Person Record
Metadata
Name |
Sargeant, George A. (Sargent ) |
Othernames |
George Alfred Sargeant, sometimes mis-spelt as Sargent in directories, etc. |
Born |
Apr. 18, 1866 |
Birthplace |
Grey County, Canada West (Ontario) |
Places of residence |
George A. Sargeant farmed in Derby Township, Grey County. Listed in the 1901 census at Lot 14, Concession 3 Derby. Information from John P. Sargeant's research is that the family moved to the Town of Owen Sound in 1901 and purchased a house along Poulett Street (later called 2nd Ave. E.) near the curling rink. He renovated and used the basement of the house for a dairy. A steam boiler was installed so the milk bottles could be sterilized. There was an elevator to take the cans of milk to the basement. A few years later he moved the family to a farm near the foot of the Creamery Hill. In 1908, he sold this farm to James Cochrane and bought the farm of Samuel Connell at Lots 10, 11 and 12, Concession 2, Derby Township. George & Fanny moved to Owen Sound in 1933 and lived in an apartment along 2nd Ave. East Resided at 778 2nd Ave. East, Owen Sound, Ontario c. 1938 (seen in 1938 Vernon's Directory) |
Father |
Jesse Sargeant (d. Dec. 30, 1873) |
Mother |
Elizabeth Sargeant (nee Barnes), later M |
Nationality |
Canadian |
Education |
His children attended S.S.#2 Derby School (Dunn's School). Did he and his siblings attend there? |
Notes |
George A. Sargeant's Owen Sound Dairy was established in town in the 1901 to 1903 time period. It ceased about 19__(before 1911?). It is not known yet where he ordered his glass bottles from. Grey Roots Museum has a purplish glass milk bottle emboss-moulded with "OWEN SOUND DAIRY GEO. A SARGENT" (sic). Unfortunately, the glass factory that made the mould mis-spelt his surname. George Alfred Sargeant was born in 1866. He died in 1945. He was raised in Derby Township. When he was about 5 years old, he became ill and had a paralyzed leg afterwards. It may have been infantile paralysis (poliomyelitis). He managed to get around, with a cane or crutches. Circa 1899, George A. Sargeant was a "new" supplier of milk for the Canadian Pacific Railway line. (see p. 277 FOURTH ENTRANCE TO HURONIA, by Melba Croft). George A. Sargent (sic, how the enumerator spelt it) was a Derby Township farmer at the time of the 1901 census. The farm was at Lot 14, Concession 3. He was born April 18, 1866, and was then 34 years old. His wife Frances was 27. Their children at that time were listed as Mary A. Sargent (age 5), Edna R. Sargent (age 3) and George Victor Sargent (b. Feb. 20, 1900). George Alfred Sargeant had married Frances Maud Alice Mahew / Mayhew (of the Park Head area) and Amabel Twp., Bruce County) on Feb. 26, 1894. His occupation was noted then as "Milk Vendor." In a 1903 directory, George Sargent (sic) was at Con. 3 Lot 15, and used the Owen Sound post office. William Sargeant was at Con. 3, Lot 14, Daniel Sargeant was at Con. 3, Lot 11 and Henry Sargeant was at Con. 1, Lot 10. There is an image in A PORT OF SOME IMPORTANCE, showing George A. Sargeant driving a cow that is pulling a buggy in an Owen Sound parade (near the R. D. Little Butcher shop). There is also an image of a horse-drawn milk van with his name painted on it. George A. Sargeant died in 1945 at the Owen Sound General & Marine Hospital. An on-line geneaology by John P. Sargeant recounts some family history and mentions that George moved to Owen Sound in 1901 to a Poulett Street (later called 2nd avenue east) location by the curling rink ( the rink was later called 727 2nd Ave. E.). He had the house renovated so that the basement