The name Eddy is Anglo-Saxon. Ferguson in his "English Surnames," says it comes from Ead which signifies "prosperity." Eada, Eadig, Eddi, Eday, Eadie, Eady, Eddy, are all varied spellings of the same name. The progenitor of the American Eddys is Rev. William Eddy, A. M., vicar of the Church of St. Dunstan's of Cranbrook, county of Kent, England. He was a native of Bristol, educated at Trinity College, Cambridge, England, and vicar of Cranbrook from 1589 to 1616. He married, November 20, 1587, Mary, daughter of John Foster. She died July, 1611. He married (second) in 1614, a widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Taylor. He was buried in Cranbrook churchyard. There is preserved in the vicarage of St. Dunstan's all the loose parish registers from 1588 to 1616, gathered by him, arranged and preserved in a parchment book. He beautifully engrossed about eighty of its pages and illuminated three title pages for births, deaths and marriages. Children, all except the last, Priscilla, by his first wife: Mary, Phineas, John, Ellen, Abigail, Anna, Samuel, Elizabeth, Zechariah, Nathaniel and Priscilla. Of these children John and Samuel first came to America and are the founders of the family. John settled in Watertown, Massachusetts; was thrice married, and had ten children. His will was proved December 16, 1684.
(II) Samuel, son of Rev. William and Mary (Foster) Eddy, was born in Cranbrook, England, May, 1608, died 1685. He with his elder brother John left London, England, August 10, 1630, in the ship, "Handmaid," Captain John Grant; arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts, October 29 following. On January 1, 1632, he was admitted a freeman and took the oath. He had lands allotted him, and in 1661, with several of his neighbors, bought a large tract of land of the Indians and founded the town of Middleboro, where he settled, as did many of his descendants later, forming in the northeastern portion of the town a little village called "Eddyville." He became a large landowner. He married Elizabeth ————, who died in 1689. She was an independent, energetic woman of great physical vigor and endurance. On October 7, 1651, she was brought before the court and fined for "wring out" clothes on the Lord's day. The fine 10s. was afterward remitted. May 1, 1660, she was again summoned before the court to answer for "traveling on Sunday" to Boston; she affirmed that she was necessitated to go on account "of the illness of Mistress Saffin." The court excused, but admonished her. Children: John, Zachariah, Caleb, Obadiah and Hannah.
(III) Zachariah, son of Samuel, the "Pilgrim founder," and Elizabeth Eddy, was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts, 1639, died September 4, 1718. He was bound by his parents to William John Brown, a shipwright of Rehoboth, until he was twenty-one years old. After completing his years of service, he became a farmer on lands granted him and others purchased. He married (first) Alice Padduck, May 7, 1663. She was born March 7, 1640, died September 24, 1692. Married (second) Widow Abigail Smith, whose daughter, Bethiah Smith, married Caleb Eddy, son of Zachariah Eddy. Children: Zachariah, John, Elizabeth, Samuel, Ebenezer, Caleb, Joshua, Obadiah and Alice.
(IV) Joshua, son of Zachariah and Alice (Padduck) Eddy, was born February 21, 1680. He removed to Gloucester, Rhode Island, where he died November 13, 1768. He married, May 3, 1708, Hannah Stevens, died October 22, 1757. Children: Benjamin, Jonathan, Daniel, Hannah, Nathaniel, Zachariah, Thomas, James, Peter and William.
(V) Zachariah (2), fifth son of Joshua and Hannah (Stevens) Eddy, was born July 23, 1720. He married and had children: Newbury, Daniel Abner, Asaph, Mercy, Rhoda and Anna. With Zachariah and his children the family appear in the state of Vermont.
(VI) Newbury, eldest son of Zachariah (2) Eddy, was born January 15, 1747. He resided in Thetford, Vermont, and from there moved to Weathersfield, Vermont, where his children were born:
- Allen, of Mt. Holly, Vermont;
- Zachariah, of Fulton, New York;
- Joab, of Cavendish, Vermont;
- Isaac.
(VII) Isaac, youngest son of Newbury Eddy, was born in Weathersfield, Vermont, February 17, 1777, died July 25, 1847, in Waterford, New York. In March, 1826, he removed to Troy, New York, later to Waterford. In early life he was an engineer. He married (first) Lucy Tarbell, died March 8, 1828. Married (second) Susanah Foster, born 1800, died 1855. Children by first wife:
- Oliver Tarbell, died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, about 1873; in 1850 he invented a typewriting machine.
- Sarah, married Samuel Skinner.
- Titus, married Ann Eliza Euson; settled in Troy, New York.
- Benjamin Franklin, removed to Wisconsin.
- Leonora Jane, married George W. Macardle.
- Thomas Jefferson, see forward.
- George Washington, was a manufacturer of Waterford, and an inventor of car wheels and railway appliances; also the Eddy valve on which he received a medal, 1893, Columbian Exposition, Chicago, Illinois; married (first) Mary Polk Wetherbee; (second) Delia Emma Ferris; children:
- Rev. Clarence Eddy, graduate of Yale and Princeton Theological Seminary; married Elizabeth Scott;
- Adelaide, married John L. Hill;
- Lyman Kinsley Eddy, civil engineer of Waterford; married Agnes Burton, had one son James Van Schoonhoven Eddy;
- Lily Jean;
- Florence May;
- George Herbert.
- Walton Mead, married (first) Mary C. Rynders; (second) Mary Jane Pendleton; child by first wife: James Isaac; by second wife: George Walton, Henry Pendleton, May Elizabeth, Nellie Grant.
- Isaac Foster, died, aged twenty-four years, unmarried.
- Evanda Newbury, died in infancy.
- Lucy, married Garrett Fulton.
- Susan Desdemona, died at age of fifteen.
- Castella Esperanza, married W. F. Sherwin; moved to Elmira, New York; children: Florence and Harry.
(VIII) Thomas Jefferson, son of Isaac and Lucy (Tarbell) Eddy, was born at Weathersfield, Vermont, May 17, 1809. He removed to Waterford, New York, where he died March, 1893. He was a manufacturer of printers' ink in colors; the formula was of his own invention; he became very successful. He married, October 15, 1833, Lucy McGuier, born May, 1816, died May, 1888, daughter of Daniel and Sarah (Whitney) McGuier. Children:
- Isaac Newton, born April 17, 1835, died January 18, 1854;
- Harriet Frances, October 16, 1837, died December 10, 1879;
- Charles Carroll, August 14, 1840, died young;
- Elizabeth Agnes, September 16, 1841;
- Thomas Bliss, August 7, 1844, died April 21, 1875;
- Mary Emily, see forward.
(IX) Mary Emily, daughter of Thomas Jefferson and Lucy (McGuier) Eddy, was born August 17, 1847. She married Dr. Allen Gifford Peckham in Waterford, New York (see Peckham VIII). Children:
- Harvey Newman, deceased, and
- Harold P. Peckham.