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DNA evidence points to the fact that Sanford S. Edwards was a descendant of the John Edwards who died in 1801 in Greenville District, South Carolina. Although there is no direct proof, strong circumstantial evidence suggests that he was a son of Lemuel James Edwards who was a great-grandson of the John Edwards who died in 1801.
Sanford S. Edwards was born 16 May 1826 in Greenville District, South Carolina. It is clear that his mother was Margaret “Peggy” Edwards who appeared on the 1840 census of Greenville District, South Carolina, and later moved with the rest of the family to Lumpkin County, Georgia, and eventually to Cherokee County, Georgia. In 1830, he would have been under five years old. There is only one household in Greenville District, South Carolina, with an unaccounted-for son in that age bracket on the 1830 census. The household was recorded as “Edwards Lemuels Family” and consisted of two males under five and one female between twenty and thirty.[1] These ages perfectly match with Sanford S. Edwards, born 1826, his brother Silvester, born about 1829, and their mother Margaret, born 1806.
It seems that Lemuel J. Edwards left his family in Greenville District, South Carolina, and moved to Montgomery County, Ohio, where his maternal uncle Shem Carney lived. On 10 July 1830, Lemuel J. Edwards enlisted in Co. D, Dragoons, in Dayton, Ohio. He was described as being five foot, seven inches with hazel eyes, dark hair, and a light complexion. He was a carpenter, and he reported having been born in Greenville, South Carolina. He enlisted for a term of three years, and he was discharged 10 July 1833 in Fort Leavenworth, Missouri.[2]
Lemuel J. Edwards eventually settled in Jackson County, Missouri, where he married Elizabeth Overton on 31 December 1841 in Jackson County, Missouri.[3] However, several moths before his marriage, he mad an interesting deed that suggests that he may have been the father of Sanford S. Edwards.
On 28 July 1841, Lemuel J. Edwards, “in consideration of the sum of twenty six hundred dollars Received to my full satisfaction of Sanford Edwards of the State of South Carolina,” sold him the east half of the north east quarter of section twenty-one, township forty-eight, range thirty-three containing eighty acres, the east half of the south east quarter of twenty-one, township forty-eight, range thirty-three containing eighty acres, the east half of the southeast quarter of section twenty-eight, township forty-eight, range thirty-three containing eighty-aces acres, the east half of the northeast quarter of section twenty-eight, township forty-eight, range thirty-three containing eight acres, totaling 320 acres.[4] Although he was only about fifteen years old, Sanford S. Edwards is the only likely person to have been the “Sanford Edwards of the State of South Carolina” mentioned in the deed. Among several of his descendants is the story that they were entitled to land out west if they would ever claim it. Sanford Edwards, nor anyone else, ever claimed the land, and it reverted to the estate of Lemuel J. Edwards in 1890.
Sources
- ↑ "United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch, Edwards, Lemuel’s Family, Greenville District, South Carolina, (accessed 28 October 2021); citing NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
- ↑ "United States Registers of Enlistments in the U.S. Army, 1798-1914," database with images, FamilySearch, Enlistment and Discharge Record of Lemuel J. Edwards, 1830-1833, (accessed 27 October 2021); citing NARA microfilm publication M233 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
- ↑ “Jackson County, Missouri, Marriage Records, 1827-1917,” database with images, FamilySearch, Marriage of Lemuel J. Edwards and Elizabeth Tucker, 31 December 1841, (accessed 24 October 2021); citing Jackson County, Missouri, Marriage Book 2, page 83.
- ↑ “Jackson County, Missouri, Deed Records, 1827-1909,” images, FamilySearch, Lemuel J. Edwards to Sanford Edwards, 28 July 1841, (accessed 28 October 2021); citing Jackson County, Missouri, Deed Book H, page 340.
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