Our Forebears

Thomas and Elizabeth Sergeant

Thomas Sergeant was born on February 25, 1707, in Boston, Suffolk, Massachusetts. He was the youngest of seven children born to Thomas Sergeant and Ruth Johnson. Thomas (b. 1707) married Elizabeth Tompson on July 23, 1726, in Boston, when he was 21 and she was about 18. They had at least five children and were married 41 years until Elizabeth’s death in 1770.

Thomas is first listed in church records on October 26, 1729, when he renewed his baptismal covenant at New South Church, Boston in conjunction with his first daughter’s baptism. Both Thomas and Elizabeth were later admitted to New North Church, Boston: Elizabeth on November 20, 1743, and Thomas on April 29, 1750, where both continued as members for the remainder of their lives.

Thomas served as a town constable in Provincetown, Barnstable, Massachusetts, from 1735 to 1741. His older brother William was Provincetown’s treasurer from 1726 until his death in 1728.

In 1744 Thomas appears in Boston town records as a “Culler of Staves,” a government inspector of wooden staves (vertical wood pieces used to make barrels) to ensure quality standards for export. He held the position for about five years.

Elizabeth died in Boston on May 19, 1770, and is buried there. Thomas married his second wife, Frances (Ellsworth) Look, on August 13 of that same year at New North Church in Boston.

The American Revolutionary War began in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts in April of 1775. Residents, already facing severe shortages of food and fuel, the result of the blockade of Boston Harbor by the British, fled the city and spread out to towns and villages across the Massachusetts countryside. British General Thomas Gage ordered safe passage for evacuees if they surrendered their firearms and ammunition, pledged not to fight, and left personal property behind. During this period, Boston’s population dropped by more than 10,000 people. Thomas and Frances were among those who evacuated Boston. On April 24, 1775, just two days after General Gage’s order, Thomas is listed in Boston records as surrendering one gun to Boston Selectmen. Thomas and Frances made their way to Reading, Middlesex, Massachusetts, about 15 miles north of Boston. Since people were not able to take much with them, they had to rely on assistance from the Massachusetts Provincial Congress and the support of townspeople for donated food and lodging. Thomas was still a listed resident of Reading at the end of December 1776.

By 1780, Thomas and Frances were again in Boston where he is identified in tax records by name and stated occupation, “sells fish.” Two years later, at age 75, Thomas was listed on Boston’s Tax Roll as “old and poor,” a legal designation excusing him from poll and property taxes and entitling him to public aid. Thomas died on December 31, 1788, in Boston at the age of 81. His place of burial is unknown¹. Frances died in February 1795 in Boston at the age of 85, and her place of burial is unknown.

Elizabeth Tompson was born about 1710. She died on May 19, 1770, in Boston at the age of 60, and is buried there at the Copp’s Hill Burying Ground. No further records have been found concerning Elizabeth, including where she was born or her parents’ names.

¹ No conclusive evidence identifies Thomas’s burial site, but details from his later life suggest he was likely buried in an unmarked grave at Copp’s Hill Burying Ground in Boston, possibly near his first wife Elizabeth and son Thaddeus. His North End residence, ties to New North Church, and legal designation as “Old and Poor” support this. Further research may help resolve this uncertainty.

Children of Thomas Sergeant and Elizabeth Tompson:

Anna Sergeant was born on October 8, 1729, and baptized on the 26th of the same month at New South Church in Boston. No further records have been confirmed for her.
Thaddeus Sergeant was born about 1736. No birth or baptism records were found for him, but his death record lists his father as Thomas. He married Mary Biscon on December 25, 1756, at Christ Church (Old North Church) in Boston. It is not known what happened to her. Thaddeus married Mary Gibbs on August 2, 1764, at Christ Church. He died on January 26, 1773, in Boston at the age of 37. His probate lists his occupation as cooper. There are no records of any children to Thaddeus. Mary did not remarry, and no official death record was found for her, but her will was probated on June 12, 1781, in Boston, when she would have been about 49.
Samuel Sergeant was baptized on June 3, 1744, at New North Church in Boston. He married Bethany Smalledge on September 19, 1765, at New North Church. They had three children: 1) Sarah/Sally was baptized on April 24, 1766, at Christ Church (Old North Church); however, the baptism was marked “private,” so she may have died soon after birth. 2) Samuel was baptized on November 20, 1768, at Second Church in Boston. 3) Thomas Sergeant was baptized on March 7, 1779, also at Second Church. Both boys went on to have large families of their own. No further records have been found for Samuel b. 1744, although the family stories say he was a ship’s carpenter and died by drowning. Bethany was admitted to the Boston Almshouse on January 25, 1781, and her youngest son, Thomas, was indentured two weeks later, so it is likely that Bethany died there.
* See Samuel and Bethany’s complete biography under Our Forebears.
Francis Sergeant was baptized on June 22, 1746, at New North Church in Boston. No further records have been confirmed for him.
Sarah Sergeant was baptized on July 16, 1749, at New North Church in Boston. No further records have been confirmed for her.

Note: There are two other possible daughters of Thomas and Elizabeth, but no birth or baptism records were found for them. These two other women (Elizabeth and Ruth) both married about 1750 at New North Church where Thomas and Elizabeth attended, so it is quite possible they are related, but more research is needed to confirm.