area had a dairy operation and hot water. It also had an elevator to help move the eight-gallon cans. A few years later, the Sargeants moved to a farm near the foot of the Creamery Hill. In 1908, this farm was sold to James Cochrane and then the Sargeants bought the farm of Samuel Connell (Lots 10-12, Concession 2, Derby Township). His dairy in town was likely established c. 1903. Melba Croft, in her book GROWTH OF A COUNTY TOWN, p. 33 (1903 section) mentions George A. Sargeant purchasing a barn in Owen Sound and moving it to a main street location. "Now Mr. Sargeant adopted the bottle system of milk delivery. Plain gem jars were used with disposable pulp caps. Daily delivery was assured before breakfast". Croft mentions on p. 220 (1915 section), that the very first milk bottle returns for money began in September of that year. The Owen Sound Dairy, Bothwell's Purity Dairy, W. C. Catto, and C.C. Sargent (sic, she likely jotted down the C.C. Bleich name and confused it with Mr. Sargeant's?) all requested either a 5 cent deposit, or an extra bottle of any size. Used bottles had been thrown out before this time". Croft mentions on p. 108 that George Sargeant had sold the retail part of his dairy business to Mr. Christopher Bleich, but would continue the wholesale end of the work. A 1909 directory listed four Dairymen in Owen Sound: C.C. Bleigh (sic--should be Bleich) along Poulett St., B. Goodwin, Alex Nichol (Christie's Hill) and Geo. Sargent (sic, should be Sargeant). Mr. Sargeant is not listed in the residential listing of this directory. C. C. Bleich had his dairy and residence both at 254 Poulett George Sargeant apparently had a dairy along main street, Owen Sound (2nd Ave. East near 7th St.), while his farm was in Derby. In the 1911 census of Derby, his primary occupation was noted as "Dairyman" and his other occupation as "Farmer". In the November, 1919, telephone directory, he was listed as "Sargeant, George, Dairyman, Owen Sound". John P. Sargeant mentions other farmers who sometimes supplied milk to George Sargeant over a period of several years (Ed Porteous, Sam Brown, James Beckett, Hugh Linn/Lynn, Mr. Squires, Alex McMillan. He also employed some farmhands. The 1922 City of Owen Sound Classified Business Directory listed two dairies in the city, one was the "City Dairy Co." at 756A 2nd Ave. East, and the other one was the Owen Sound Dairy Co. at 1127 3rd Ave. West. The 1906 FARMERS AND BUSINESS DIRECTORY, BRUCE, GREY AND SIMCOE, Vol. X1V, p. 151, listed George Sargeant as a freeholder at Con. 3, Lot 15, Derby Twp. This address was the same in the 1910 directory. In the 1914 Vernon's Directory of Bruce, Grey & Simcoe, he is listed as a freeholder at Con. 2, Lot 11, Derby Twp. At the end of the First World War, George patriotically donated 300 bushels of wheat to the Canadian Red Cross Society. He wrote a letter to the editor of the OWEN SOUND DAILY SUN-TIMES (Nov. 15, 1918), grateful for the sacrifices made by the soldiers. He mentioned that he had an interest in helping discouraged crippled veterans, as he had been able to become a successful farmer despite being crippled at the age of five. He also had purchased 5 pounds of butter at a patriotic fund-raiser (this was reported on Nov. 19, 1918). His name, and the names of George V. Sargeant, and Marjorie Sargeant, were embroidered on a 1917 fundraising quilt made by the Springmount Red Cross. The quilt is now in the Grey Roots collection (see 1968.020.001). The 1922 Vernon's Directory does not list George Sargeant. The 1926 Vernon's Directory listed "Sargent, George btch" (butcher) at 776 2nd