Edgar is an English Patronymic name from the Old English given name Eagdar, composed of the elements ead=prosperity, fortune+gar=spear. Variations are Eagar, Eagger, Egar, Egarr, Eger, Edger, "ADGER", Adgar,Agar, Ager, Adair, Odgar, and Ogier.
This site is dedicated to my late husband, JOHN HAMPTON ADGER JR.. He was the last male of his branch of the tree. He was a proud example of his ancestors, a truly honorable man. His three daughters are keeping his name alive by hyphenating their last names and his two grandsons names are, Jacob Hampton Adger Ramsey and Daniel Barton Adger Ramsey. He and I lived and loved and danced together for 43 years.
This is "THE ADGER STORY":
The first Adger ancestor known at this time (2000) is James Adger. He was born in 1742 in County Antrim, Ireland and died in Dunean, County Antrim, Ireland, Province Ulster. James Adger was a linen manufacturer and had his mill and bleaching green in Dunean. He is buried in the Old Episcopal Church Yard in Dunean and the tombstone bears this inscription:
"Here Lies The Body of
JAMES ADGER
Who Died March 25th, 1783
Aged 41 Years."
To quote Ellison Moultrie Adger(1875-1945) "My Great Grandfather's brother, James Adger ll,(1777-1858) said the Adger family were of French decent and Huguenot Refugees who went to Ireland and Scotland from France after the Edict of Nantes was set aside. He claimed that our ancestors fought at the battle of London-Derry in 1689." Quoting from John Bailey Adger's(1810-1899)book, "My Life and Times", "My father, James ll, once said to my sister, Jane Ann, who was ambitious of an honorable ancestry said, "Your ancestors fought at Derry till they were lousy, and that is honor enough for you."
I was recently sent a photograph, which I will enter for you all to see, of a piece of linen from James Adger's linen mill and the name is spelled Adgar. It was sent to me by Adger Smyth who is developing a site on myfamily.com and has some wonderful information on it.
So we have France, Ireland and Scotland but no one as yet has been able to connect the first James Adger (Adgar) to his family's origination before Ireland. My thoughts on this is that we are all looking in the wrong place. Since James 1's wife, Margaret Crawford came from Randalston, Ireland, maybe we should be looking in that area. My hope is that one of us searching for this information will find it and share their information.
The Adger's seem to have gravitated to the southern part of America after immigrating and in particular South Carolina and Louisiana. They were large land owners and had slaves working on the plantations. When the slaves were given their freedom, many took the name of Adger. This may be a very helpful site to those seeking their "Roots", I hope so.
The early American Adger Ancestors were very diversified in their interest. They were large land owners, Phosphate mine owners, shipping and railway line developers and builders. The Adger Wharf still stands in Charleston, South Carolina. They,or branches of their tree, fought in The American Revolution and The Civil War. They were ministers and missionaries, both foreign and nationally. They built churches and schools and dynasties. They wrote books and poetry. They served their state and national governments. One signed The Declaration of Independence. In short: They helped to build the America we all enjoy today.
THE ADGER STORY
Updated July 12, 2002
Lucie Barton Adger
source - http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/a/d/g/Lucie-B-Adger
download Days at Chicora PDF / source - redriversankofahs.org