Edwards Family

The Edwards family was of Welsh extraction. Samuel Edwards, born in the 1720's, emigrated to America about 1760 and settled in New Jersey where he died in old age. He married twice.

His first marriage issue were Isaac, resided New Jersey; John, resided New York City; Elizabeth, married Seth Ray, resided Milford, Clermont County, Ohio.

His second marriage was to a Mrs. Rose, a widow who was born about 1730 in Anderson Township, Hamilton County, Ohio. She raised Samuel's children, and lived in 1810 with Isaac Edwards family in Hamilton County. She died on the farm, and is buried, it is thought on the farm.

John Edwards died of typhoid fever and not much else is known about him.

Isaac Edwards was born in 1767 and died in 1827. In 1805 he left New Jersey and moved to Cincinnati and Miami County, Ohio, area. About 1810 he resided at Newberry, Clermont County, Ohio, on land near the William and the Edward Edward's farms. Isaac and Hannah Martin married in 1801. Hannah died in 1837 and was born in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Isaac and Hannah had twelve living children: William; John; Elizabeth; Samuel; Edward; Joseph; Mary, married Timothy Day, lived in Iowa; Rebecca, married Martin Hahn, lived in Galesburg, Illinois; Redford; Job; Lydia Ann, married Nicholas Edwards; George Washington; and one child died unnamed as an infant.

Edward Edwards was born in 1812 and married Eliza Glansey and their children were Euphemia Jones, Laura Jewett, Harry Edwards, Melvin Edwards and Clara Hummel. All lived in Hamilton County.

William Edwards was born on May 10, 1802, and married Nancy Day on December 11, 1823. William had no issue

Some think that the Samuel Edwards listed above may be part of the family that produced Samuel E. Edwards of Henry County.

The first Edwards families that came to Henry County were sons of Sat-Oleg-Edwards, Sr.

Samuel Edwards was born about 1775/76 and died in Wayne County, Ohio, in 1816. He married Catherine Clark, born 1778, who belonged to the Clark family that settled Virginia in the early days of our country. The Clark and Edwards families lived in Pennsylvania from 1780's to 1812. Samuel's son, David, was born in 1797 in that portion of Virginia Territory that later became West Virginia. Son, Samuel E., was born in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania.

Samuel Edwards purchased land in Washington County, Ohio, in 1800, and by 1815, he owned five parcels of land in what later became Wayne County, Ohio. The Edwards settled on this land in 1812.

An early marriage of Wayne County, Ohio, was that of Mary Edwards, daughter of Samuel and Catharine Edwards, and Henry Davis listed as occurring before 1818.

Samuel Edwards made his will on November 27, 1816 and it was presented for probate, after his death, on February 4, 1817. He lists his wife, Catharine, his sons, Samuel, William and David, and daughters, Elizabeth Reed, Mary Davis, wife of Henry Davis, Margaret Metcalf, and a grandson, David Hill. Two sons, John and George were not mentioned in the will.

After Samuel's estate was settled, Catharine Clark Edwards moved to Cincinnati where there were relatives living. In 1822, she moved her family to Pickaway County and in 1825 she returned to Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, taking her unmarried children with her. David Edwards and Mary Edwards were already married.

Why Catharine and the children did not live on the land that Samuel, Sr. willed to her is not known. When Samuel E. Edwards returned to Pickaway County, his mother returned with him in 1829. Last record of her is in 1848 when she was living in Cincinnati, but Samuel's book records that she took care of his family until he married in April, 1849. Catharine is buried in Hancock County, according to some references.