She was born at Waveland, the family seat established by her parents in 1800 on more than a thousand undulating acres on the southern boundary of the Blue Grass. Although uninhabitable, the home still stands (2017) and is easily identified as a home of elegance and refinement. Her life was one of ease and education; that is, an education appropriate for a woman. In this magnificent location she and her 11 siblings spent a well-supervised but innocent childhood.

Modern records show several fond names for Mrs. Edwards: Nancy, Betty, Betsy, and Eliza, which appears on her tombstone. Historians tend to use the name Elizabeth following her marriage. On September 28, 1819 she became the wife of Dr. Benjamin Franklin Edwards near Danville, KY in Lincoln county. Her brother, Rev. Dr. Lewis Warner Green was president of Center College which is located there. Elizabeth was to bear ten children.

A few months later, the couple moved to Old Franklin, Missouri, located on the Missouri River. They had not been there long when there was great flooding. They returned to Kentucky. In 1827 her husband accepted an appointment made by his brother, Gov. Ninian Edwards. He was made Land Agent for the State of Illinois, a position of prestige. The family moved to Edwardsville where the Land Office had been located. They purchased a fine, large home on North Main Street. Eliza-beth enjoyed a life of interest. Standing as Land Agent brought interesting people to their home, and her husband maintained a fine medical practice.

In 1837 they moved to Alton. This was the beginning of a peripatetic way of life which lasted 30 years. in 1849, Edwards left his family for five years, having been struck by Gold Fever and gone west to California, returning in 1851 when Elizabeth moved her family to St. Louis for the second time. In 1866 they moved into their newly built estate in the new suburb of Kirkwood, northeast of St. Louis. Elizabeth had waited a long time for this stability. She was just a few months from being 70.


Sources:
1. Betsy Green in the Kentucky, Compiled Marriages, 1802-1850
Kentucky, Compiled Marriages, 1802-1850
2. Centennial History of Madison County, Illinois and Its People, 1812 to 1912, edited by William T. Norton, page 381

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Eliza Edwards: 1850 United States Federal Census
Age: 53
Birth Year: abt 1797
Birthplace: Kentucky
Home in 1850: Alton, Madison, Illinois, USA
Family Number: 237
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Eliza Edwards: Missouri, Death Records, 1834-1910
Death Date: 23 Oct 1876
Birth Date: abt 1847
County: St Louis
Death Location: Kirkwood, MO
Age: 29y,[79] 2m, 16d