Passed down through the family is the story that the elder Morgan left his wife and family and went to Canada.  There are several probable locations for the elder Morgan, but little is known about him other than locations and that he had multiple wives.

In 1850 Morgan, the son, was counted in Black River Township, Lorain county, Ohio.  The name of the head of household is hard to make out.  It has been interpreted as Isac Fuller, but to our eyes (and after looking at the census taker's handwriting on other pages) it looks more like Jesac.  A cursory search leads us to believe that Black River Township was later absorbed into another geographic entity, perhaps Amherst Township.

In the same census year, Hannah Baxter was counted in Elyria Township, cattycornered and to the southeast of Black River Township.  One of the family members was James M. Edgecomb, 4, born in Ohio, believed to be Morgan's brother.  When Hannah died in Hancock County, Illinois, in the fall of 1891, Morgan was named as her foster son.  Hannah's tombstone is clustered with those of the Edgcomb family in Webster Cemetery.

Nancy A. Shipman, a native Illinoisan and daughter of Stephen Shipman and Mary Londrie, was born in 1859.

Morgan and Nancy were married on January 1, 1874.  Since Nancy was barely past her 14th birthday, parental permission was required.  In this case, both her father and mother signed a handwritten affidavit giving their approval.  Marriage Documents

Their surname is found both as Edgcomb and Edgecomb.  It was spelled Edgecomb on their marriage license, both ways in census records, Edgecomb in their obituaries and Edgcomb on their tombstones.  State of Illinois death records show Edgecomb for Morgan and Edgcomb for Nancy. When son Fred registered for the draft in 1918, he used the spelling Edgcomb.

According to descendant and researcher Lynn Colby Galloway, family records are under the name of Edgcomb, except for one of Morgan and Nancy's grandsons, whose name was misspelled when he entered the service.

Although his tombstone reads 1921, Morgan died September 25, 1920, in Carthage, Hancock County.  An obituary was published in The Carthage Republican on September 29, 1920.  Nancy died February 16, 1941, in Carthage.

The Edgcomb children:

Jesac ? Fuller, 29, male, laborer, born NY
Huldah, 25, female, born Canada
Julia, 1, female, born OH
Juliaett, 1, single, born OH
Morgan Edgcum [or Edgcunn], 2, male, born OH

Hannah Baxter, 47, female, value of real estate 900, born Canada
Martin Wares, 14, male, born Ohio, attended school within the year
Mary J, 12, female, born OH, attended school within the year
James M Edgecomb, 4, male, born OH

Stephen Shipman, 35, male, day laborer, value of real estate 600, born OH
Mary, 25, female, born OH
Harriet, 8, female, born OH
John, 6, male, born OH
Ann, 3, female, born IL
Nancy, 1, female, born IL

Shipman, Stephen, 41, male, white, farmer, value of real estate [no entry], value of personal estate - 600, born OH, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more
Mary, 36, female, white, keeping house, born OH
John W, 16, male, white, born OH
Ann E, 12, female, white, born IL
Nancy A, 10, female, white, born IL
Susan, 7, female, white, born IL
Julia E, 3, female, white, born IL
Mary J, 1, female, white, born IL

Edgecomb [looks more like Eglgecourb], Morgan, white, male, 27, married, f   laborer, born OH, father born Canada, mother born NY
Nancy, white, female, 20, wife, married, keeping house, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL
Fred, white, male, 4, son, single, at home, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL
James, white, male, 2, son, single, at home, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL

Edgcomb, Morgan, head, white, male, Dec 1847, 52, married for 26 years, born unknown, both parents born unknown, day laborer, months not employed - 4, could read, write and speak English, paying on a mortgage

Nancy, wife, white, female, Nov 1859, 40, married for 26 years; mother of 5 children, all living; born IL, both parents born OH, could read, write and speak English

James, son, white, male, Sept 1878, 21, single, born IL, father born unknown, mother born IL, day laborer, months not employed - 4, could read, write and speak English

Minnie, daughter, white, female, June 1881, 18, single, born IL, father born unknown, mother born IL, could read, write and speak English

Bessie, daughter, white, female, Dec 1888, 10, single, born IL, father born unknown, mother born IL, at school for 8 months, could read, write and speak English

Floyd, son, white, male, Oct 1898, 1, single, born IL, father born unknown, mother born IL

Edgecomb, Morgan, head, male, white, 63, married (1st) for 35 years, born OH, both parents born OH, spoke English, laborer, odd jobs, employee, whether out of work on April 15, 1910 - no, number of weeks out of work during 1909 - 0, could read and write, paying on a mortgage

Nancy A, wife, female, white, 15, married (1st) for 35 years; mother of 5 children, all living; born IL, both parents born OH, spoke English, could read and write

Hitner, Minnie B, daughter, female, white, 24, married (1st) for 1/12 year, mother of 0 children, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL, spoke English, could read and write

Edgecomb, Bessie P, daughter, female, white, 20, single, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL, spoke English, operator, telephone office, employee, whether out of work on April 15, 1910 - no, number of weeks out of work during 1909 - 0, could read and write

Floyd Lester, son, male, white, 11, single, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL, spoke English, could read and write, [no entry for school attendance]

Edgcomb, Morgan, head, owner, free of mortgage, male, white, 74, married, could read and write, born OH; father born Canada, native tongue English; mother born OH; spoke English, no occupation

Nancy A, wife, female, white, 60, married, could read and write, born IL, both parents born OH, spoke English

Fred, son, male, white, 43, married, could read and write, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL, spoke English, laborer, concrete work, working for wages

Arnold, Bessie, daughter, female, white, 30, widow, could read and write, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL, spoke English, operator, telephone, working for wages

[Arnold], Lowell, grandson, male, white, 2 0/12, single, born IL, both parents born IL

Edgecomb, Nancy, head, whether owned or rented - unknown, value or monthly rental - unknown, did not own a radio, female, white, 71, widow, age at first marriage - 15, could read and write, born IL, both parents born OH, spoke English

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Edgecomb, Fred, son, male, white, 54, divorced, age at first marriage - 20, could read and write, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL, spoke English, gen work, concrete works, whether a veteran of the U.S. military or naval forces mobilized for any war or expedition - no

James, son, male, white, 48, widower, age at first marriage - 20, could read and write, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL, spoke English, laborer, odd jobs, whether a veteran of the U.S. military or naval forces mobilized for any war or expedition - no

Arnold, Bessie, daughter, female, white, 39, widow, age at first marriage - 24, could read and write, born IL, father born OH, mother born IL, spoke English

[Arnold], Lowell, grandson, male, white, 12, single, attended school after Sept. 1, 1929, could read and write, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English