Mary (Sargent) Barnett (abt. 1795 - 1838)

Born about 1795 in Canterbury, Merrimack, New Hampshire

Ancestors

Wife of Rogers Barnett — married before 1816 in Potton, Bedford, Lower Canada [uncertain]

Died 17 May 1838 at about age 43 in Potton, Bedford, Lower Canada

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Biography

Mary (commonly called "Polly") was born in 1795 in Canterbury, New Hampshire, daughter of Ezra Sargent and Hannah Rynes. That birth year of 1795 is based on her age (43) at death as recorded on her gravestone (see FindAGrave reference below).

Polly's father was one of the earliest settlers of Potton, Lower Canada, arriving there in about 1808, judging from the 1842 census record of her brother Daniel. They were the first family named Sargent to settle in Potton, joined some years later by her uncle Domincus Sargent.

Polly married Rogers Barnett, son of Benjamin Barnett and Mary Miller. Though the marriage record has so far been elusive, based on the earliest known birth record of one of their children, it is assumed they were married in 1815 (or at most a year or two before that).

Polly and Rogers had at least eight children. The number of "8" is an estimate based on the 1825 census that shows them with 3 girls and 2 boys, 3 of them under 6 years old^[1] and the 1842 census which included 3 boys and 5 girls, 5 of them being under 18. According to these censuses, they lived in the eastern section of Sutton township, right adjacent to West Potton. Before 1825, they had lived at least for a time in Vermont.

While we have not discovered the identities of all the children of Rogers and Polly (there seems to be a boy or two missing), the following are known:

1. Almira, b. 10 Aug. 1815; m. Ashael Potter; d. 30 Jan. 1890 (Syracuse, NY)
2. Betsey, b. Mar. 1817 (Vermont); m1. John S. Gilman; m2. Lewis Bell, 1879 (in Illinois);^[2] d. 28 May 1904
3. James, b. abt 1821 (Vermont)
4. Mary Jane, b. 12 Oct. 1828; m. Godfrey Methot (Prescott, Ontario); d. 23 Oct. 1913
5. Susan, b. Jan. 1830; m. George Curtiss, by 1859; d. 14 Apr. 1906
6. Daughter, b. abt. 1832
7. Ruth, b. abt. 1833, and
8. Judith, b. abt. 1836 (on 1851 census next door in Sutton).

Polly passed away in 1838 at the age of only 43 and was interred in Ruiter Cemetery, in West Potton (now Dunkin, Quebec). ^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ 1825 Lower Canada Census, District Bedford, SubDistrict Sutton, Page 850, Line 11| "Roger Bennit"
2. ↑ Illinois County Marriages| Marriage Certificate for daughter Betsey
3. ↑ FindAGrave| "Mary Polly Sargent Barnet"

See Also:

• Family Search | Mary Sargent