Rev. John Sergeant

In the Sergeant family, the name is pronounced SR-jnt.

Taken from family history notes of Adele Adams Bachhman (probably circa 1955) and following references:

• Yale Biographies and Annual, 1701-1746 by Dexter
• History of Western Massachusetts by JG Holland
• Stockbridge by WH Eggleston, 1871
• Dictionary of American Biography - Vol 16, p. 557 by Jones
• Stockbridge, Past and Present
• Sprague's Annual of the American Pulpit
• The Housatonic by Chard Powers Smith
• Sergeant Family History b Jeanette Sergeant Ames Rice
• Notes of Mary Newbury Adams

all of which were shared by William W. Adams of Lancaster, PA with Roger Angell in a letter dated 3/3/2006

"Sergeant was a small man, with a pleasant expression, a large nose, and a good constitution.

Nothing is known of his early life, except that a scythe cut crippled his left hand and deprived him of the ability to earn his living by manual labor. Because of this, he was sent to college. He entered Yale in September, 1725, and graduated in 1729, when he gave the valedictory oration. (The original is now preserved in the Williams College Library.)

He was chosen for a full tutorship and started teaching (presumably at Yale) in September 1731, pursuing meantime theological subjects for which he received his Masters degree in 1732. He was at Yale during the administration of Rector Elisha Williams, brother of Martha William and William Williams, JR., relatives of his future wife."

Following is summarized and paraphrased:

Mr. Sergeant accepted the position (as missionary to the natives) in Great Wigwam (now Great Barrington) in 1734 with a salary of 100 pounds a year - teaching 25 native pupils, including girls and boys.

In May of 1736 the mission moved to Stockbridge - there were now 50 Indians in the mission, 40 in school.

By summer of 1737, Sergeant had mastered the Houstonuck language and could preach without an interpreter. There were now 90 Indians in the Mission. "The loyalty of the Indians was completely enlisted by Sergeant. Everything was going well."

Sergeant had asked 4 families to be sent in to Stockbridge to set an example of civilization for his charges. These were the families of Ephraim Williams, Josiah Jones (Ephraim's brother in law), Joseph Woodbridge and Ephraim Brown, later replaced by his brother Samuel.

The sincere effort of Sergeant to create a harmonious community of the Indians and the English was carried out with the government shared by both groups. T his was the principle also in the church.

But the white families, with Ephraim Williams as the leader, did not trust the natives. ...He was pompous and greedy, desirous of getting land and privileges at the expense of the Indians. He arrived in 1737; his two older children by his first wife, Ephraim, Jr (who was to be founder of Williams College) and Thomas, a doctor, were leading their own lives elsewhere. His daughter, Abigail, was with him.

On October 8, 1739, in presence of 90 Indians, he married Abigail Williams, then 18. He was 29. Attraction, cultivated taste, charming and hospitable manners - it was certain that she possessed these positive qualities. It is almost certain that she used them to no purposes but her own advancement and the domination of her environment. There is no indication that she was interested in her husband's work with the Indians.

Shortly after their marriage she refused to live in the little house on the Plain among the Indians and Sergeant built for her a fine mansion on the Hill with the white families. This ran him into debt beyond the possibility of repayment; increased by her personal extravagance. When he died his debts amounted to about 700 pounds.

Sergeant himself led a life of unbelievable hardship and activity. With his one good arm, he did most of the work on his little farm. He preached two sermons a Sunday to the Indians and two other ones to the whites. He taught in the boarding school and made many visits each year among the western Indians.

Early in July 1749 he was stricken with a nervous fever involving a canker in his throat. The Indians devoted a day of fasting and prayer for him. On July 27 he died, leaving Abilgail a widow at 29, with 3 children: Electa, age 9; Erastus, age 7 and John, age 2.

With the death of Sergeant, what might be called the period of pioneer Christianity in the valley came to an end, the period when heroic ministers led their flocks, white an Indian, out into the wilderness and suffered with them. They were educated men and their Christianity was one of action. It was a blend of teacher and pastor..."

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• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Sep 12 2022, 2:38:48 UTC