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Below is a family biography included in The History of Posey County, Indiana by John C. Leffel and published by Standard Publishing Company in 1913.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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Judge William P. Edson (deceased), formerly an eminent jurist of Posey county, was born May 14, 1834, in Mt. Vernon, where he resided all his life and where he was the first mayor of the town. His father, the Hon. Eben D. Edson, was an early settler and a talented lawyer of Southwestern Indiana who came from Otsego county, New York, in 1828 and located in Mt. Vernon, where he resided until his death on March 4, 1846. He held several offices of trust and was representative in the legislature and at the time of his death was prosecuting attorney of Posey county. Sarah L. Phelps, the mother of Judge Edson, was a native of Litchfield, Conn., and removed to Leavenworth, Ind., where she was married. She lived to see her son attain a high position among his fellow men, who placed unlimited confidence in his ability and worth. Her death occurred September 2, 1868. William Edson entered the schools of Mt. Vernon when quite young and later obtained an excellent education in the seminary at that place. Before reaching manhood he had read every book in the public library of Posey county that was calculated to be of benefit to him in later years. He was a close student, consequently his mind was a storehouse containing the main facts in the many valuable works he read. After finishing his education he obtained a position as teacher in a country school. He then taught two terms at Mt. Vernon. At the age of nineteen he began the study of law in the office of Judge John Pitcher, and, after two years, was admitted to practice. In October, 1856, he was elected representative to the legislature, being the youngest member of that body. He was placed on some very important committees, among which was the joint senate and house committee on the State library, of which he was chairman. He introduced a bill providing for the geological survey of the State, to aid in its mineral development, and made several important speeches advocating its passage, on which he was highly complimented by the leading newspapers of the State. It was adopted at the next session of the legislature. In 1858 he was elected prosecuting attorney for Posey and Gibson counties and held that position one term. In 1871 he was appointed judge of the court of common pleas for Posey, Gibson, Vanderburg and Warrick counties, in which capacity he distinguished himself by his knowledge of law and his business dispatch. On January 1, 1862, Judge Edson married Erruphene Lockwood, of Mt. Vernon, and to this union five children were born: Eben Darwin, born November 9, 1862, died November 15, 1879; Louisa Lockwood, born May 17, 1864, died August 15, 1865; Sarah Phelps, born June 21, 1866, now the wife of Judge James W. Henson, of Henderson, Ky.; John Murrey, of Evansville, Ind., born November 28, 1868; Caroline Charlotte, born December 27, 1873. Caroline became the wife of Amos Erwin September 6, 1893, by whom she had one child, Edson Lockwood, born September 12, 1897. She took as her second husband James Humber, a Mississippi cotton planter, to whom she was married July 12, 1910. Mrs. Edson, the esteemed wife of Judge Edson, is a daughter of John M. Lockwood, a prominent pioneer of Southern Indiana, born in Westchester county, New York, April 24, 1809. In 1852 he removed to Mt. Vernon, where he died April 30, 1902. He was a personal friend of Abraham Lincoln, was active in public life in Posey county, being one of the founders of the First National Bank of Mt. Vernon, in which he was a large stockholder and of which he was president for sixteen years. He served in this capacity without compensation other than from the dividends upon his stockholdings in the institution.

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This family biography is one of 232 biographies included in The History of Posey County, Indiana by John C. Leffel and published in 1913 by Standard Publishing Company.  For the complete description, click here: Posey County, Indiana History and Genealogy

View additional Posey County, Indiana family biographies here: Posey County, Indiana Biographies

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