George EDGINGTON, Sr. was supposedly born in London c1706/07, some sources say Wales, and ran away from home due to a whipping. He was discovered as a stowaway when far out to sea, came to American at the age of 15, and settled near Philadelphia, PA. There he married Margaret BROOME on 30 Jul 1743 at the 1st Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. George EGERTON is the name found on this church document.

Some secondary evidence connects his wife, Margaret BROOME with parents Thomas BROOME and Elizabeth COLEY who married 27 July 1712 at Christ Church, Philadelphia, PA.

The following is abstracted material from the Draper Manuscripts.

"George EDGINGTON, who came from London to America, settled first near Philadelphia and there married, then to Hampshire Co., VA, below the mouth of South Branch, thirty miles from Winchester. EDWARD's Fort, six miles from EDGINGTON was where the people forted. EDGINGTON went to a tub mill belonging to another EDWARDs, and there were about a dozen Dutch boys and girls also there at the mill and all had to stay overnight. The next morning, all were taken by the Indians; they tomahawked the children except two boys and EDGINGTON in the mill, and set it on fire, and started for Fort DuQuesne (Pittsburgh, PA).

After going three miles, they killed the two remaining Dutch boys. In crossing a stream, an Indian walked over a log, leading EDGINGTON, who waded and when in the middle of the stream pulled in the Indian, who when reaching the shore, aimed a tomahawk blow, which EDGINGTON partly dodging, split his nose and upper lip; the other Indian interfered and saved a repetition of the blow; tied up the wound - took him first to Fort DuQuesne, then up to Scioto, and kept him three years.

Two days after EDGINGTON was taken, his wife barely escaped being with a couple of families of eight persons, under protection of two soldiers, going to Edward's Fort; all were waylaid and killed. While he was absent, his wife, two years after, not doubting he was killed at the mill, married again; but when he returned, he kindly gave her the choice of husbands, and she chose her first."

The Compendium of American Genealogy Vol., 1, pg. 77 states "that George EDGINGTON served in the French and Indian War and lived below the south fork of the Potomac River in Hampshire County, VA."

His land transactions in Hampshire Co., VA/WV include a purchase of 200 acres on 10 August 1772 on the North River of Cacapon, and he sold it 2 October 1774 before moving to Holliday's Cove, Ohio Co., VA (now Half Moon Industrial Park, Weirton, Brooke Co., WV).

The following is an abstract from "Pioneer Days, Early History of Jefferson County, OH", M. D. Sinclair, pg. 155 regarding the EDGINGTON Family:

The History of Pioneer EDGINGTON Family Reads Like Fiction - Among the many strange happenings which befell the settlers of pioneer days, adventures of the EDGINGTON family are among the most unusual.

George and Margaret (BROOME) EDGINGTON came to this country from England at a very early date and settled in Hampshire Co., VA on a grant of land given them by Lord Fairfax. Later they decided to remove from that location and went to what we now call Hollidays Cove (Weirton, WV).

They are said to have had six sons in the War of the Revolution. One of these was Thomas, born in 1744, died 1814, buried in Union Cemetery together with his wife, Martha, a son, Thomas, a daughter, Drusilla, and a son, Jesse, who was born 1779, died 1866. Also Mrs. Mary VIERS EDGINGTON born 1783, died 1852. The family lived in the red brick house which is still standing not far from the approach to the Fort Steuben bridge on the West Virginia side of the Ohio River . . . . . . The pioneers, George and Martha (Margaret, sic.) EDGINGTON, were buried in a private burying ground not far from the house where they lived in West Virginia (then VA) and recently a descendant, who is a prominent resident of Wheeling, WV, has been making an effort to locate the graves and will have the remains disinterred and placed in the EDGINGTON lot in Union Cemetery. In addition to the members already referred to there will also be found in Island Creek Cemetery, Ashiel EDGINGTON, 1760-1826 and Cassandra (VEIRS) , 1773-1828; Jesse EDGINGTON never married but was prominent among the early settlers in this district. Mrs. Martha EDGINGTON McCAUSLEN is descended on her mother's side from these old pioneers."

During the Indian depredations in the early 1780's, the EDGINGTON along with most of the valley pioneer families safely moved into Washington Co., PA. The 1783 Nottingham Twp., Washington Co., PA Tax lists include George Sr., his sons Jesse, John, Isaac, George Jr., and an unknown Norrid EDGINGTON. (With Thomas presumed dead, perhaps this Norris [an early surname in Washington Co., PA] is the widow Martha "Patty" with her maiden name, inheriting her husband's property or perhaps the new husband. He could also be an unknown son of George Sr.) George and Margaret's sons Thomas and Joseph are clearly missing from these tax records. Thomas was most likely an indian captive in the Indian towns as he is missing from 3 years of tax records and perhaps Joseph was active service with the militia as he later appears as a squatter across the Ohio River at Hart's Rock on 30 November 1785. And in the 1787 Ohio Co., VA tax records all of the EDGINGTONs return to their property in the 1787 Ohio Co., VA (WV) Tax records.

In 1788, George Sr. believing his days on this earth were soon coming to an end, gave his son, George Jr. power of attorney. This document can be found in the Ohio Co., WV(VA) Deed Book 1, pg. 209.

Unfortunately, no records have been found on Margaret BROOME EDGINGTON date of death or even much about her life.

George EDGINGTON, SR. died in 1791 age 84 at his son, Thomas's farm in Ohio Co., VA (now the Half Moon Industrial Park, Brooke Co., WV) according to Leyman Draper Manuscripts. And Mr. Draper mentions seeing the grave, crude stone and inscription as date and age were given on this same field stone.