Our Forebears

Samuel George Sergeant was born about 1768. There is a baptism record on November 20, 1768, at the Second Church of Boston in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts for “Samuel of Samuel & Bethany Sergeant.” Both of Samuel’s parents probably died by the time he was about 13 years old. The family stories said that he worked for an uncle, but we have not found any records to confirm that. Nothing else is known about Samuel’s early years until he was listed on the 1800 census in Norwich, Chenango, New York.

Samuel married Catherine Marvin about 1799, and they had six children. They were married about 35 years until Catherine’s death in 1834. For the first few years of their marriage, Samuel worked for Catherine’s father, Enoch Marvin. On the 1810 and 1820 censuses, Samuel was listed in New Berlin, Chenango, New York. In 1817, he purchased 41 acres of land, and in 1828, another 23 acres. Both lots were listed in New Berlin, Chenango, New York, in an area that was later called South New Berlin. That farm was later transferred to his second son, Hiram.

Samuel died at about age 70 on February 23, 1841, and he is buried next to his wife at the Riverside Cemetery in South New Berlin.

Professor Adolphus Sage researched and conducted family interviews starting around 1890. The stories told by family members varied and often created more questions than answers. Some details have been confirmed with documentation, while others disproven. Professor Sage’s conclusion was that young Samuel was bound-out and learned the trade of baker, but later became a carpenter and farmer.

Marshall Sergeant (son of Hiram Sergeant, son of Samuel George Sergeant) told Professor Sage that he was born in his grandfather’s house and spent a lot of time with him. “He distinctly remembered his grandfather’s appearance and his broken nose which he said was broken and flattened down somewhat to one side. He had heard his grandfather say that he was riding horse to plow corn for his uncle in Boston when his uncle threw a stone at his nose and broke it.” This anecdote is consistent with other stories about Samuel working for an uncle, but we have not yet determined his identity.