Samuel Sewall
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SAMUEL SEWALL “I read somewhere that everybody on this planet is separated by only six other people. Six degrees of separation. Between us and everybody else on this planet.” — Ouisa, in John Guare’s “SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION” NOTE: for the bio of this man’s 19th-Century namesake, the Reverend Samuel Eliot Sewall: SAMUEL E. SEWALL HDT WHAT? INDEX SAMUEL SEWALL SAMUEL SEWALL “NARRATIVE HISTORY” AMOUNTS TO FABULATION, THE REAL STUFF BEING MERE CHRONOLOGY “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project Samuel Sewall HDT WHAT? INDEX SAMUEL SEWALL SAMUEL SEWALL 1652 March 28, Sunday (Old Style): Samuel Sewall was born at Horton, near Basingstoke, County Hants, England. [I extrapolate mainly from the genealogy by James Savage: Samuel SEWALL of Boston, eldest son of the 2nd Henry SEWALL, born in England at Horton, near Basingstoke, County Hants, was baptized at the church of Basingstoke taught his rudiments at Rumsey school and came with his mother at 9 years of age to our country, admitted freeman 1678, artillery company 1679, of which he was Captain in 1701, a supervisor of the press in 1681, and printed with his own hand the catechism, chosen an Assistant from 1684 to 1686, when charter was abrogated and again, on its restoration from 1689 to 1692, and named of the council in new charter by King William and Queen Mary under advice of the Reverend Increase Mather, of which list he was the last survivor when he withdrew in 1725; was made a judge of Superior Court in 1692, and one of a special, but unlawful, commission with others under deputy-governor Stoughton for trial of the witches; several years judge of probate and died on January 1, 1730. For his partaking in the doleful delusion of that monstrous tribunal at Salem, that caused the death of so many innocents, he suffered remorse for long years with the highest Christian magnanimity supplicating for mercy on the Lord’s day, in the open congregation tho less tenderness of conscience was shown by a very religious magistrate the chief in that cause. See Hutchinson II. 61. He may also claim the honor of being one of the earliest in exertions against domestic slavery, and in answer to him one of his associate judges published a defence. By his 1st wife Hannah Hull, only surviving child of John Hull, the mintmaster, married on February 28, 1676, he had John SEWALL, born April 2, 1677, baptized April 8, 1677, who died next year; Samuel SEWALL, born June 11, 1678, baptized June 16, 1678; Hannah SEWALL, born on February 3, 1680, baptized on February 8, 1680, who died unmarried at 44 years; Elizabeth SEWALL, born on December 29, 1681, baptized on June 1 June, 1682; Hull SEWALL, born on July 8, 1684, baptized on July 13, 1684, died young; Henry SEWALL, born on December 8, 1685, baptized on December 13, 1685, died in few days; Stephen SEWALL, born on January 31, 1687, baptized on February 6, 1687, died in a few months; Joseph SEWALL, born on August 15, 1688, baptized on August 19, 1688, graduated from Harvard College in 1707; Judith SEWALL, born on August 13, 1690, baptized on August 24, 1690, died soon; Mary SEWALL, born on October 28, 1691, baptized on November 1, 1691, another child born on August 7, 1696, baptized on August 13, 1696, died soon; Sarah SEWALL, born on November 21, 1694, baptized on November 25, 1694, died young; one more, born sometime in 1696, died very soon; and Judith SEWALL, again, born on January 2, 1702, baptized on January 4, 1702; so that only six of the fourteen children grew to maturity. A 2nd wife Abigail Meylen Woodmansey Tilley, daughter of Jacob Meylen, who was widow of William Tilley, as she had been of James Woodmansey, married on October 29, 1719, died on May 26, 1720 and a 3rd wife married on March 29, 1722, Mary Shrimpton Gibbs, daughter of Henry Shrimpton, widow of Robert Gibbs, outlived him; but neither had brought him children. Elizabeth SEWALL married on October 17, 1700 with Grove Hirst, and died on July 10, 1716; Mary SEWALL married Samuel Gerrish, and died on November 16, 1710; and Judith SEWALL, married on May 12, 1720 with the Reverend William Cooper, and died on December 23, 1740. Folly has never been gratified by any tradition more than the story of the marriage of this Judge SEWALL as Hutchinson I. 178, tells, that he received with his 1st wife “as commonly reported thirty thousand pounds in New England shillings.” Easy was it for credulity to accept the addition to that tale, that she was put into the scales against an equal load of her father’s coin. Slight arithmetic would prove, that father and daughter together would scarcely balance one tenth of the silver; so that if we strike out one of the cyphers from that 30,000, and assume that dollars were the true read instead of pounds, it might