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b.1835–d.1902
Background
According to his death certificate, James was aged 71 when he died but, as research eventually showed, he was only 67 years old. Unfortunately, his death certificate only stated that he, James Sergeant (sic), was ‘of no occupation, of 19 Augustus Road, Hammersmith‘.
Looking for when he lived at this address was unsuccessful, but after searching for the address, it seems that number 19 Augustus Road was not in existence until at least 1890.
The 1901 census recorded that Lewis Reeve was the head of the household of number 19 Augustus Road. Also living there was his wife Clara and son James Reeve, plus Clara’s widowed father Thomas Knight. There were three boarders also living there.
James Sargent was not listed as living with them at this point, so my search turned to what became the complicated history of the Knight and Sargent families. I have tried to keep their stories as clear and compact as possible but, after going down so many rabbit holes, I feel like renaming myself Hazel in Wonderland………..
“In Lewis Carroll’s 1865 classic, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the “rabbit hole” is the deep tunnel Alice falls into after following the White Rabbit. It serves as a literal gateway to Wonderland and a famous metaphor for diving into a complex, strange, or unknown situation”
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Wikipedia
The Sargent family
For their story, we need to travel back to before James was born, and to his mother’s beginnings.
James’ mother Mary, the daughter of James and Faith (née Fenton) Sargent, was born on 17th February 1809 in Hemel Hempstead. She was aged 23 when she gave birth to her first child; this child was baptised in St Martin in the Fields Church, Westminster, on 11th July 1832, as Matilda Mary Knight. As can be seen on the baptismal image below, she was recorded as being the daughter of Thomas Sargent and Mary Knight. Their address was recorded as being in Oxendon Street, Westminster, and Thomas’ occupation was noted as an upholsterer.
Matilda Mary Knight’s 1832 baptism entry
On 14th December 1833, Mary gave birth to her second child who was baptised on 1st August 1834 in St James Church, Piccadilly as Thomas Sargent, the son of Thomas Knight and Mary Sargent. Their address this time was recorded as being in Blenheim Street. This time no occupation was recorded for Thomas.
Thomas Sargent’s 1834 baptism entry
‘Our’ James was born on 23rd August 1835 but not baptised as James Knight Sargent until 7th August 1837 in St Pancras Parish Church where he was recorded as being illegitimate. The name Thomas had been crossed out above Mary’s name whose surname was recorded as Sargent. Her address was recorded as being in Drummond Street, the same street where Euston Railway Station had been built that year.
James Sargent’s 1837 baptism entry
Mary returned to her hometown Hemel Hempstead and there gave birth to her fourth child Victoria on 4th June 1838. From 1st July 1837, the newly opened UK General Register Office (GRO) required notification of all births, marriages and deaths to be registered and so Victoria was the first of Mary’s children to be registered. Victoria Knight’s birth certificate below shows that she was reportedly the daughter of Thomas Knight, an upholsterer, and Mary Knight, formally Sargent. However, no marriage at any time has been found for the couple.
Victoria Knight’s 1838 birth certificate
The 1841 census was taken on the night of 6th June, and recorded Mary Sargent as living in Tamworth Yard, Hemel Hempstead, where she was working as a bonnet maker to support herself and her four children; Matilda aged 9, Thomas aged 7, James aged 5, and Victoria aged 3. It is unknown if she was receiving any kind of help from Thomas Knight. No other records have been found for James’ brother Thomas Sargent/Knight.
On 7th March 1842 Mary gave birth to her fifth child, another daughter, whose name, Mercy Thomas Sargent, perhaps summed up how Mary was feeling about her relationship with her children’s father Thomas Knight.
Mercy Thomas Sargent’s 1842 birth certificate
On 8th October 1844, Mary Sargent was recorded as being aged 35 and a spinster when she married bachelor Charles Bruton, an ostler from Watford. Mary’s father’s name was given as James Sargent, a carpenter, and Charles’ father as William Bruton, a shoemaker. Their witnesses to their marriage in St Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe Church, Queen Victoria Street in the City of London, were Richard and Sarah Emmerton.
Mary and Charles went on to have four known children together – Charles William born in 1845, Faith born in 1847, William Arthur born in 1849, and Maria Rebecca in 1852.
