Location: 43.87553 -70.86694
From its intersection with Notch Road, drive southeast on Bray Ridge Road 0.65 miles to a fork. Park and proceed southeast up the right fork on foot, past the last house, then 200 yards further east before turning south on a logging road. Travel approximately 250 yards southwest, passing the cellar hole on the way. The cemetery is on a hill and the perimeter is marked with flagging tape. GPS is recommended.
Historical Information: Joshua and Sarah (Storer) Sargent had eight sons that lived to adulthood. Their last two children, Irene and John W., died young. All four are buried in this cemetery.
Joshua Sargent’s homestead farm was located on the Lewis Road and was later owned by Thompson R. Cotton. Joshua’s second son, William E. Sargent, purchased the Jonathan Clemons’ farm (100 acres) in 1874. On the 1880 census, William and his wife Ruth (Cotton) Sargent were living at this new farm along with Joshua, Sarah, and six of their sons. When William sold the farm on 5/28/1903 (Book 82, Page 15), the deed included the statement: “I reserve the graveyard on which my parents and other members of the Sargent family are buried, together with the right of way to it.”
The burials in this cemetery are in a single line and appear to be in order of death. Starting on the north end is Irena Sargent (d. 1869), then John W. Sargent (d. 1880), then “E.E.M.”, then Joshua Sargent (d. 1893), then Sarah Sargent (d.1897). The headstone that pairs with the footstone with initials E.E.M. is missing and there is no record of who it is for. The only family with an “M” last name living nearby was the Charles and Annie Meserve family on the 1900 census. At that time they had five children living out of six. It is possible that E.E.M. was one of their children.
Condition (10/18/20): The trees in this cemetery were allowed to grow for too many years, causing damage to the gravestones. One tree grew over the graves of John and E.E.M., enveloping the bases and perhaps the headstone for E.E.M. Currently John and Irena’s headstones lean against the tree. Another tree has caused Sarah’s stone to lean severely. Joshua’s stone is broken into four pieces. The current landowner has had the trees cut and is interested in stone restoration.