Winthrop Sargent

In the coming weeks I am hoping to look over Winthrop Sargent information gathered by another family member. But if you are searching for information on Winthrop Sargent of Maine, please leave a comment along with the birth and death date of the Winthrop you're looking for.

~ Dixie

Robert Lord Sargent: Carpenter, Housewright, Joiner, Gentleman

Toward the end of his life, Robert Lord Sargent set out on an adventure. His 1831 letter written from Mobile, Alabama shows him working for Bebe __ Clark at one Dollar and fifty cents per day "and Vitaels & Drink."

Click here to view scans of Robert's 1831 letter

Why would a man of 61 end up working in Alabama, far away from his roots and family? One theory is he may have traveled on his son's ship and decided to stay a while in Alabama. At that time his children were grown and perhaps he felt a freedom to travel. Another theory is that he hoped to make more money in Alabama than in Maine. In his 1831 letter he states that he may go to Texas in search of Spanish dollars. This 1831 letter is our last known record of Robert L. Sargent alive. It is a record of a man on a mission, working away, but missing his family.

Robert was born in the year 1771 in Marblehead, Massachusetts around October 6th. (Marblehead Vital Records, Vol. 1, pp 456). The population of Maine began to grow in the mid-1700's, after the Indian threat lessened. The offer of 100-acre lots free to anyone who settled in the northern province doubled the population of Maine from 12,000 to 24,000 between 1743 and 1763. By the end of the century, the number of Maine settlers had grown to more than 150,000.

Robert L. Sargent may have come to Long Island (Isleborough) to work first, as by c 1792 at the age of about 21 he married Mary Dodge, a daughter of Simon Dodge of the prominent Dodge family who were among the first settles there. He probably was apprenticed in the building industry at an early age to learn the carpenter's trade, the trade of his father Winthrop. By May of 1796 Robert paid $120 for 100 acres of land, probably in today's Searsport. He was 25 years old at the time. More deeds followed, and Robert was probably building houses on the parcels he bought. The book Remarks of My Life by Hezekiah Prince sheds light on what life might have been like for young Robert L. Sargent, a carpenter in Maine.

Here are notes of Robert L. Sargent's first purchase in Maine in 1796:

12 May 1796 - Hancock Registry, volume 4, page 210
(below from Waldo Registry)

Henry Lord of Prospect, yeoman, for $120 paid by Robert P. Sargent of said Prospect quit claim to "100 acres of land laying in Prospect and is bounded in following manner, to begin on the shore of the mouth of a small brook at a stake and stones, being bound between Winthrop Smith & myself, run North forty rods forty-two degrees West to a hemlock stump, then North fifteen degrees West, one mile and three quarters to a stake and stones, then north sixty-eight degrees East 50 rods to a yellow birch marked R. S. then south twenty-two degrees East a half a mile to a yellow birch marked R. S. then to run southeasterly a mile and a quarter till it comes to the shore at a stake and stones, it being 70 rods from the first mentioned bounds to the East, the upper fifty acres is half of a lot I took a permit of Benj. Shut Esq. Agent for General Knox at one dollar per acre, the front part, be the same more or less, I signed for to General Knox for four shillings per acre." The deed was signed by Henry Lords in the presence of Winthrop Smith and William Griffin. Wife Molly also gave up her right of dower.

And so begins Robert's many dealings in land over the course of his life.

Click here to view notes taken
of Robert's land transactions.

These notes were taken by JGS from the deeds and are not direct quotes of the deeds - dates and volume numbers for the deeds are noted for those who would like to do further research.

Robert L. Sargent and his father Winthrop Sargent are listed in the Waldo County Census as residents of Prospect, Maine. In the census under the heading "From Whence Came" both Robert L. and Winthrop are listed as coming from Beverly, Massachusetts. Deeds from that time describe Robert L. Sargent with various titles: carpenter, housewright, yeomen, joiner, and gentleman. We also know he was a deacon of his church.

We don't know why Robert Lord Sargent ended up in Alabama. We do know at the time of his writing his 1831 letter that he missed his family and had hopes to return to them in Maine bearing gifts. But 1840 foreclosures on land held by Robert L. Sargent suggest that Robert did not return to Maine. Perhaps he died of yellow fever in Mobile, a common cause of death in the region.

