NUGENT, Richard P. - Putnam

NEWGENT, Richard P., PO Morton, Farmer & Physician was born June 28, 1824 in Shelby County, Kentucky, son of Edward and Elizabeth Pugh Newgent, natives of Shelby Co KY; who settled in this county Oct 25, 1825. He married Feb 18, 1862, in this township, Lucinda, daughter of James and Emily Crawford; their children's names are as follows: George P; James E and Nellie C. When Dr. Newgent's parents came to this county, it was a forest infested by Indians; wild animals roamed at will through its leafy shades and rattlesnakes were their unpleasant neighbors. When the doctor was six years old, he unfortunately had his thigh-bone broken by a falling of a tree while in the woods assisting his father and soon after, during harvest was knocked over by a dog, which caused the refracture of the lately knit bone; in the following October, he had his ankle bones broken in May 1831 contracdted the sciatic rheumastism, from which he never fully recovered. At the age of 10, he was sent to school and obtained the rudiments of education in various little log schoolhouses in the neighborhood; when 20 began the study of medicine and after two years commenced practice at Clinton on the Wabash River; three months after, he took the milksickness, which lasted two years. In 1848, he moved to Trimble Co KY; located there and continued practice of his profession for four years; during that time, by the assistance of his parents, he was enabled to attend one course of lectures at Lousville, Ky; in 1852, he returned to Portland Mills, Putnam County; gained a small practice but not sufficient means to complete his education, so has never graduated. By close application to business, agrictulrual and medical, he has succeeded in obtaining a comfortable home for himself and family; his rule, through life, has been to buy nothing but what he needed and to keep out of debt. Dr. Newgent is a kind-heart, liberal man. Politically, a Democrat and hs been a consistent member of the Christian Church for 26 years.