Daniel Sargent Sr. (March 18, 1730 – February 18, 1806) was an American merchant in

Gloucester, Massachusetts Gloucester () is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It sits on Cape Ann and is a part of Massachusetts's North Shore. The population was 29,729 at the 2020 U.S. Census. An important center of the fishing industry and a ...

, and then Boston.

Early life

Sargent was born on March 18, 1730, in Gloucester, Massachusetts. He was the son of Col. Epes Sargent (1690–1762) and Ester McCarty, daughter of Florence McCarty. His brothers were Revolutionary war hero

Paul Dudley Sargent Paul Dudley Sargent (Baptized June 23, 1745, Salem, Massachusetts – September 28, 1828 Sullivan, Maine) was a privateer and soldier in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Early life Sargent was born in 1745 and baptized ...

(1745–1828) and John Sargent (1750–1824). Through his other brother Winthrop Sargent (1727–1793), he was the uncle of

Judith Sargent Murray Judith Sargent Stevens Murray (May 1, 1751 – June 9, 1820) was an early American advocate for women's rights, an essay writer, playwright, poet, and letter writer. She was one of the first American proponents of the idea of the equality of the ...

(1751–1820), the poet and advocate for women's rights, and Winthrop Sargent (1753–1820), Governor of Mississippi Territory. His father was one of the largest landholders in Gloucester and had is portrait painted in 1760 by

John Singleton Copley John Singleton Copley (July 3, 1738 – September 9, 1815) was an Anglo-American painter, active in both colonial America and England. He was probably born in Boston, Massachusetts, to Richard and Mary Singleton Copley, both Anglo-Irish. Afte ...

two years before his death in 1762.

Career

He was a very successful merchant who was referred to as the "merchant prince". He was engaged in the fishing business and foreign trade, moving to

Newburyport, Massachusetts Newburyport is a coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, northeast of Boston. The population was 18,289 at the 2020 census. A historic seaport with vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island. The mo ...

, and then to Boston, where he had his offices at 25 and then 40 Long Wharf and owned Sargent's Wharf, Boston, MA.

Personal life

In 1763, he married Mary Turner (1744–1813), the daughter of John Turner III of the House of the Seven Gables. Daniel's wife Mary was extremely close to his niece

and many of their correspondence were kept by Judith and now at the

Sargent House Museum The Sargent House Museum is a historic house museum located at 49 Middle Street, Gloucester, Massachusetts. The museum is open on weekends from Memorial day to Columbus day, and offers guided tours of the historic home, a small gift shop, and rot ...

portrait of Mary Turner Sargent is at Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco Together, they had one daughter, who died young, and six sons: * Daniel Sargent (1764–1842), a politician who was close friends with John Quincy Adams. * Ignatius Sargent (1765–1821) * John Turner Sargent (1769–1813) *

Henry Sargent Henry Sargent (baptized November 25, 1770 – February 21, 1845), American painter and military man, was born in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Early life He was one of seven children born to Daniel Sargent Sr. and Mary (née Turner) Sargent (174 ...

(1770–1845), a painter * Mary Osborne Sargent, (1780–1781), who died in infancy. * Winthrop Sargent (1783–1808) * Lucius Manlius Sargent (1786–1867), the temperance advocate. Sargent died on February 18, 1806, at his home in Boston, at the corner of Essex and Lincoln Streets.

Descendants

Through his second son Ignatius, he was the great-grandfather of Harvard

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

Charles Sprague Sargent (1841–1927). He was also the four-times-great grandfather of

John Turner Sargent John Turner Sargent Jr. (born ) is an American book publisher; he was the CEO of Macmillan Publishers USA, and is the executive vice president of the Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group, where he oversees the global trade operations in the U. ...

, CEO of Macmillan Publishers.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sargent, Daniel Sr. 1730 births 1806 deaths People from Gloucester, Massachusetts People from Boston American merchants