Ave. East. George and Fanny apparently moved back to Owen Sound in 1933. (John P. Sargeant's research) In the 1938 Vernon's Directory of Owen Sound, George A. Sargeant and his wife Frances are listed at 778 2nd Ave. East. Vera Sargeant also was residing there then. Mr. Sargeant passed away at the Owen Sound General & Marine Hospital. He is buried at Greenwood Cemetery. His birth year was carved on the tombstone as 1864, which is an error. Some Family History: George's father, Jesse Sargeant, was 45 years old in the 1871 census of Derby Township. Jesse was a Labourer, born in England. His wife Elizabeth was 30 in 1871, and their family then was Hannah (10), Harriet (8), William (7), George (5), Martha (4) and Henry (1). Jesse Sargeant died December 30, 1873. His widow, Elizabeth (Betsey) Sargeant was married to Hugh Alexander Fraser on Aug. 29, 1878. When he was 88 years old, Henry Sargeant, was lost for five hours in a ravine in January, 1957. A newspaper article mentioned that he had wandered from the home of his nephew George Sargeant, who lives just south of the city over the Creamery Hill (=George Victor Sargeant) Henry's brother Dan Sargeant resided in Owen Sound. Daniel Sargeant was born in Nov. 1871. |
Occupation |
Farmer / Dairyman / Holstein Herd Sargeant Dairy / George A. Sargeant's Dairy (Owen Sound) Milk Supplier to the Owen Sound Dairy Milk Supplier to Canadian Pacific Railway (C.P.R.) ships at Owen Sound Butcher c. 1926? Charter Member of the Beulah Mission (Owen Sound) |
Publications |
Croft, Melba, A PORT OF SOME IMPORTANCE, p. 56-57 (images of a horse-drawn van with Geo. A. Sargeant painted on it, as well as a parade image, where Mr. Sargeant is driving a cow pulling a buggy). Croft, Melba Morris, GROWTH OF A COUNTY TOWN, pp. 30, 105, 220 Croft, Melba Morris, FOURTH ENTRANCE TO HURONIA, p. 277 Letter to the Editor from George A. Sargeant, OWEN SOUND SUN-TIMES, Nov. 15, 1918 -1903 FARMERS AND BUSINESS DIRECTORY -The 1906 FARMERS AND BUSINESS DIRECTORY, BRUCE, GREY AND SIMCOE, Vol. X1V, p. 151 -1914 Vernon's Directory of Bruce, Grey & Simcoe, see the Derby section -1922 City of Owen Sound Classified Business Directory (Henry Vernon & Sons), reprinted in Melba Croft's book OWEN SOUND 1921 -See John P. Sargeant's geneaology website (Geneaology.com) -COLE'S OWEN SOUND DIRECTORY OF 1909, p. 163 lists Geo. A. Sargeant, Dairyman, Owen Sound |
Relationships |
-Supplied milk to the Bleich dairy of Owen Sound (Chris & Fred Bleich) -Charter member of the Beulah Mission at Owen Sound Sister: Hannah Sargeant m. Thomas Coleman, Nov. 18, 1886 Sister: Harriet Sargeant m. Wm. Cornelius Barber on May 20, 1905 Brother: William Sargeant (b. 1864?) m. Martha Milda Robinson on Sept. 16 1890 Brother: Henry Sargeant b. Nov. 18, 1869 Brother: Daniel Sargeant b. Nov. 26, 1871 Sister: Arabella Emma Sargeant m. David D. Robinson on Nov. 13, 1895 |
Role |
Business person |
Spouse |
Frances Maud Alice (Fanny) Mayhew, m. Feb. 26, 1894 |
Children |
Mary A. Sargeant / Retta Sargeant, b. Dec. 2, 1895 (m. Harvey F. Henderson), d. Oct. 28, 1983 Edna Ruth Sargeant, b. Sept. 24, 1897 (m. Ralph Henderson) George Victor Sargeant (b. Feb. 20,1900, also known as Geordie, m. Elizabeth May Wheildon of Holland Twp.) Albert Sargeant (b. 1909-d. 1909) Marjorie Eliza Sargeant m. Francis Roy Kenned and Kurt Wall Vera Isabel Sargeant b. Jan. 10, 1904, m. John Jones, d. Nov. 2, 1972 Helen Frances Sargeant m. Sam Kirk {David Samuel Kirk] in 1926 Dorothy Sargeant b. 1910, m. Harry Robertson, d. Dec. 20, 1975 Jean Berniece Sargeant m. Gordon Edward Danard in 1931 Also fostered Fred Piper |
