Leonard Sargeant

Leonard Sargeant (March 17, 1793 – June 18, 1880) was a Vermont politician and lawyer who served as Lieutenant Governor for two years.

"Vermont Lawyer," an 1841 painting. Based on analysis of photos at Manchester, Vermont's Masonic Lodge and Court House, the subject is Leonard Sargeant

Early life

Sargeant was born in Dorset, Vermont on March 17, 1793. He studied law and became an attorney in Manchester, practicing with Richard Skinner. Sargeant was also a farmer and served as Vice President of the Vermont Agricultural Society.[1] He was active in the Whig party, and served in numerous offices including probate judge, state's attorney, postmaster and justice of the peace.[2] He was a member of the Vermont Council of Censors in 1827, and a delegate to the 1836 Vermont constitutional convention.[3][4][5][6]

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 to New Jersey after an altercation with the Boorns and changed his name. The Boorn case is the first known instance of a wrongful conviction for murder in the United States.[7][8]

Political career

Sargeant served in both the Vermont House of Representatives and Vermont Senate in the 1830s and 1840s.[9] From 1846 to 1848 he served as Lieutenant Governor.[10]

After leaving office he practiced law until retiring in the 1870s.

Retirement and death

In retirement Sargeant resided at his daughter's home in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He died in Johnstown on June 18, 1880 and was buried at Dellwood Cemetery in Manchester.[11]

References
  1. Magazine article, Vermont Agricultural and Horticultural Society, The School Journal and Vermont Agriculturist, December 1847, page 121
  2. Journal of the Senate of the State of Vermont, published by Vermont General Assembly, 1842, page 7
  3. History of Vermont, by Zadock Thompson, 1842, page 127
  4. Journal of the Convention Holden at Montpelier, on the 6th day of January, 1836, published by J. Spooner, St. Albans, 1836, page 4
  5. Vermont Year Book, published by E. P. Walton, Montpelier, 1836, page 103
  6. United States Official Postal Guide, published by United States Post Office Department, 1822, page 48
  7. America's First Wrongful Murder Conviction Case, Center on Wrongful Convictions, Northwestern University School of Law, accessed January 5, 2011
  8. The Trial, Confessions and Conviction of Jesse and Stephen Boorn for the Murder of Russell Colvin, by Leonard Sargeant, 1873
  9. The Vermont Historical Gazetteer, edited by Abby Maria Hemenway, Volume 1, 1867, page 202
  10. General Election results, Vermont Lieutenant Governor, 1813–2011, Vermont Secretary of State, State Archives and Records Administration, 2011, page 7
  11. The Bibliography of Vermont, 1897, page 242
Political offices
Preceded by
Horace Eaton		 Lieutenant Governor of Vermont
1846–1848		 Succeeded by
Robert Pierpoint
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