Leonard Sargeant (March 17, 1793 – June 18, 1880) was a Vermont politician and lawyer who served as the 15th lieutenant governor of Vermont from 1846 to 1848.
Leonard Sargeant | |
|---|---|
 "Vermont Lawyer," an 1841 painting. Based on analysis of photos at Manchester, Vermont's Masonic Lodge and Court House, the subject is Leonard Sargeant | |
| 15th Lieutenant governor of Vermont | |
| In office 1846–1848 | |
| Preceded by | Horace Eaton |
| Succeeded by | Robert Pierpoint |
| Member of the Vermont Senate from Bennington County | |
| In office 1854–1855 Serving with Norman Millington | |
| Preceded by | John R. Gates, Norman Millington |
| Succeeded by | Perez Harwood, Barber Thompson |
| In office 1843–1844 Serving with Benjamin W. Morgan | |
| Preceded by | Josiah Wright, Benjamin W. Morgan |
| Succeeded by | Asahel Hurd, Benjamin W. Morgan |
| State's Attorney of Bennington County, Vermont | |
| In office 1834–1837 | |
| Preceded by | Milo Lyman Bennett |
| Succeeded by | Samuel H. Blackmer |
| Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from Manchester | |
| In office 1841–1842 | |
| Preceded by | Aaron Baker |
| Succeeded by | John S. Pettibone |
| In office 1836–1837 | |
| Preceded by | Aaron Baker |
| Succeeded by | Aaron Baker |
| In office 1830–1832 | |
| Preceded by | John S. Pettibone |
| Succeeded by | Aaron Baker |
| Judge of the Vermont Probate Court's Manchester District | |
| In office 1850–1852 | |
| Preceded by | Elias B. Burton |
| Succeeded by | Harvey K. Fowler |
| In office 1842–1845 | |
| Preceded by | Loring Dean |
| Succeeded by | Nathan Burton |
| In office 1829–1831 | |
| Preceded by | Milo Lyman Bennett |
| Succeeded by | Myron Clark |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 17, 1793 Dorset, Vermont, U.S. |
| Died | June 18, 1880 (aged 87) Johnstown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Resting place | Dellwood Cemetery, Manchester, Vermont, U.S. |
| Political party | Whig |
| Spouse | Phoebe Raymond (m. 1824) |
| Children | 4 |
| Occupation | Attorney |
Early life
editSargeant was born in Dorset, Vermont on March 17, 1793, a son of dr. John Sargeant and Delight (Bell) Sargeant.[1][2] He studied law with Richard Skinner, was admitted to the bar, and practiced law in Manchester as Skinner's partner. Sargeant was also a farmer and served as Vice President of the Vermont Agricultural Society.[3] He served in the War of 1812 as a member of the Vermont Militia company commanded by Abel Richardson.[4] During the war, Sargeant made use of medical training obtained from his father to nurse sick and wounded soldiers.[5] He was taken prisoner and held in Canada, where he remained until his father secured his release.[5] In his later years, Sargeant received a pension for his wartime service.[6]
He was active in the Whig party, and served in numerous offices including probate judge, state's attorney, postmaster and justice of the peace.[7] He was a member of the Vermont Council of Censors in 1827, and a delegate to the 1836 Vermont constitutional convention.[8][9][10][11]
His legal career included the noteworthy defense of Stephen and Jesse Boorn, brothers who were convicted and sentenced to life in prison (Jesse) and death (Stephen) for the killing of Russell Colvin, a man missing from Manchester. Several years later Colvin returned to Vermont to prove that he was still alive. He had moved to New Jersey after an altercation with the Boorns and changed his name. The Boorn case is the first known instance of a wrongful conviction for murder in the United States.[12][13]
Political career
editSargeant served in both the Vermont House of Representatives and Vermont Senate in the 1830s and 1840s.[14] From 1846 to 1848 he served as Lieutenant Governor.[15]
After leaving office he practiced law until retiring in the 1870s.
Retirement and death
editIn retirement Sargeant resided at his daughter's home in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He died in Johnstown on June 18, 1880 and was buried at Dellwood Cemetery in Manchester.[16]
References
edit- ^ White, Pliny H. (March 11, 1865). "Alumni of Middlebury College: John Sargeant". The Vermont Record. Brattleboro, VT. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Sargent, John S.; Sargent, Aaron (1895). Sargent Genealogy: Hugh Sargent, William Sargeant. Boston, MA: Geo. H. Ellis. p. 69 – via Google Books.
- ^ Magazine article, Vermont Agricultural and Horticultural Society, The School Journal and Vermont Agriculturist, December 1847, page 121
- ^ "U.S. War of 1812 Pension Application Files Index, 1812-1815, Entry for Leonard Sargeant". Ancestry.com. Lehi, UT: Ancestry.com LLC. 1871. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ a b Robbins, Mary Utley (September 20, 1923). "Manchester-In-The-Mts.: Some of Its Early Homes and Their Inhabitants". The Manchester Journal. Manchester, VT. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Bigelow, Edwin L. (1961). Manchester, Vermont: A Pleasant Land Among the Mountains, 1761-1961. Manchester, VT: Town of Manchester, Vermont. p. 120 – via Archive.org.
- ^ Journal of the Senate of the State of Vermont, published by Vermont General Assembly, 1842, page 7
- ^ History of Vermont, by Zadock Thompson, 1842, page 127
- ^ Journal of the Convention Holden at Montpelier, on the 6th day of January, 1836, published by J. Spooner, St. Albans, 1836, page 4
- ^ Vermont Year Book, published by E. P. Walton, Montpelier, 1836, page 103
- ^ United States Official Postal Guide, published by United States Post Office Department, 1822, page 48
- ^ America's First Wrongful Murder Conviction Case, Center on Wrongful Convictions, Northwestern University School of Law, accessed January 5, 2011
- ^ The Trial, Confessions and Conviction of Jesse and Stephen Boorn for the Murder of Russell Colvin, by Leonard Sargeant, 1873
- ^ The Vermont Historical Gazetteer, edited by Abby Maria Hemenway, Volume 1, 1867, page 202
- ^ General Election results, Vermont Lieutenant Governor, 1813–2011, Vermont Secretary of State, State Archives and Records Administration, 2011, page 7
- ^ The Bibliography of Vermont, 1897, page 242