be less marvelous if equally ridiculous. Probably he was the richest man in the Province at his death yet he left no will, and his administrators saw no use in return of inventory. Amicable partition, no doubt, was sufficient for the heirs. HDT WHAT? INDEX SAMUEL SEWALL SAMUEL SEWALL The Reverend Joseph SEWALL of Boston, son of Samuel SEWALL (1) born on August 15, 1688, baptized on August 19, 1688, graduated from Harvard College in 1707, ordained on September 16, 1713, colleague with the Reverend Ebenezer Pemberton at the Old South Church, got married on October 29, 1713 with Elizabeth Walley, daughter of the Honorable John Walley, received a PhD from Harvard College, had Samuel SEWALL (2), born in Boston on May 2, 1715, baptized on May 8, 1715, graduated from Harvard College in 1733, died during 1771; Joseph SEWALL, born on July 13, 1714, baptized on July 19, 1714, died during the following month. His wife died on October 27, 1756, and he died on June 27, 1769, after having the opportunity for declining in 1724, to be President of Harvard College, the honor of which election was ascribed to his piety by a competitor of more learning than decency or discretion, who solaced his mortification in defeat by the happiness of his sneer. His firstborn son Samuel SEWALL (2) would become the father of the excellent Chief Justice Samuel SEWALL (3), who would be born on December 11, 1757, and would graduate from Harvard College in 1776, and would make himself the third Chief Justice given by this family to the Court of highest civil and criminal jurisdiction in Massachusetts before dying in 1771. A daughter of this Chief Justice Samuel SEWALL (2), Dorothy SEWALL, would be born in 1758, and she would get married with Colonel Joseph MAY, by whom she would have 12 children, the youngest of whom was Abigail MAY — and thus would become the grandmother of Louisa May ALCOTT, though she died in 1825 and thus didn't live to see Louisa, who would be born on November 29, 1832.] May 4, Tuesday (Old Style): Samuel Sewall was baptized at Stoke Church in Bishop Stoke in Hampshire, England. NOBODY COULD GUESS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN NEXT Samuel Sewall “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project HDT WHAT? INDEX SAMUEL SEWALL SAMUEL SEWALL 1661 July 6, Saturday (Old Style): Samuel Sewall disembarked from the Prudent Mary in the port of Boston accompanied by his mother, his sisters, and his brothers. Soon the family would meet the father there and be taken to the town of Newbury. Until the year 1667, little Samuel would be receiving his schooling there from the Reverend Thomas Parker. LIFE IS LIVED FORWARD BUT UNDERSTOOD BACKWARD? — NO, THAT’S GIVING TOO MUCH TO THE HISTORIAN’S STORIES. LIFE ISN’T TO BE UNDERSTOOD EITHER FORWARD OR BACKWARD. “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project Samuel Sewall HDT WHAT? INDEX SAMUEL SEWALL SAMUEL SEWALL 1667 August: Samuel Sewall matriculated at Harvard College, where he would reside until 1674. THE FUTURE IS MOST READILY PREDICTED IN RETROSPECT “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project Samuel Sewall HDT WHAT? INDEX SAMUEL SEWALL SAMUEL SEWALL 1669 October 4, Monday (Old Style): Samuel Sewall was made a Scholar of the House by the Corporation of Harvard College. Rembrandt Van Rijn died. DO I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION? GOOD. Samuel Sewall “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project HDT WHAT? INDEX SAMUEL SEWALL SAMUEL SEWALL 1671 August 8, Tuesday (Old Style): Samuel Sewall and William Adams graduated at Harvard College with the Bachelor of Arts degree. Adams wrote in his diary “I was admitted to ye degree of Batchelour of Arts in Harvard Colledge in N.E. under ye Reverend Charles Chancey President.” THE FUTURE CAN BE EASILY PREDICTED IN RETROSPECT “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project Samuel Sewall HDT WHAT? INDEX SAMUEL SEWALL SAMUEL SEWALL 1673 March 1, Saturday (1672, Old Style): Samuel Sewall became Keeper of the Colledg Library at Harvard College. November 5, Wednesday (Old Style): Samuel Sewall was chosen Fellow of Harvard College. November 26, Wednesday (Old Style): Samuel Sewall was installed as Fellow before the Overseers of Harvard College. He would be serving as a Tutor until 1674. CHANGE IS ETERNITY, STASIS A FIGMENT Samuel Sewall “Stack of the Artist of Kouroo” Project HDT WHAT? INDEX SAMUEL SEWALL SAMUEL SEWALL 1674 Samuel Sewall began his diary. DIARY OF SAMUEL SEWALL March 1, Thursday: Samuel Sewall was reinstated for a second term as Keeper of the Colledg Library at Harvard College. April 2, Monday: According to the diary of Samuel Sewall, Benjamin Gourd of Roxbury (being about 17 years of age) was executed for committing Bestiality with a Mare, which was first knocked in the head under the Gallows in his sight.