The Samuel and Rebecca Eggleston Family

When I started research, according to existing records, the family of Samuel and Rebecca Eggleston consisted of them and only two children: Samuel Jr. and Ambrose. These were the only two children listed in Orson Hyde Eggleston’s records of temple work done, and I am sure that his records were the source. I have always doubted that Ambrose was a member of this family. I have never found any other records showing that he existed. Maybe Orson had heard his father talk about “Uncle Ambrose” and placed him here? Orson’s father Samuel did have a brother Ambrose, most likely named after his mother Elizabeth’s father Ambrose Hill. Samuel Jr. and Elizabeth named many of their children after Hill family members. I haven’t seen other Ambrose in our particular Eggleston line, so the inclusion in Samuel’s family seems a mistake to me.

Finding Benjamin and Nathan through the Land

I started digging into land records after taking a class at our local Family History Center on “U. S. Migrations”. I poured through indexes and deed books on microfilm at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. This first page of a letter to Uncle Theron from a genealogists he hired, mentions a deed where Samuel sold land in Marcellus to Benjamin Eggleston.

This is my abstract of that deed:

29 June 1810 SAMUEL EGGLESTON of Marcellus sold to BENJAMIN EGGLESTON for $300 part of Marcellus Lot 52 bounded on the west by lands owned by WYLLYS MANLY and LUTHER MANLEY and on the north by land owned by NATHAN EGGLESTON containing 68 and 2/3 acres. Signed: SAMUEL EGGLESTON. Witness: DANIEL KELLOGG 29th June 1810. Recorded DANIEL KELLOGG. (Onondaga Deeds Book P p. 382-383 FHL film 0870719)

This deed hints strongly that Benjamin was Samuel’s son, which is further confirmed by Census records below.

Apparently however, this researcher or the people he contacted in Onondaga County missed this earlier and more enlightening deed:

16th March 1809 SAMUEL EAGLESTONE of Marcellus sold to NATHAN EAGELSTONE for and in consideration of 50 cents . . paid by NATHAN EAGELSTONE. . and more particularly for an in consideration of the natural love and affection he hath and beareth unto his son the said NATHAN EAGELSTONE part of Marcellus Lot 52 containing 31 and 1/3 acres. Signed: SAMUEL EAGELSTONE. Witness: DANIEL KELLOGG. Recorded 16 Feb 1836 A. EDWARDS, Clerk. (Onondaga Deeds Book 61 p. 35-36 FHL film 0869687)

Deeds don’t get better than this one for proving a relationship. Samuel Sr. had originally bought 100 acres of land in Lot #52 in 1801, so these two deeds split that land. Samuel Jr. had bought 52 1/2 acres of land nearby in Lot #59, which he sold in 1817 when he moved to Springwater.

Census Hints

When I looked at Census records, I found Samuel Sr. was no longer listed on Census records after 1810. There was no Samuel in Marcellus in 1820. Samuel Jr. had moved to Springwater, Livingston County, New York before 1820. But Benjamin had an extra male over 45 with him in 1820. In 1830 I found Nathan and Benjamin next to each other in Skaneateles, which had been created from the part of Marcellus where they lived. Benjamin had an 80-90 year old man living with him.

In 1840, Benjamin had a male in the 90-100 year age category. Samuel Sr. died June 20, 1840, apparently not long after this census was taken. I felt confident that Benjamin was his son. Benjamin, the youngest in the family who was living on land his father had purchased, was taking care of him in his old age.

Finding Phoebe and Karen Tanner

It was indirectly through this Nathan that I found two sisters. Settlers of the Beekman Patent by Frank J. Doherty, mentioned that a Nathan Eggleston had been granted guardianship of the children of Thomas Tanner of Marcellus. (Vol. 4 p. 678.) Doherty mistakenly attributed this record to Nathaniel, son of Samuel’s brother John. Being from Onondaga County Probate Records, (Onondaga Co LofA 3:23, 97) it appeared to me to be this Nathan of Marcellus. (The summary of Samuel’s family on p. 677 of Vol 4, is very brief and only lists son Samuel.)

This bio of Nathaniel Eggleston summarized, between mention of records from a variety of New York Counties, “Nathan (sic) Eggleston of the Town of Marcellus was appointed guardian 13 July 1819 over Amos Tanner, age 16 and Asa Tanner, age 16, sons of Thomas Tanner dec’d. He was also appointed guardian over Solomon Tanner, Phebe Tanner and Van Rensselaer Tanner on the same date, different document.”

In looking up these Tanner children, I benefited from work done by the Tanner family and posted on FamilySearch. They identified Thomas’ wives as Phebe Eggleston and Karen Eggleston. It was especially exciting for me to find Karen, since we share the same name.

Thomas had first married Phebe Eggleston, probably in Washington County, New York sometime before 1790. Thomas Tanner was on the 1790 Census of Argyle, Washington County, NY with 1 male over 16, 1 male under 16 and 1 female. He brought his family to Marcellus before the Egglestons all came, being one of the first settlers of the town. He was on the 1800 Census there, while the Egglestons were still in Argyle.

