David Edgar 1786-1859

David born (c)1786 in the County of Dumfries. David was a ploughman. Younger brother of John Edgar, he died at Millgreen, Moffat, 17 August 1859, aged 73 years.

He married, Jane (Jean) Fleming, born (c) 1793 in Tweedsmuir and died 18 July 1878 at Millgreen, Moffat, aged 85 years. She was the daughter of George Fleming, shepherd and Margaret Dickson. Moffat Monumental inscriptions find:

"Sacred to the Memory of David Edgar who died at Millgreen, Moffat 17th October 1859, aged 73.

Also Margaret, his daughter who died at Cross-Michael Village, 28th February 1827, aged 4.

Also his daughter Jessie at Capplegill, March 1838 aged 2.

Also Jane Fleming, wife of the above David Edgar, who died at Millgreen, Moffat 18th July 1878, aged 85."

and they had issue.

(A) George Edgar born 4.2.1819, died at Ballarat, Victoria., in January 1841 (or 1860?), when aged 41 years, unmarried.

(B) John Edgar born (c) 1822 and died at East Park, Carlaverock on 12.10.1867. John was a farmer. He married Jessie Kirkpatrick. The information about John's death entry was given to the Registrar by his brother-in-law, Samuel McAdam.

(C) David Edgar born 1811, died at Edinburgh, Scotland, 16 July 1892, age 81. He married Janet Ewatt, who died 9 December 1893, age 86 years.

(D) James Edgar, born 12.2.1817 and baptised on 20.2.1817 of Moffat. Flesher. Died 7 June 1889, age 72. married Mary Hastie, who died 4 September 1848, age 31.

(E) Peter Edgar. He married and had issue.

(F) Robert Edgar, died unmarried

(G) Margaret Edgar born (c) 1825 (or 1816?) at Moffat. Died at Crossmichael Village, 28 February 1829, age 4 years

(H) Jessie Edgar born 1836, died at Cappergill, Moffat, in March 1838, age 2 years

(I) Margaret Edgar born 1832 (or 1834?), died 17 July 1905 in Dumfries, age 73 years.

Miss Jane Scott, who resided in Holme Street, Moffat, was a granddaughter of David Edgar.

A Chippendale clock, now in the possession of Dr Marjorie Day, of Maidstone, Kent, is engraved with David Edgar's name, and the date 1800. Dr Day also owned a Paisley Shawl, which was once the property of her ancestress, Jean Edgar (nee Johnson).

Editor (of the Edgar Family Record)'s Note:

All reasonable care has been taken, and much correspondence has been entered into, to ensure that all statements made in this genealogy of the Edgar family, of Moffat are accurate.

The compilation would have been an impossible task without the assistance of members of the family. It would require more space than is now available to name those who co-operated, and the Editor therefore, begs that those concerned will accept this expression of his grateful thanks.

NOTE: The Edgar family, of Moffat, records appended hereto are very extensive, embracing as they do a period of about 200 years. Few Australian families have so many members scattered so widely and few are blessed with the longevity which seems to be their special inheritance.

As has been noted elsewhere, the Moffat Edgar's are from Troloss, in Nithsdale and cannot be traced earlier than about 1710. Further research may quite well lead to the construction of a more lengthy pedigree. This is a task which the Society hopes to be accorded sufficient support to undertake in the immediate future.

Perhaps some members of the family will be disappointed to know that the Moffat Edgar's, so far as can be established at present, have no right to a coat of arms (which. of course, includes a crest). There is nothing which connects the family to other families of the name in Nithsdale or, more distantly, to the Edgar Lairds of Wedderlie, in Berwickshire.

The Editor is indebted to Mr Edgar of Boliskene, Moffat, for an outline of this pedigree. Monumental inscriptions in Moffat Kirkyard have confirmed several relationships, and supplied a number of dates. The ages give, from the same source, are in some cases likely to be wrong. It cannot be said that the order of seniority is correct or that the names of all children of the various Marriages are recorded. The genealogy as given above is presented as a basis for further research.

Three monumental inscriptions at Moffat which relate to Edgar's as yet unidentified are given:

• In memory of Daniel, youngest son of John Edgar, Mason, of Moffat, who died at Singapore, East Indies, 16 July 1857, aged 26 years; Also Ellen, his daughter, who died 5 December 1854, age 17 years; Also, Robert, his son, who died 6 August (?) age 9 months; Also Thomas, his son, who died 8 October 1864, aged 43 years.
• In memory of Thomas Edgar, who died 22 May 1834, aged 59 years; Also Carlyle Bell Edgar, his son, who died 29 June 1832, aged 18 years; Also Marian Edgar, his daughter, who died 5 May 1836, aged 15 years; Also Marian Richardson, his wife, who died 23 January 1854, aged 78 years; Also Robert Edgar, his son, who died 12 May 1885, aged 80 years; Also Jane Edgar, who died 1 October 1890, aged 80 years.
• In memory of William Edgar, who died at Caldwell, 9 September 1848, aged 51 years; Also Thomas and Jane; Also Thomas, his son, who died 27 May 1869, aged 43 years.

Origin of the Moffat Edgar's

Mr William H. Edgar, Vice President, was told, on his recent visit to Moffat than an old identity, now long since dead, used to say that the Edgar's around Moffat came from the original Begotten at Howeslack, which is a farm about one and a half miles north of Moffat.

Moffat Churchyard

Mr Edgar has presented to the Society a photograph of the oldest Edgar tombstone in Moffat Kirkyard. This records the ancestry of David Edgar, the Australian pioneer pastoralist, quite legibly from about 1717.