DEACON SAMUEL EDSON OF SALEM AND BRIDGEWATER, MA.

In this date in 1632 Samuel Edson married a young lady named Susannah. Many
accounts give her last name as Orcutt but it seems to be in dispute so I've decided
to list her last name as "Unknown". The young couple emigrated to the Massachusetts
Bay Colony where, according to Felt's Annals of Salem (p631), Samuel became an
inhabitant of Salem on 25Jul 1639 but started selling them off and moved his wife
and eight children down to the newly established town of Bridgewater in Plymouth
Colony.

William Richard Cutter(who wrote a LOT of genealogy and local history books)
had the following to say about Samuel:

Samuel Edson, when about twenty-five years of age, immediately after his
marriage to Susanna Orcutt, then aged twenty-one, embarked in England on
board of a ship with his young wife, for America. He arrived at Salem, Massachusetts,
in July, 1639, and had granted to him land near Catt Cove, where he first resided,
and later also at Mackerel Cove. He engaged, perhaps at first, in catching and curing
fish, as did many of the immigrants on first reaching America. He continued to reside
in Salem until not later than 1651, when he removed to Bridgewater, Massachusetts.
He was one of the fifty-six original proprietors of that town, and became one of the
earliest, if not its first settler. Besides his original share in the town he purchased
other lands and became a very large farmer. He owned two saw mills, and built the
first corn mill there, for which he was given an additional share of the proprietary
lands. The mill irons were brought from England. The mill was built upon Town river.
The site of his mills has been continually occupied by a mill ever since. The site 
of his residence was south of Town river, in what is now West Bridgewater. In 1676 
he represented the town in the general court or legislature of Plymouth. For nine 
years he was selectman of Bridgewater. He was an active member of the council 
of war from 1667 to the end of King Philip's war, and also of the committee to 
distribute contributions made by the Irish people for that war, and also to those 
entitled thereto in Bridgewater. He was on the committee with two others to 
negotiate for, and received from the Indian Chief Pomonoho a conveyance of 
the Titcut purchase, also from the Chief Wampatuck a confirmatory deed of 
lands of the town, previously conveyed by Massasoit. In 1680 he, with two 
others, was appointed to settle the boundary line between Bridgewater and 
Middleboro, and also the line between Bridgewater and Taunton. Samuel Edson 
had a large robust frame, and a strong countenance. Although he had not 
received the liberal education for his day, he had a keen intelligence, was 
enterprising and in every sense was a man of affairs. He had a strong individuality 
and an unblemished character. When he spoke at the town meetings he carried 
great influence, and was chosen to fill many offices in the town of Bridgewater. 
He was one of the first deacons of  the Bridgewater Church, elected in 1664, 
and so continued until his death. His wife, Susanna, had a happy disposition, 
modest deportment, dignified presence and graceful manners. Her education 
and natural abilities were said to be fully equal to his. He died July 19, 1692. 
She died February 20, 1699. In the old burying ground at Bridgewater, the 
oldest monument of the kind is that standing over their graves. They had 
three sons and five daughters. Susanna, their eldest daughter, married
Rev. James Keith, the first minister in Bridgewater. 
Genealogical and family history of western New York 
(Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1912)
pp 838-839

I am, as always, skeptical of personal descriptions written of a person two hundred
years after their death with no mention on what sources those descriptions are
based on. But Cutter's description of the rest of the facts in Deacon Samuel's life is
accurate.

Samuel and Susannah Edson  were my 9x great grandparents( I am descended from
their daughter  Susannah) and today would have been their 380th  anniversary.

((689 words, Family History Writing Challenge))