Phebe and Thomas had children:

Thomas Jr. who would have been the son in the 1790 Census. He died before December 22, 1814, near the time that his father did, and possibly in the War of 1812; Samuel Tanner who was born in 1792 and was the administrator of his father’s estate; Nathan Tanner, who would have also been an adult when his father died; Amos and Asa listed as 16 years old in the guardianship record may have been twins or the record may have been indicating that they were over 16 but still minors. Amos is the only one with a known birth date of 1800; Phoebe, listed in the guardianship record, was born in 1805; Solomon was born in 1808 and is also in the record; and other records list a Rebecca born about 1810, who apparently was no longer living when her father died. She may have been born around the time that her mother Phebe died, perhaps both dying during or shortly after childbirth.

The names of their children make sense considering that Thomas Jr. was named after his father Thomas; Samuel was named after Phebe’s father Samuel; Nathan was named after Thomas’s father Nathan Tanner (and Thomas’ brother); and Rebecca was named after Phebe’s mother Rebecca (and Phebe’s sister).

Karen Eggleston had married Peleg Cornell back in Washington County, New York. Peleg Cornell was in the 1800 Census of Hebron, Washington County with 2 males under 10, 3 females under 10, he a male 26-45 and she a female 26-45. I have not been able to identify all of their children. I suspect Peleg Cornell born in September 1795 who later lived near other family members in Chautauqua County, New York, was their son. He married Hannah Wiltse, sister of Benjamin’s wife Elizabeth.

Karen’s husband Peleg Cornell seems to have died around the same time that her sister Phebe died. Karen then married Thomas Tanner, who died in 1814.

Van Rensselaer Tanner, mentioned in the guardianship record was the son of Karen and Thomas Tanner. They apparently also had William born 1813 in Skaneateles and possibly an unnamed daughter who died as an infant.

Marcellus Baptist Church Records

The Marcellus Baptist Church records mention almost all of these family members, but not many relationships. Early members were Samuel Jr., Nathan, Thomas Tanner. Benjamin was baptized later, but then became a Deacon.

This was the family composition at the time I wrote the Eggleston book. I included Ambrose because he was on databases. I also mentioned the possibility that John Eggleston who was also in Marcellus early on, might be a son.

Adding Rebecca

One day while on FamilySearch I saw that Deborah, the wife of Winlock Eggleston now had a last name – Earll. Her parents were Nathaniel Earll and Rebecca Eggleston. There were no sources attached that would indicate where this information came from. I did find an email of someone who had submitted information and contacted her. She said that she had gotten information from an Ancestry database. This person remembered a handwritten family genealogy dated 1935. She found a note, but not a copy of this and I have not been able to find it attached to any of the Ancestry Trees. There are several of those which list a number of children for Nathaniel and Rebecca. Marcellus Deeds do have the name Rebecca as wife of Nathaniel Earll. Octogon School Cemetery Records give a death date for Rebecca, wife of Nathaniel Earll as September 7, 1847.

It all started to make sense. The 1790 and 1800 Census of Argyle had more females in Samuel’s family than were previously accounted for, so I had looked for another daughter. The 1810 Census of Marcellus paints a more complete picture. Nathaniel Earll was right in the middle of all the Egglestons on that Census.

In the center of this record can be found the whole family. On the left is Thomas Tanner, probably with wife Karen Eggleston Cornell and many children. Next to Thomas is Nathan Eggleston and then Samuel Eggleston Jr. (Simeon Skeels was the father of Isaac Skeels who later married Samuel Jr.’s daughter Anna).

On the right is Jno Eggleston Jr. and Joseph Eggleston. Joseph had a son John, but there was also another John Eggleston in early Marcellus. Next to Joseph is Nathan J. Eggleston, who probably also is a son of Joseph. (Putting together Joseph’s family was a bit more challenging and deserves it’s own post)

Nathaniel Earll is right next to Samuel Eggleston, his father-in-law. Benjamin is next to his father Samuel and next to Benjamin is his father-in-law John Wilsie.

The Children of Samuel and Rebecca Eggleston

Samuel Eggleston Jr. was born about 1770, possibly earlier. He died October 4, 1830 in Springwater, Livingston, New York. He married Elizabeth Hill.

Phoebe Eggleston was born about 1769 and died about 1810. She married Thomas Tanner before 1790 in Washington County, New York.

Karen Eggleston was born about 1771. She first married Peleg Cornell, probably in Washington County, New York. After his death, Karen married Thomas Tanner about 1810.

Nathan Eggleston was born about 1774. He died February 2, 1854 in Chautauqua County, New York. He married Mary.

Rebecca Eggleston was born March 24, 1781. She died September 7, 1847. She married Nathaniel Earll.

Benjamin Eggleston was born in 1783. He died January 9, 1868 in Marcellus, New York. He married Elizabeth Wiltse, daughter of their neighbor John Wiltse.