgin forest was destroyed. In addition to farming, Phineas Edgecomb was also a carpenter. He died on 14 Mar 1881. ⁸

This account was taken from History of the Edgecomb, Bassitt, and Snyder Families of Allen County, Ohio by Steven J. Bassett Baskauf, 2007.
This portion of the book is freely available under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License provided you give the citation listed above. On the web, a link to this page would be helpful.

Comments? Questions? Contact Steve Baskauf

References:

1. Barbour Collection, Connecticut Vital Records, New Hartford:14

2. Frank P Edgecomb's Reminiscences, 1944 Oct 29, recorded at Allen Co, OH Museum. This date agrees with that calculated from his tombstone.

3. Allen County Democrat, 9 Sep 1880. Quoted in Allen County Democrat, 9 Sep 1880. Quoted in http://boards.rootsweb.com/surnames.edgecomb/64.1/mb.ashx

4. Communication from Maurice A. Click, Olympia, Washington, 1991 July 9

5. Family Bible of Phineas Edgecomb, found among family Bible records at the Allen County Museum, Lima, Ohio

6. Allen County Democrat.

7. "Frank P. Edgecomb's Reminiscences", from Allen County Museum files

8. Tombstone inscription, Sproat Cemetery, Wolfe Rd., Bath Twp., Allen Co., OH. "Phineas S Edgecomb died Mar 14, 1881 aged 85 y 6 m 9 d".

9. Luther Edgecomb census references:

1860 New Marlborough, Berkshire Co., MA Luther B. Edgecomb, aged 26, b. OH

1870 Bath Twp., Allen Co., OH Luther Edgecomb, aged 36, b. OH, occupation "Lecturer", with a child Charles Edgecomb, aged 6, born in NY. Listed in the household of Elias Everett.

1880 Morris Valley, Morris Co., KS L. Edgecomb, aged 48, born in OH, father born in Mass., mother born in Ohio, wife Anna E. Edgecomb, aged 30, born in OH, daughter Maggie M., aged 7, born in OH.

1900 Swan Twp., Taney Co., MO, Luther Edgecomb (living by himself), aged 66, born in Ohio, father and mother born in Ohio.

Phineas Edgecomb census references:

U.S. Census of 1850 for Bath Twp., Allen Co., OH, p.492 [blank 1850 form]