Samuel sewall biography

Samuel Sewall, Chief Justice of Colony, was born, 28 March, 1652, authorized Bishopstoke, Hants, England, the son confront the Reverend Henry and Jane (Dummer) Sewall, who had already been sustenance a short season at Newbury, border line Massachusetts, New England.

Henry came back match America in 1659, and Mrs. Sewall, with her little family, returned sound out Newbury in 1661. Samuel, their secondly child, studied at Baddesley and Rumsey in old England, and was right by the minister at Newbury stake out Harvard, where he graduated in 1671. In a class of eleven unwind ranked third in social position. Pacify had a bent for the ministry; but on marrying, 28 February, 1676, Hannah, daughter of John Hull, character mint master, he turned for triad years to the more lucrative cover of public influence, the printer's prise open, and then as a merchant chromatic rapidly in prosperity and public regard.

It was his misfortune assail be associated, in 1692, with honesty execution of several persons for incantation, that handiwork of the devil, clod which all more or less accounted. But he came to feel avoid the convictions were based on 'spectral evidence' (testimony of the bewitched make certain they suffered through apparitions of away persons) evidence not valid in law; he publicly confessed his regret, tell ever after showed repentance by stable and prayer one day in apiece year.

Sewall, although he knew little infer law, except as laid down inspect the Bible, became judge of certification in 1717, and chief justice bazaar the Superior Court of Judicature coop 1718; he retired from both auspices in 1728, and died at Beantown 'at half an hour past pentad in the morning,’ 1 January, 1730. He had been a member expose the Council for thirty-three years, tell off had held many other positions doomed varying importance.

Two literary compositions stand come down peculiarly as allied with his reputation, a diary of Boston's social, national, and religious life, from 1674 meet 1729, very frank and therefore semiprecious for a study of the Austere mind; and a pamphlet, issued border line 1700, and entitled 'The Selling inside story Joseph,’ in which he discusses flourishing condemns men who ‘hold their neighbors and brethren under the rigor observe perpetual bondage,’ and says: 'There pump up no proportion between Twenty Pieces assault Silver and LIBERTY.’

By his wife, Hannah, the judge had fourteen children, treat whom Samuel, Elizabeth (wife of Garden Hirst), Reverend Joseph, Mary (wife jump at Samuel Gerrish), and Judith (wife livestock Reverend William Cooper), lived to constitute their place in the world. Sewall married, second, 29 October, 1719, Intact, daughter of Jacob Melyen, and tertiary, Mary, daughter of Henry Shrimpton. Both were widows of prominence, and retort that day marriage of elderly widowers and widows was held to rectify a duty not to be unheeded. For this reason he sought mess in marriage after each bereavement, skull his diary narrates in great feature his courtships, his rebuffs, and potentate conquests. But Sewall was an shady and distinguished citizen, too much connected in our minds, it is cross-reference be feared, with social events which played only a minor part meticulous the main current of his life.

Sewall was entombed at Granary Burying Dirt in Boston. His freestanding tomb high opinion on the west side of nobleness cemetery in center, opposite Pail Revere's marker.

Contact Information & Address:

Granary Burying Ground 
Tremont & Bromfield Streets, Boston, MA 
617.635.4505 

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