Samuel Sewall | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's10th district | |
| In office December 7, 1796 – January 10, 1800 | |
| Preceded by | Benjamin Goodhue |
| Succeeded by | Nathan Read |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1757-12-11)December 11, 1757 |
| Died | June 8, 1814(1814-06-08) (aged 56) |
| Political party | Federalist |
| Alma mater | Harvard College |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
Samuel Sewall (December 11, 1757 – June 8, 1814) was an American lawyer and congressman. He was born inBoston in theProvince of Massachusetts Bay.
After attending Dummer Charity School (nowThe Governor's Academy), Sewall graduated fromHarvard College (A.B. 1776, A.M. 1779, honorary LL.D. 1808) and set up practice as a lawyer in Marblehead. He served as a member of the state legislature in 1783, and from 1788 to 1796.
He representedMassachusetts in theU.S. House of Representatives from 1796 to 1800, representing the10th congressional district,[1] and previously ran for the1st congressional district in 1792.[2] While in the House, he was appointed animpeachment manager for theimpeachment proceedings against SenatorWilliam Blount.[3] From 1800 to 1814 served as a judge of theMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, becoming chief justice in 1814. He died atWiscasset in Massachusetts'District of Maine while holding a court there.[1] He was elected a Fellow of theAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1801.[4]
American novelistLouisa May Alcott was Sewall's great niece. His younger sister, Dorothy, was Alcott's great-grandmother.[5] In 1781, he married Abigail Devereux; they had a family of at least six sons and two daughters. Sewall's great-grandfatherSamuel Sewall was a judge at theSalem witch trials in colonial Massachusetts, and subsequently Chief Justice of Massachusetts.[1]
Sewall was elected a member of theAmerican Antiquarian Society on June 1, 1814.[6] Sewall died seven days later on June 8, apparently before he could formally respond, so his disposition regarding membership is unknown.
In 1814,Fort Sewall inMarblehead, Massachusetts, was renamed for him.[7]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromMassachusetts's 10th congressional district December 7, 1796 – January 10, 1800 | Succeeded by |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by | Associate Justice of theMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court 1800–1814 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court 1814 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
