The “godly Christian,” mentioned by Johnson, as “prophesying” in Malden in the first days of its settlement, is, undoubtedly, William Sargeant, who came from England in 1638, and was made a freeman at Charlestown in 1639. He had several children born as early as 1644; and is undoubtedly the ancestor of the numerous heirs of his name in Malden, which was then a part of Charlestown. One of his sons, Peter Sargeant, was a member of the Council of Safety in 1683, and one of the first Councillors under the new Charter of William and Mary in 1692. John Sargeant, another son of William, is known to have resided in Malden. He had the following sons, viz: Joseph, John, William, Samuel, Jonathan, and Ebenezer.
Jonathan Sargeant was born at Malden, April 17, 1677. He had the following children: Jonathan, by his first wife; by his second wife, who was Mary Sprague, he had Nathan, John, Mary, Hannah, Ebenezer, Lydia, Hannah, Ebenezer, Samuel. He removed to Mansfield, Conn., where he died Oct. 27, 1754, aged 77.
His son Nathan, born at Malden, Aug. 27, 1718, married June 24, 1742, Mary Sargeant, of Malden, who was born Nov. 18, 1721, and was a daughter of Joseph and Hannah Sargeant, of Malden. They removed to Leicester, Mass., in 1741. They had three children, Lydia, Mary, and Nathan. This Nathan was a wealthy farmer in Leicester, where his descendants still live in high repute. His great-grandfather, John, born March 3, 1644, had by his first wife, Deborah, Jabez, born April, 1669. This Deborah died April 20, 1669, probably in child-bed. John Sargeant next married Mary Bense, Sept. 3, 1669. She died the next year, leaving no issue on record. He married for his third wife, Lydia, by whom he had Hannah, born Dec. 1675; Ruth, born Oct. 1686; Samuel, born March 22, 1688; John, born March 22, 1689; Ebenezer, born Sept. 25, 1690; Sarah, born January 23, 1692.
The following Sargeant marriages are on record in Malden:
- Mary Sargeant married Thomas Douglass, June 10, 1725.
- Elizabeth married Ebenezer Barrett, Nov. 7, 1734.
- John married Mary Wadkins, July 24, 1740.
- Hannah married Jabez Burditt, Feb. 7, 1740.
- Nathan Sargeant, of Leicester, married Mary Sargeant, of Malden, June 24, 1742.
- Samuel married Lois Wate, Oct. 25, 1743.
- Sarah married John Goddard, Aug. 3, 1745.
- Silas Sargeant married Mary Winslow, Feb. 14, 1746.
- Jabez married Rachael Wait, Oct. 9, 1746.
- Joseph married Hannah Whittemore, Jan. 20, 1747.
- John married Hannah Knower, Oct. 1, 1747.
- Thomas married Mary Waite, Jan. 17, 1749.
- James married Elizabeth Upham, April 25, 1749.
- Ezra married Deborah Sargeant, May 23, 1751.
- David married Mehitable Green, June 27, 1751.
Silas Sargeant, a brother of Ezra Sargeant, Esq., married Mary Winslow, February 14, 1746. He died May 1, 1796, aged 73. Their children were, Isaac Winslow Sargeant, Silas Sargeant, Amos Sargeant, John Sargeant, and Rhoda Sargeant.
Amos Sargeant, third son of Silas, married Alice Bucknam. Their children were, Amos, married to Esther Oakes; Silas, married to Diantha Fisher; John, married to Dorcas Nichols; Sally, married to Lewis Fisher; Alice, married to Leonard Emerson, both deceased; Aaron, married to Sarah Nichols; Thomas, married to Phebe Bridge; Mary, died in infancy; Nathan died in infancy; and another Nathan married to Mehitable Brown.
Source
The Bi-centennial book of Malden : containing the oration and poem delivered on the two hundredth anniversary of the incorporation of the town, May 23, 1849 : with other proceedings on that day, and matters pertaining to the history of the place; Boston : Geo. C. Rand & Co., 1850.