BADGEROW FAMILY ORIGINS
The Badgerow family is said to be of French origin, the name originally being Bergereau. In a history that was published in 1937 by two cousins, Egbert and Justin Badgerow, it states that they were descended from a French soldier who came to this country at the time of the Revolutionary War. This soldier, Justin Bergereau, was said to be from a titled family and to have come with the Marquis de Lafayette. After the war he stayed in this country, married a Scottish woman named Anna Gordon, and settled in Vermont. Five sons of Justin Bergereau were known to have moved to Ontario, Canada and settled just east of Toronto. The above history appears to be an old family oral history handed down through the descendants of Justin Bergereau. The two cousins who wrote it up were his great, great grandsons.
There is also information that two other Badgerow's participated in the Revolutionary War. The Muster Rolls at Valley Forge National Park show that Francis Badgerow enlisted in George Washington's army in May 25, 1778. The record also shows that he deserted two weeks later on June 8, 1778. More history of Francis Badgerow is in the History of Canandaigua, a town in the Finger Lakes region of New York. This history states that Francis Badgerow and his son David were among the first settlers the area. Around 1800 the Badgerow's were said to have paddled canoes up Honeoye Creek to the head of Hemlock Lake and they settled at Springwater in Livingston County. Francis Badgerow was a noted nimrod or hunter and he was said to have come from Quebec. Francis Badgerow's son David moved to Ontario, Canada after 1820. The other Badgerow involved in the Revolutionary War was John Badgero. A record shows that in 1818 John Badgero applied for and received a pension for his war service . There is also a record that John Badgero was paid $40.60 in 1783 for his military service with the 1st New York Regiment. After 1830 John Badgero moved to Ontario, Canada and he died there in 1838.
A fourth early Badgerow was Joseph Badgrow who was living at Naples, New York in 1810. As he gave his age as "over 45" he was born before 1765 and was about the same age as Francis, John and Justin. The Census shows that Joseph Badgrow had a wife and four children but no other records or histories of him or his descendants have been found. There is also a record of a John Badgrow who was living in New York in 1756, twenty years before the Revolution. He was one of the French families that were expelled from Nova Scotia by the British in 1755.
The early US Census records give us some information on the Badgerow family. In the first Census in 1790 it shows John Badjo [Badgero] living at Cambridge in Albany County, New York. In 1800 John Badgero was living at Sherburne in Chenango County and in 1810 we find John Badgero living at Scipio in Cayuga County. Living beside him was Jacob Badgero who appears to be John's son. Also in the 1810 Census we have Joseph Badgrow living at Naples in Ontario County, New York and William Badgerow living at Covert in Seneca County. And up in Vermont we have Daniel and James Badgero who were living at Waterford in Caledonia County. Unfortunately the early Census gives us only the name of the head of household. The Census shows that these men had wives and children but they are nameless and cannot be traced.
In conclusion, the lack of records and documentation about the early Badgerow family makes it about impossible to accurately determine their true origins. Some researchers claim that Francis, John and Justin were brothers who all came together but there is no proof of this. In fact what few records exist point to the fact that they were of French origin but that they were not related and came to this country in different ways and and at different times. The oral history that Justin Bergereau was a French soldier is likely true but there is no proof that he came with Lafayette. He may also have been one of the 5500 French troops that arrived at Portsmouth, Rhode Island on July 10, 1780. This French Regiment fought at he Battle of Yorktown under the command of Lafayette.
With Francis Badgerow it is known he was in this country in May 1778 as he enlisted in the George Washington's army at Valley Forge. The fact that he enlisted in the Continental Army indicates he was not a French soldier as they generally served in their own units. The statement in the old Canandaigua history that he came from Quebec is probably true. It is known that a number of French Canadians did come to this country at the time of the Revolution to fight the British.
The case for John Badgero seems to be quite different as he received monetary compensation and a pension from the US government. This is a strong indication that he was born here and was a US citizen. In his pension application in 1818 John gave his age as 57, making him born in 1761. It is a good possibility that he was the son of the John Badgrow, the exile from Nova Scotia, that was living in New York in 1756.
Bruce W Badgrow