Eliza Edgington, née Cook (1830-1900), was born at Badsey in 1830, the second of six children of John Cook, an agricultural labourer, and his wife, Hannah (née Frenfield). She was baptised at St James’ Church, Badsey, on 28th August 1830. Her older brother had been born at Wickhamford, which was their father’s birthplace. When Eliza was still very young, the family moved to Bretforton where the rest of her siblings were born.
Eliza is thought to have been working as a servant in South Parade, Evesham, in 1841, whilst the rest of her family were living at Bretforton.
On 16th January 1851, Eliza married William Edgington at St James’ Church, Badsey. The address for both of them was given as Badsey. They were living at Sharps Row, Badsey, in 1851, where their eldest son, John was born in 1852. Several of their neighbours at Sharps Row were also to emigrate to America in the 1870s: John Hicks and his daughter, Mary Anne Sears, William and Elizabeth Knight, John Knight, Edwin Knight and John Wheatley.
They then moved to the neighbouring village of Offenham where a further seven children were born: Felicia (1854-1908), Charles (1856), William (1858-1938), Amelia Ann (1861-1925), Frederick R (1863-1941), Ethelbert E (1866-1922) and Mary Ann (1869-1903). They lived just three doors away from Eliza’s parents, John and Hannah Cook.
In 1874, Eliza and William’s eldest daughter, Felicia, emigrated to America and married David Sears, from a Wickhamford family who had emigrated the year before. William and Eliza decided to follow in her footsteps and emigrated with their five youngest children the following year. At the time of the 1880 census, they were living in Auburn Township, Geauga County, Ohio, where William had taken up farming.
Eliza died at Auburn on 19th October 1900 and was buried at Shadyside Cemetery. William died just over 12 years later in January 1913.