| Birth: | 28 Jun 1606 |
| Death: | Mar 1675 |
| Sex: | M |
| Father: | |
| Mother: | |
| Occupation: Seaman Who Also Held Various Town Offices |
| Spouses & Children |
| Elizabeth Perkins (Wife) b. 3 Mar 1611 | |
| Children: | |
| |
| Notes |
It has been claimed that "William sailed with Captain John Smith, in 16
14, to Jamestown, Virg
inia, stopping at Agawam, Massachusetts, en route." William was a seama n in his younger years as he is designated as a "seaman" or "mariner" in his will and other documents. As there is no record of William or his father after his christening, they may have gone to London and William shipped from there. William immigrated to America before 1631. The first recorded record of William is in the General Court records of Massachusetts Colony in April 1633 by an act by said court protecting certain grantees of land then at Agawam, now Ipswich, Massachusetts, in their rights, and "William Sarjeant" was one of them. The next record is that of hisoath of allegiance and fidelity in 1639 (his name is recorded "Willi:Sergent" but neight is as he spelt it. It is shown by records and deeds that he was later one of the first settlers at Wessacucon (now Newbury) Massachusetts in 1635; at Winnacumet (now Hampton), New Hampshire in 1638;at South Merrimac (now Salisbury), Massachusetts in 1639; and that "Wm.Sargent, townsman and commoner of Salisbury, tax rate Dec 25, 1650, 7s 4d." He was located at Salisbury New Town (now Amesbury) and Merrimac, in 1655, where he resided until his death in 1675. The statement in the town history of Amesbury, "that William married for his first wife Judith, a sister of his second wife, Elizabeth Perkins" was made on information from another and had no other authority. The genealogy of the John Perkins' family gives no daughter Judith. This therefore refutes the marriage of William to Judith. William was one of the "Prudential" men in Amesbury in 1675; he resided in the part of the town known as the "West Parish" and built a house near the church and academy. His will was probatedat Salem, Massachusetts, in 1675.
Estate of William Sargent of Amesbury
Essex Probate Docket # 24708
In the name of God Amen. the 24 day of March 1671\72 I William Sargent of ye town of Emesbur y in ye County of Norfolk Massachusetts in Newengland Seaman being in pritty good health of body & of sound & pfect memorie (praise bee given to god for ye same) & knowing ye uncertainty of this life on earth & being Desirous to settle things in order doe make thismy last will & testamt in manner & form That is to sayFirst & principally I comend my soule to Allmighty God my Creator assurdely believing yt shall recieve full pardon & free remission of all my sins & bee saved byye pecious death & meritte of my blessed Savioc & Redemmer Christ Jesus& my body to ye earth from whence it was taken to bee buried in such Decent & Christian manner as to my Executoed hereafter named shall be thought meete & convenient. And as touching such wordly estate as ye lord mercy hath lent mee my will & meaning if ye same shal bee imployed & bestowed as hereafter by this will & Testament Item I give & bequeath to my grand child William Challis five pounds & to my grandchildren Elizabeth, Lydia, Mary & Phillip watson Challis to each of them twenty shillings Item I give & bequeath unto my grand children Dorothie & Elizabeth Colby to each of them twenty shillings Item I give unto my grand child William Sargent thirty shillings Itt I give & bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth ye wife of Sam Colby five pounds Item I give all ye remayndere of my estate (these my legacies & my funeral charges being firste paid) unto mydaughter Sarah both howsing & lands, chattels & other movables wt foever always pvided that if she die wth out children that these howsing & lands: to bee equally divided: unto my four children hereafter named, i: e: my sons Thomas & William & my daughters Mary & Elizabeth Item I do constitute ordaine & appointe my sone Thomas Sargent & my daughter Sarah Sargent Executors unto this my will & Testamt & doe make my loving brotherin law Tho Bradbury & my esteemed friend Major Pike my overseers to take care that this my will may bee prformed according to ye true intente &meaning thereof And to this my last will & Testament I doe hereunto fess my hand & seale ye day & year above named
William Sargent (Seal)
Signed, sealed and thto in ye prsence uf
Thomas Bradbury
The mark of MB Mary Bradbury John Bradbury
Tho Bradbury & Jno Bradbury testisied upon oath yt they saw Wm Sargent senr. signe, seale & d eclare this to bee his will before ye court heldat Salisbury 13 Aprill 75Tho Bradbury rec
Entered and Recorded in ye County records for Norfolk (tit 3d pa 6 ye 2 9th of Aprile 1675) a s atteste Tho Bradbury recr
Source: "The Sargent Record," Edwin Everett Sargent (1899)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -