Samuel Sargeant

  General notes:

Silversmith

  Events in his life were:

• He worked from circa 1791 to 1799 as a silversmith in Worcester MA

• Advertised in the Thomas' Massachusetts Spy (Worcester MA), 5 Jul 1797, that "he carries on his business, in Worcester, near the Court House; where he keeps constantly for sale . . . watches, jewelry, etc., and silver table and tea spoons." ³

• He worked from 1799 to 1816 as a gold- and silversmith in Middlebury VT according to the History of the Town of Middlebury by Samuel Swift (1859), Samuel Sargeant was a goldsmith from Worcester, Massachusetts. In 1799 he built on Weybridge Street in Middlebury a one-story house in which he resided several years. At a later date he purchased the lot north of his house, owned at that time by one Elias Wilder, and moved his house onto the Wilder lot. He then built a new two-story house on his old lot and resided there until 1847 when he died at age 80 years. He continued at his business of goldsmith until the infirmities of age induced him to retire. At first Sargeant's shop was in a building Jabez Rogers had erected on a point of rock which jutted into Otter Creek. In order to gain free passage of the water over the falls, all obstructions were removed from the creek and around 1801 Sargeant erected a brick building on the east side of the falls on the point formed by the two roads around the park and removed his shop there. ¹³

• Advertised in the Middlebury Mercury (Middlebury VT), 1 Dec 1803, requesting all who were indebted to him either by book or note to call and settle the same on or before the 2oth of January, or he would place the notes and accounts with an attorney for collection. ¹³

• He was a partner from circa 1816 to 1845 with Edward Eells, Jr. in Middlebury VT as SARGEANT & EELLS. ³

• Advertised in the Middlebury National Standard (Middlebury VT), 7 Mar 1816, that the new firm doing business as SARGEANT & EELLS was located at the north end of the bridge where they would carry on the business of clockmaking, repairing clocks and watches of all kinds, making gold beads and silver spoons. They kept on hand an assortment of jewelry and watch furniture and explained that Eells would attend constantly to the shop and would work principally on watches. ¹³

Samuel married Matilda Southworth in Jan 1791 in Mansfield CT. (Matilda Southworth was born on 27 Feb 1770 in Mansfield CT and died on 14 Aug 1852 in Middlebury VT.)