SAWYER, Lucy Sargent, missionary worker, was born in Belfast, Me., April 3, 1840. Her father was Mial Butman Sargent, her mother, Lucy Pace, whose mother was a Rice of old New England ancestry and whose paternal grandfather was John Pace, born at Boston in 1746. Her father's ancestors were among the earliest settlers of Gloucester and Beverly, Mass. Her grandfather, John Sargent, took up a tract of land on the Penobscot river, in what was called the District of Maine, in the latter part of the eighteenth century, on a part of which stands the house in which she was born. It was afterward included in the town of Searsport. Members of the family still reside on a part of the original tract. Her grandfather, John Sargent, was one of the charter members of the Congregational society in Belfast, Me. She was thoroughly educated in the best academic institutions in the state. At an early age she became a teacher. At the outbreak of the civil war in 1861, she entered actively into the work of providing clothing and comforts for the soldiers. In March, 1862, she became the wife of James E.C. Sawyer, who was then engaged in teaching, but soon after, entering into the work of the ministry, held some of the most prominent pastorates in the Methodist church. Mrs. Sawyer was one of the first women of America to realize the great sphere of usefulness open to somen in the missionary field. During the pastorates of Dr. Sawyer in Providence, R.I., she organized in 1870, the Woman's foreign missionary society of the Methodist churches of that city. The Woman's foreign missionary society had been organized in Boston the previous year, and the society in Providence quickly became one of the most vigorous branches. She also took a leading part in the organization of auxiliaries in the territory of the New England southern conference, and in securing from that body its first recognition of the Woman's foreign missionary movement. When the women of the Methodist denomination entered upon the organization of a Home missionary society, Mrs. Sawyer was nominated by the Troy conference at its session in Glens Falls in 1881, as secretary of the Woman's home missionary society of the Troy conference. The following year the Troy conference woman's home missionary society was completely organized, and she was elected its first president. During her administration the society built the beautiful Kent home, for the training of colored girls, at Greensboro, N.C. The remarkable growth and prosperity of the Woman's home missionary society of the Troy conference is largely due to the wisdom and energy with which she laid its foundations. Her subsequent residence was in Syracuse, N.Y., her husband becoming the editor of the "Northern Christian Advocate," one of the official periodicals of the Methodist denomination. In all reformatory and philanthropic movements she is greatly interested, and is a member and patron of several of those organizations which women have formed for the social and moral elevation of humanity; but her chief affection and devotion is for the temperance and missionary causes. Her winning personality is a potent influence, widely felt. Mrs. Sawyer had two children. One of them, Lucy Sargent Sawyer, died at ten years of age. The other is Mrs. Flora L. Turknett of Syracuse. (From the The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography, by James Terry White, 1894)

LUCY SARGENT SAWYER.

Missionary worker, born in Belfast, ME., 3rd April, 1840. Her maiden name was Sargent. Her remote ancestors were among the earliest settlers of Gloucester, Mass. Her grandfather, John Sargent, went from Beverly, Mass., to what was then called the District of Maine, before 1778, and took up a large tract of land, on a part of which members of the family still reside. He was a charter member of the Congregational Church in Belfast, Me. Lucy was thoroughly educated in the best academic institutions in the State. In March, 1862, she became the wife of James E. C. Sawyer, a young clergy and in the following July accompanied him to his first charge in Machias, Me. Mr. Sawyer's pastorates have since been some of the most prominent in the Methodist Episcopal denomination in the large city churches to which he has been called for twenty-five years past, the varied gifts, intellectual brilliancy and spiritual devotion of his wife have made her admired and revered. Their home has ever been the happy resort of great numbers of young people. By the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, which met in Omaha in May, 1892, Dr. Sawyer was elected editor of the Northern Christian Advocate published in Syracuse, N. Y. Their home is now in that city. Mrs. Sawyer has been especially active in missionary work. While in Providence R.I., she organized the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal churches of that city, directly after the beginning of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society in Boston. The Providence organization was for several years known as the Providence Branch. When the women of the denomination entered upon the organization of a home missionary society, Mrs. Sawyer, then residing in Albany, N. Y., was elected first president of the Troy Conference Home Missionary Society, and to the wisdom and energy with which she laid the foundations the re growth and prosperity of the society in that conference are largely due. In all reformatory and philanthropic movements she is greatly in and she is a generous and zealous patron of many of those organizations by which the Christian womanhood of our day is elevating the lowly, enlightening the ignorant, comforting the poor and afflicted, and saving the lost. (Taken from "A woman of the century: Fourteen hundred-seventy biographical sketches accompanied by portraits of leading American women in all walks of life." Buffalo [N.Y.] : C.W. Moulton, 1893.)