1831 Map of Alabama/Georgia

Or perhaps Robert did travel to lawless Texas,
in search of Spanish Dollars?

It's a mystery.
Any detectives out there?

Robert Lord Sargent 1831 Letter from Mobile, Alabama

The images in this post are scans of an 1831 letter written by Robert Lord Sargent from Mobile Alabama to his son Winthrop Sargent in Monroe, Maine. The scans are provided through the generosity of the Penobscot Marine Museum and are posted with permission. Many thanks to Niles Parker for his assistance in obtaining the scan. The transcript of the letter is provided with the encouragement that the reader look at the scans of the original documents. The transcript is broken according to the line breaks in the original document. The images can be enlarged by double-clicking on the them.

LETTER FROM ROBERT L. SARGENT
TO WINTHROP SARGENT

Winthrop Sargent

Monroe, Me.

State of Maine

Robert L. Sargent

1831 Letter Page 1

above and below

Mobile March 18th 1831

Dear Wife and Children I am still alive

through the mercy of God in Jesus Christ

Am in good health am at work for a mr. ____

Bebe __ Clark at one Dollar and fifty cents

per Day and Vitaels & Drink. I bear you on my mind very

much waking and sleeping i often dream

of being presant with you and discribing

the country I have pased through but my

mind is more intent on the Scriptures.

Theay impress me with thear truths more

and more every day. I feel thankfull to the

Father of all our mercys for preserving

my life so long and giving me grace to beleve

on my Saviour. My Dear Relations one and

All, I am concerned about your health

and how you make out for your Dayly

Bread /which is sure /if you fear God/ But more

for your precious souls. It has pained my heart

for fear any of you should live in Sin

And fail of the Grace of God when my

mind is led out to the Lord in prayer.

I have bin imprest for you with a most

tender affection of Soul that the Lord

would Call you all by his Grace and

give you to feel your need of a Savour

by your acknoledgin your Sins and no

longer neglecting to call on his Name

And remember me when you have

access to God’s throne through Jesus Christ.

When we shall meet together again, none

Knows but the LORD.

Robert L. Sargent

1831 Letter Page 2

above and below

Page 2

If you wish to see me, your father Remember

you must Ask leave of GOD. But let us be

contented(?) we shall Se and know one another

in a nother State of of Existence where my

hopes and wishes will be fully satisfyd forever.

I have to work hard for an old man but

I see it is good to learn obedence by the

things wich I suffer. I want you to conform

your Selvs to your preasant conditions And

be shure not to murmer or complain of your

Lot. But have faith in God. He will bring

all our ________ to a happy Ishue. Let not sin

Reighn in your mortial Body but Serve the Lord.

My Dear lovs(?) I have not exprest the love

and hope that is in my Brest. You must give(?)

what your freind(?) has gone through

In my mind, although I have feed at the rich-

ist tabils (sic) and Do Still Live on the best

And have not any temtations to sin.

I have a Bass Voil for Moses and a

new gun for Noah and a complet

set of tools for Johnson and a brass pistol

I have not Cash Enough to Come home

as i whant to. i have a mind to go

out to Texes 500 miles to the west

in the provence of Mexico i need some

of their Spainis dollars. I intend to

come home by the way of long Island

and see Johnson Chaise and Visit Block

Island. If the Lord will. I shall see

you again

Robert L. Sargent

1831 Letter Page 3

above and below

Page 3

Pray for me be kind to your mother.

I send my love to hir and you all tell

Mr. Alline(?) and all I owe I have plans(?) to come

home able to pay them of before i Die. I have

good meetings and have pleasant weather.

This 15 day of march I have worked 15 days

on rail ways to take up ships. i am

Very Comfortable Except when i

think about you. You must

do as well as you can.

I leve you all in the hands

of God praying him to preserve(?)

you all in Jesus Christ and

call you by his Grace. Dear

Children, live in love and peace

& the God of Peace will bless you.

I long to see you all and hear

from you. If you Send me a

letter to Mobile I think i can

get it. I would have you write

as soon as you git this and fail

not to let me know how you all

Do. I remain your loving father

until Death.

Robt L. Sargent

The original copy of this letter is on file at the Penobscot Marine Museum in the Sargent file at the Stephen Phillips Memorial Library, which is open by appointment. The scans of this letter are posted with the permission and generosity of the Penobscot Marine Museum.