The 1851 Census recorded the Bruton family as living at 17 Capland Street, St Marylebone, Middlesex, where Charles worked as a Fly Driver [a Fly was a light, horse-drawn hackney carriage]. Mary was still working as a bonnet maker while her 16-year-old son, James, ran errands to help support the family. James and his sisters Victoria and Mercy were all recorded with the surname Sargent, and their half siblings as Charles, Frances and William Bruton. James’ sister Matilda was not living there with the rest of the family.
The Knight Family
Thomas, the son of John and Ann Knight, was born on 10th November 1801 in St James Westminster, London, and was baptised on 29th November in St James Church, Piccadilly. His father John was a feather mattress and palliasse maker and for many years was living and trading from 49 Carnaby Street, one of many properties belonging to William Bough. Ann gave birth to another son on 11th March 1804 who was baptised as George Alexander on 25th March in the same church as Thomas. George later became a Chain Maker, while Thomas became heir-apparent to their father’s bedding empire.
Thomas Knight and Mary Ann Elton were both only 19 when they married on 20th February 1821 in St Martin in the Fields Church, Westminster. There do not seem to be any children born to the young couple.
After his father’s death in an infirmary in October 1825, Thomas took over the family mattress making business. The business must have been doing well as in 1834 and 1835 Thomas posted staff vacancy advertisements into the local newspapers.
“… good plain cook in a small family where a footman is kept, a person age 37 who thoroughly understands her business and can have an unexceptionable character. Direct to H.D. Mr Knight’s 49 Carnaby-street, Golden Square.”
“…Housemaid where footman is kept, a steady person who lived 12 months in her last place and can be well recommended by the lady she has just left.
Direct to A.B., Mr Knight’s 49 Carnaby-street, Golden Square.”
Whether any house-staff were finally employed by Thomas Knight is unknown as the 1841 census only recorded Thomas and his wife living at 49 Carnaby Street, along with tailors Mary and William Jenkins, and errand boy Daniel Decay.
The 1851 census was taken on the night of 30 March and recorded Thomas and Mary Ann as both aged 49 and living at 49 Carnaby Street, St James Westminster. They only had two young servants, 15-year-old Mary Angel and 15-year-old Henry Wallbank, an errand boy. Thomas was recorded as being a Bedding Manufacturer.
Only a few months later, on 27th September 1851, Mary Ann Knight died at home from liver disease. Thomas was with her at her death and registered her death on 1st October. Mary Ann was buried on 4th October in All Souls Church, Kensal Green.
Five months after his wife’s death, Thomas was aged 50 when he married 27-year-old spinster Drusilla Sawyer on 29th March 1852 in St Martin-In-The-Fields Church, London; their marriage was witnessed by Annie Cheeseman and Charles Perks. The newlywed couple both gave Hemming Row as their address.
Drusilla gave her father as James Sawyer, a builder, but no records have been found to expand on this other than she was born in Worthing, Sussex.
Their marriage produced three children in quick succession. Thomas junior was born on 4th September 1852 (counting the months, he was either premature or Drusilla was three months pregnant when she married), John born on 2nd November 1854, and Alice born on 28th June 1856. By the time Alice was born the family had moved along the road to 35 Carnaby Street.
On 26th February 1857, Thomas made his last will and testament in favour of his wife Drusilla; none of their young children were mentioned in it. Thomas was aged 55 when he died at home on 5th April 1857 from disease of the lungs and kidneys. His body was buried in the same churchyard as his first wife Mary Ann.
Left with Thomas’ bed and mattress business and assets, Drusilla took control of what was now hers.
The Sargent and Knight connection
On 25th July 1858, in Trinity Church, St Marylebone, James Sargent was aged 22 when he married the 33-year-old widow Drusilla Knight, née Sawyer. James, now recorded as an upholsterer, gave Great Portland Street as his address and the now late Thomas Sargent, mattress maker, as his father. Their witnesses were Edward Spiller and Dinah Cheshire.
When James’ sister Matilda had married Frederick Ridley in 1855 in Saint Marylebone Church, she gave Thomas Sargent, an upholsterer, as her father. From these two marriage entries, it indicates that their father, Thomas Sargent/Knight, had died between 1855-1858.
It was at this point when questions had to be asked –
- Were Thomas Knight and Thomas Sargent the same man?
- If so, then had Thomas’ legal wife known about his relationship with Mary Sargent?
