Marian and Agnes Wilder were the daughters of
James Llewellyn "Lew" Wilder, the son of
Anna H. Wile, the daughter of
Rebecca Vaughn, the daughter of
Elizabeth "Betsy" Andrews, the daughter of
Edward Andrews, the son of
Peter Andrews, the son of
Edward Andrews, the son of
Samuel Andrews, the son of
Edward Andrews was born near Mount Holly, Burlington County, New Jersey, most likely on his parents’ farm, and lived in this community until about 1771, when he relocated to Deptford Township, Gloucester County, NJ. It appears that he lived in the part of Deptford called Woodbury. Woodbury split off from Deptford in 1854. In Edward Andrews' time it was part of Deptford. Woodbury, founded in the 1680's had long been a center for the Quaker religion. Woodbury was only 12 miles from Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was created.
Edward, his wife Tabitha, and their children were not the only Andrews in Woodbury. Edward's uncle, Isaac Andrews and his family lived there, as well. Isaac was his father Peter's younger brother.
Peter Andrews, and Isaac Andrews, were both well known Quaker ministers. Both Isaac and Peter had made long journeys by horseback and by boat with John Woodman, a Quaker preacher who is considered one of the earliest voices for the abolition of slavery in America.
Edward Andrews was a Quaker, as was his wife, Tabitha Richardson.
Edward Andrews was married to Tabitha Richardson, on April 12, 1756 at Camden, New Jersey. Tabitha was born in 1738 at Haddonfield, Gloucester County, NJ to Edward Richardson and his wife, Mary Richardson. Tabitha Richardson and her parents, Edward and Mary Richardson, were members of the Evesham Meeting House, also known as the Mount Laurel Meeting, in
Edward Andrews' name appears on a petition dated April 1, 1761 to the Representatives of the Province from inhabitants of the province stating their opposition to importing slaves into the area.
His name appears on lists of people taxed for Deptford, Gloucester County every year from 1779 to 1802 with the exception of 1789.
His name appears on a number of local petitions from 1779 on, including one in 1796 petitioning the New Jersey legislature for the gradual abolition of slavery.
Edward Andrews’ family appears to have been living in Deptford at the time of the Revolutionary War battle of Red Bank, which occurred in Deptford in October of 1777, about three miles from Woodbury. Hessian troops were sent by British General Howe to capture Fort Mercer, one of two American forts established on the Delaware River to prevent British ships from supplying their army in Philadelphia. The battle resulted in nearly 400 Hessian casualties, including eighty seven killed, the American losses were fourteen killed and twenty seven wounded. The Hessian attack was repulsed.
A second British / Hessian attack was launched on November 20 of that year, and was successful in capturing the fort from the Americans.
Edward Andrews’ name appeared on a petition, read 29 May 1779, to the Legislative Council of New Jersey from inhabitants freeholders of Gloucester County asking relief for loss/damage of property when Pennsylvania forces built Fort Mercer