Our Forebears

Sources and Research Notes

Thomas Sergeant 1707-1788

Birth: Birth record. No baptism found.
Death: Death record.
1st Marriage: Marriage record.
2nd Marriage: Marriage record and listed at New North Church.
Obituary: The Massachusetts Centinel; Boston, Massachusetts, December 31, 1788.
Burial: Unknown.
Children: Birth or baptism records found for five of their children. There are possibly two more daughters, but more research is needed.

Elizabeth Tompson 1710-1770

Birth: No birth or baptism records found.
Death: Death record.
Marriage: Marriage record.
Obituary: None.
Death notice: None.
Burial: Copp’s Hill Burying Ground headstone transcription, and “Elizabeth Sargent” on Find a Grave®
Children: Birth or baptism records found for five of their children. There are possibly two more daughters, but more research is needed.

Digital Resources

Image	File Name	File Size
	Copps_Hill_1987_Update_of_1903_Map.pdf application/pdfCopps_Hill_1987_Update_of_1903_Map.pdf Elizabeth Sargent and Thaddeus Sargent headstone locations. City of Boston. (1987). Copp's Hill Burying Ground. Boston Proper. Updated 1987 From 1903 map. Historic Burying Grounds Initiative. https://www.cityofboston.gov/images_documents/Copps Hill Burying Ground_tcm3-24969.pdf Open Download Copy Link 1.31 MB 2026-04-18 April 18, 2026 2026-04-17 April 17, 2026	1.31 MB
	Elizabeth_Sergeant_Burial_1770.jpg image/jpegElizabeth_Sergeant_Burial_1770.jpg Elizabeth Sergeant burial record. Copp’s Hill Burying Ground, page 329. American Ancestors Collection: Boston, MA: Old Cemeteries of Boston, 1649-1920. Sub-collection: Copp’s Hill Burying Ground, page 329. Open Download Copy Link 182.06 KB 2026-03-23 March 23, 2026 2026-03-18 March 18, 2026	182.06 KB
	Elizabeth_Sergeant_Death_1770.jpg image/jpegElizabeth_Sergeant_Death_1770.jpg Elizabeth Sergeant death record. Boston, Index Death 1700-1800. Ancestry Collection: Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988. Sub-collection: Boston, Index Death 1700-1800. Open Download Copy Link 259.89 KB 2026-03-23 March 23, 2026 2026-03-23 March 23, 2026	259.89 KB
	Sergeant_Look_Marriage_1770.jpg image/jpegSergeant_Look_Marriage_1770.jpg Thomas Sergeant and Frances Look marriage. Description: The New North Church, Boston, 1714-1799. Ancestry Collection: The New North Church, Boston, 1714-1799. Sub-collection: S. Open Download Copy Link 112.89 KB 2026-03-23 March 23, 2026 2026-03-20 March 20, 2026	112.89 KB
	Sergeant_Tompson_Marriage_1728.jpg image/jpegSergeant_Tompson_Marriage_1728.jpg Thomas Sergeant and Elizabeth Tompson marriage. Boston, Births, Marriages and Death. Ancestry Collection: Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988. Sub-collection: Boston, Births, Marriages and Death. Open Download Copy Link 378.23 KB 2026-03-23 March 23, 2026 2026-03-18 March 18, 2026	378.23 KB
	Thomas_Sergeant_Birth_1707.jpg image/jpegThomas_Sergeant_Birth_1707.jpg Thomas Sergeant birth record. Boston, Births, Marriages and Death. Ancestry Collection: Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988. Sub-collection: Boston, Births, Marriages and Death. Open Download Copy Link 535.11 KB 2026-03-23 March 23, 2026 2026-03-18 March 18, 2026	535.11 KB
	Thomas_Sergeant_Death_1788.jpg image/jpegThomas_Sergeant_Death_1788.jpg Thomas Sergeant death record. Boston, Index Death 1700-1800. Ancestry Collection: Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988. Sub-collection: Boston, Index Death 1700-1800. Open Download Copy Link 256.29 KB 2026-03-23 March 23, 2026 2026-03-21 March 21, 2026	256.29 KB
	Thomas_Sergeant_Obituary_1788.jpg image/jpegThomas_Sergeant_Obituary_1788.jpg Thomas Sergeant obituary. The Massachusetts Centinel, December 31, 1788, Page 3. Website: GenealogyBank.com. Open Download Copy Link 21.45 KB 2026-03-23 March 23, 2026 2026-03-18 March 18, 2026	21.45 KB

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Some records not included in the Digital Resources list are available upon request.

This page was last updated on April 14, 2026.

	June 2026
Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	2	3	4	5	6	7 William Samuel Sergeant William Samuel Sergeant William Samuel Sergeant was born on June 7, 1800 in New York. He married Sally Lucinda Fish on September 19, 1822 in New York. •
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16 Luman DeWitt Sergeant Luman DeWitt Sergeant Luman DeWitt Sergeant’s family left Minnesota for Nebraska via covered wagon. (per Emily’s diary) •	17	18	19	20	21
22 Sally Lucinda Fish Sally Lucinda Fish Sally Lucinda Fish died on June 22, 1864, in Wisconsin at the age of 62. •	23	24	25	26	27	28
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Our Forebears

Thomas and Elizabeth Sergeant

Our Forebears

June 2026