- If so, then had she also known that her husband had illegitimate children with Mary?
- If so, then had James and his siblings had any contact with their birth father growing up?
- If so, then had James in fact knowingly or unknowingly married his stepmother, and become his half-siblings’ stepfather?
James moved into 35 Carnaby Street where Drusilla gave birth to their son on 8th March 1859. However, no GRO birth record has been found for him. On 17th April, in St James’ Church, Piccadilly, their son was baptised William Knight Sargent, and James was recorded as being a bed manufacturer.
The 1861 census recorded James’ mother Mary and stepfather Charles, along with his sisters Victoria and Mercy Sargent, and half-siblings Charles junior, Fanny (Frances), and Maria Bruton as living at 50 Henry Street, St Marylebone. Mary and Charles lived together, happily I hope, until Mary’s death in 1870. The whereabouts in the 1871 census or a death record for Charles has not been found.
At first there was no sign of James Sargent in the 1861 census, but Drusilla was found on the evening of 7th April
living at their last known address with her children, but James was recorded as “Thomas K Sargent”.
Recorded as living at 35 Carnaby Street, Westminster, and listed as follows were:
- Thomas K Sargent, married, aged 26 (YOB 1835), an upholsterer, born London.
- Drucilla K Sargent, married, aged 36 (YOB 1825), born Sussex.
- Thomas Knight, son, aged 8, born London.
- John Knight, son, aged 6, born London.
- Alice Knight, daughter, aged 4, born London.
- William K Sargent, son aged 2, born London.
James and Drusilla Sargent’s daughter was born four months later on 15th August 1861 and was baptised in St James Church, Piccadilly, on 23rd October as Clara Knight Sargent. Again, no GRO birth record has been found.
It was Drusilla’s name and not that of her husbands’ that appeared in both the Post Office Directory and City Directory in 1865 as “Knight Drucilla (Mrs.) bed & mattress ma. 35 Carnaby st. W”.
Frustratingly, none of the Sargent-Knight family have been found in the 1871 census but, over the years, it looks likely that James Sargent gradually became known as Thomas Knight, and his children took on the Knight surname. The family was living in 5 Brier Villas, Hammersmith when the 1881 census was taken and where James was recorded as Thomas Knight, aged 45, from Edgware Hertford (sic), occupation mattress maker, who was married to Drucilla Knight, aged 53. Their children were recorded as 27-year-old John Knight who was also a mattress maker, Alice Knight aged 23, and Clara Knight aged 17. Drusilla Knight’s name however, continued to be recorded in the Electoral Registers until 1892 as having a dwelling house and shop at number 35 Carnaby Street, then the property of a Miss Howis.
Daughter Clara married Lewis Frederick Reeve, a pianoforte maker, in 1888, and when the 1891 census was taken it was recorded that they and their one-year-old daughter Marguerite Reeve were living with her parents ‘Thomas’ and Drusilla Knight at 19 Augustus Road, Hammersmith. Also living with them was daughter Alice Knight, aged 34, and nine-year-old grandson William Knight. Later that year, Clara gave birth at home to her son who they baptised on 21st October as James Lewis Mortimer Reeve.
In 1892 Drusilla Knight was listed as the occupier of 1 Pugh’s Place, St James Westminster, the property of P Jones of Fairfield Lodge, Kingston on Thames. Perhaps James had moved there with her but after Drusilla died aged 70 from malignant disease of the liver and exhaustion on 15th January 1895 at 19 Augustus Road, he returned home to live with his daughter Clara and her family who were renting three unfurnished rooms from him.
So, we have now come full circle back to the beginning of this story and find that when the 1901 census was taken, Lewis was listed as being the head of the household of 19 Augustus Road with his wife Clara and their son James, plus Thomas Knight, aka James Sargent. Mystery solved.
James was admitted into the Horton Asylum in Epsom, Surrey, on 14th November 1902. His stay was a matter of days before he died there on 17th November from cancer, phthisis (also known as the wasting-condition consumption), and heart disease.
James Sargent’s body was buried in grave 71 in the Horton Estate Cemetery, Epsom, on 22nd November 1902.
His daughter Clara and her family continued to live at 19 Augustus Road, Hammersmith, until at least 1909, so why her father was buried in Horton Estate Cemetery and not nearer to his former home is unknown.
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