| Notes |
- William Sargent, the ancestor of the family in America, came from Northampton, in England, with his third wife, Sarah, and two daughters by his first wife, in the year 1638. They settled at Charlestown, Massachusetts. William Sargent and his family made their domicile at "Mystic Side" - that is, on the north side of Mystic River - as a part of Charlestown.
William was made freeman in Northampton July 20, 1626, and was senior bailiff, 1632-33. He was admitted to the church in Charlestown, March 10, 1638/9; and his wife was admitted the following Sunday. He was at Malden in 1649, at Barnstable, Massachusetts , 1657, and at Everett, 1670. He was deacon and lay preacher at Malden, Massachusetts. He took the oath of allegiance and fidelity on December 20, 1677 in Amesbury before Major Robert Pike.
The following entry is found in Lechford's "Note Book," page 224 of the printed edition (Cambridge, 1885): "John Winthrop Esqr Governor of the Jurrisdiccon of the Mattachusetts bay in New England to all manner of persons whome it may concerne greeting These are to certify you that William Sargent late of Northampton haberdasher of Hatts and now of Charlestown in New England planter & Sarah his wife late the wife of William Minshall of Whitchurch in the County of Salop gent. Deceased are both blessed be God in full life & good health at the time of the making herof In testimony whereof I have caused the publicke seale of our Colony to be hereto affixed the fourteenth day of November in the fifteenth yeare of the raigne of our Soveraigne Lord Charles now King of England &c Annoq Dni 1639."
The Rev. Marmaduke Mathews was called in 1650 to be the first pastor in the new town [of Malden, Middlesex County, Massachusetts]; and previous to his settlement William Sargent was a lay preacher there (from 1648 to 1650). He is mentioned by Johnson in his "Wonder-Working Providence," as follows: "The people gathered into a church some distance of time before they could attain to any church officer to administer the Seals unto them, yet in the meantime at their Sabbath assemblies they had a godley Christian named M. Sarjant who did preach the Word to them till 1650." William Sargent led in religious services and exhortation, but was not allowed by ordination to perform the rite of baptism and to administer the sacramental bread and wine. [November 14, 1639 - William Sargent late of Northampton haberdasher of Hatts and now of Charlestown in New England planter & Sarah his wife late the wife of William Minshall of Whitchurch in the County of Salop gent. Deceased, are both blessed be God in full life & good health at the time of the making hereof." Lechford, Note-Book, 137.]
William's farm was in the southerly part of Mystic Side, or Malden, on the southerly slope of a hill (afterwards called Belmont Hill), about one and a third miles north-east from the river. The farm was owned by him as early as 1640, with the exception of eight acres southwest of and adjoining the original farm, which he purchased in 1654. It was on both sides of what was afterwards the Newburyport Turnpike, which, having been abandoned as a turnpike, became a town highway, called Broadway. This part of the town was set off from Malden in 1870, and named Everett in honor of Edward Everett, the distinguished statesman and orator.
William Sargent removed to Barnstable probably in 1656 or 1657; for he was in Malden in August, 1655, and in Barnstable the "29th of the 4th month 1658," as appears by a power of attorney given by him to Joseph Hills. He was a preacher in Barnstable, and is said to have succeeded the Rev. John Lothrop; but he could not have been the next in succession, for Lothrop died Nov. 8, 1653. He seems to have been a prominent man in Barnstable, as he had previously been in Malden. His name appears in the Middlesex County Court files for the year 1661, as plaintiff in a suit for the recovery of rent of his farm in Malden.
William Sargent's will, dated 9 March 1679/80, probated March 3rd 1682/83, is recorded in the Plymouth Colony Records at Plymouth. he Inventory was sworn to March 3d, 1682/83, and amounted to
- William was made freeman in Northampton 20 July 1626 and came to New
England in 1638 settling in Charlestown. He removed to Malden where
he was an active citizen, deacon and lay-preacher in the church. His
father, Roger, was Mayor of Northhampton in England from 1626 until
his death in 1649. Roger's father, Hugh, had fifteen children, born
between 1556 and 1579. The ancestry of this family can be traced to
Royalty.
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1602 - 1682 (~ 80 years)
