On This Day - January 6

STEPHEN SERGANT, my first cousin six times removed, was born on the 6th of January 1789 in Caswell County North Carolina.  His parents were Stephen Sergant (1742-1815) and Margaret Gold.  There were 10 siblings in the family with Stephen being the youngest.  Caswell County is along the northern border with Virginia.  The Sargent's settled in this area when it was Orange county.  In 1777 Caswell County was created from Orange and then in 1805 Pearson was created from Caswell.  So although the family has been listed in all three counties, they never moved. Stephen Sr. did, however, move to Russell County, Virginia as his will was probated there in 1815.
   Stephen Jr. is enumerated in Pearson county in 1820 along with four slaves and indicating that two people are engaged in manufacture. Stephen's father had been a blacksmith and possibly he was carrying on. He married Anne Payne Ware in 1828. This was her second marriage. Her first husband, James Richardson died in 1826. In 1830 they are a family of 10 with 20 slaves. Anne's children by her first marriage (there were 7) are included. By 1850 it is just Stephen, Ann and their youngest daughter. In 1860, Stephen is 70 and he and his wife indicate real estate valued at $10,000 and personal property of $10,000. The would equal a value of over $600,000 in 2018 dollars. Stephen donated land for the Providence Baptist Church. In January of 1864 Stephen writes his will and leaves everything to his wife Anne during her lifetime.  He then leaves the homestead where he resides to one daughter and the plantation on the Dan River to his other daughter. All other possessions are to go to all his grandchildren equally.  His two sons-in law are the executors of his will.
  Stephen's wife died on a train en route to Mississippi to visit her son Edmund Richardson in Mississippi.  Edmund was an extremely wealthy cotton grower in Mississippi and Louisiana.


CHILDREN OF STEPHEN SERGANT

1. MARGARET DELPHIA SARGENT (1829-1908)
   Margaret was born in December of 1829. She married James Kerr Lea 16 Dec 1848. He was 50 years old at the time and it was his second marriage. They lived in Mississippi near her Richardson half-siblings.  They had seven children. When her husband died in 1872 she returned to Caswell County.

2. AGNES WARE SARGENT (1832-1916)
   Agnes was born  She married Dr. Josiah Asbury Stanfield in 1852. The homestead that Agnes inherited from her father was the home originally built by James Richardson and Ann. It was called the "Brickhouse."  They renamed it "Connally Place."  It was a large tobacco farm. Her husband was a doctor and had a second degree in "delivering babies."  They had nine children.