Leonard Sargeant | |
|---|---|
 "Vermont Lawyer," an 1841 painting. Based on analysis of photos at Manchester, Vermont's Masonic Lodge and Court House, the subject is Leonard Sargeant | |
| 15th Lieutenant governor of Vermont | |
| In office 1846–1848 | |
| Preceded by | Horace Eaton |
| Succeeded by | Robert Pierpoint |
| Member of theVermont Senate fromBennington County | |
| In office 1854–1855 Serving with Norman Millington | |
| Preceded by | John R. Gates, Norman Millington |
| Succeeded by | Perez Harwood, Barber Thompson |
| In office 1843–1844 Serving with Benjamin W. Morgan | |
| Preceded by | Josiah Wright, Benjamin W. Morgan |
| Succeeded by | Asahel Hurd, Benjamin W. Morgan |
| State's Attorney ofBennington County, Vermont | |
| In office 1834–1837 | |
| Preceded by | Milo Lyman Bennett |
| Succeeded by | Samuel H. Blackmer |
| Member of theVermont House of Representatives fromManchester | |
| In office 1841–1842 | |
| Preceded by | Aaron Baker |
| Succeeded by | John S. Pettibone |
| In office 1836–1837 | |
| Preceded by | Aaron Baker |
| Succeeded by | Aaron Baker |
| In office 1830–1832 | |
| Preceded by | John S. Pettibone |
| Succeeded by | Aaron Baker |
| Judge of theVermont Probate Court'sManchester District | |
| In office 1850–1852 | |
| Preceded by | Elias B. Burton |
| Succeeded by | Harvey K. Fowler |
| In office 1842–1845 | |
| Preceded by | Loring Dean |
| Succeeded by | Nathan Burton |
| In office 1829–1831 | |
| Preceded by | Milo Lyman Bennett |
| Succeeded by | Myron Clark |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1793-03-17)March 17, 1793 Dorset, Vermont, U.S. |
| Died | June 18, 1880(1880-06-18) (aged 87) Johnstown, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Resting place | Dellwood Cemetery, Manchester, Vermont, U.S. |
| Political party | Whig |
| Spouse | Phoebe Raymond (m. 1824) |
| Children | 4 |
| Occupation | Attorney |
Leonard Sargeant (March 17, 1793 – June 18, 1880) was aVermont politician andlawyer who served as the15th lieutenant governor of Vermont from 1846 to 1848.
Sargeant was born inDorset, Vermont on March 17, 1793, a son of Dr. John Sargeant and Delight (Bell) Sargeant.[1][2] Hestudied law withRichard Skinner, was admitted to thebar, and practiced law inManchester as Skinner's partner. Sargeant was also a farmer and served as Vice President of the Vermont Agricultural Society.[3] He served in theWar of 1812 as a member of theVermont Militia company commanded by Abel Richardson.[4] During the war, Sargeant made use of medical training obtained from his father to nurse sick and wounded soldiers.[5] He was taken prisoner and held inCanada, where he remained until his father secured his release.[5] In his later years, Sargeant received a pension for his wartime service.[6]
He was active in theWhig party, and served in numerous offices includingprobate judge,state's attorney,postmaster andjustice of the peace.[7] He was a member of theVermont Council of Censors in 1827, and a delegate to the 1836 Vermont constitutional convention.[8][9][10][11]
His legal career included the noteworthy defense of Stephen and Jesse Boorn, brothers who were convicted and sentenced to life in prison (Jesse) and death (Stephen) for the killing of Russell Colvin, a man missing from Manchester. Several years later Colvin returned to Vermont to prove that he was still alive. He had moved toNew Jersey after an altercation with the Boorns and changed his name. The Boorn case is the first known instance of awrongful conviction for murder in the United States.[12][13]
Sargeant served in both theVermont House of Representatives andVermont Senate in the 1830s and 1840s.[14] From 1846 to 1848 he served as Lieutenant Governor.[15]
After leaving office, he practiced law until retiring in the 1870s.
In retirement, Sargeant resided at his daughter's home inJohnstown, Pennsylvania. He died in Johnstown on June 18, 1880 and was buried atDellwood Cemetery in Manchester.[16]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Whig nominee forLieutenant Governor of Vermont 1846, 1847 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Lieutenant Governor of Vermont 1846–1848 | Succeeded by |
