Edward Wiggins (1731-1799)

Marian and Agnes Wilder were the daughters of

Elinor Crawford, the daughter of

Mary Wiggins, the daughter of

Alexander Wiggins, Immigrant from Ireland

Thomas Edward Wiggins, most commonly known as Edward Wiggins, was the great great great great grandfather of Marian and Agnes Wilder.

He was most likely born in Ireland, and came to America with his father and possibly his mother as a boy or young man. His birthplace is unknown, his mother's name is unknown but is sometimes seen as Melba. Edward Wiggins seems to have lived in Pennsylvania about the time of the American Revolution, finally settling in what was, in his lifetime, western Virginia in Ohio County, which was broken into several parts, including Brooke County, where his homestead was. Brooke County in 1863 became part of West Virginia. This county is in the panhandle part of West Virginia--the narrow strip of land between Pennsylvania and Ohio. Records of the early people in this area can be confusing, as Pennsylvania and Virginia had conflicting claims to land in this area. After the Revolution, there was an attempt to break this area away as part of a new, proposed state called Westsylvania, which Edward Wiggins signed a petition to Congress for.

In 1765, Edward Wiggins married Charity Pribble, the daughter of Thomas Pribble and Mary Elizabeth Teagarden, probably the daughter of Abraham Teagarden.

The Last Indian raid in Brooke County Virginia happened next to Edward Wiggins' farm house

Edward Wiggins wrote his last will and testament in 1799. With it, he included a detailed inventory of his farm stock and implements, which, along with the will, survive to our time, providing a fascinating glimpse into his farm at end of the 18th century. Below is a link to the will and inventory. Use the magnifying glass to increase the size of the documents,and the hand/pan tool to navigate the pages.

The Will and Farm Inventory of Edward Wiggins of Brooke County, Virginia, 1799