American Biography – Samuel Sewall
(1652 – 1730)
Samuel was born in England into a
Puritan family. His father had lived in
the Massachusetts Bay colony earlier.
But he had returned to England when the
Puritans established a government under
Oliver Cromwell. After the restoration
of the monarchy, he returned to the
colony with his family.
Samuel entered Harvard College,
and graduated when he was nineteen
years old. Since life was rather short in
those days, people finished their formal
education at a relatively early age. After
graduation he could not decide whether
to become a minister or a businessman.
His mind was made up for him four years
later when he married Hannah Hull, the
daughter of John Hull, a merchant and
the wealthiest man in the colony.
Samuel and Hannah had fourteen
children, of whom nine lived to maturity.
Samuel was now a member of the
upper class of colonial society. After his
father-in-law’s death, Samuel took over the business. He also devoted himself to
expanding his knowledge and to public service. Over the next years he filled various
public positions. By 1684, he was a member of the governing council of the colony.
In 1688, he went to England as part of the group of colonial politicians who renegotiated the Charter of the colony. He continued to sit as a member of the new
Council until 1725.
Because of his social status and the respect he commanded, he was appointed
a justice of the superior court of the colony in 1692. In that same year, he was made
one of the members of the court that tried the witches of Salem. He and his
colleagues condemned nineteen people to death by hanging for witchcraft. Five years
later he publicly confessed that he had been wrong. He was the only judge who had
the courage to take this action. His fellow colonists did not condemn him for this
action. In fact, in 1718, he was raised to the position of chief justice.
Hannah had died in 1717; two years later he re-married. His new wife had
been widowed twice. However, she died a few months after marriage. Soon after,
he courted another wealthy widow. However, she insisted that she buy her a coach
and wigs after they married. Samuel decided that her demands would cost him more
money than her properties would make for him. Instead, he married a single woman.
(Marrying widows was very popular in colonial Massachusetts. By law, a widow
inherited at least one-third of her deceased husband’s estate. He new husband was
entitled to the profits generated by her property, but not the property itself, which
still belonged to her).
For over fifty years, Samuel kept a daily diary. When it was published late in
the nineteenth century, it filed three large volumes. These books reveal a man who
combined a relish for making money with a deep concern about death and a firm
sense of morality. He reflected the many-sided character of the Puritan personality.
He was able to mix his business pursuits with his religious devotion. Although a
member of the upper section of society, he nevertheless was anxious to have justice
done to the less fortunate members of society. In 1700, he published a short
pamphlet, “The Selling of Joseph”. It was the first anti-slavery publication in the
colonies. His open opposition to slavery took great courage since many of his fellow
Puritan merchants were engaged in the slave-trade. Although he was wealthy and
powerful, his religious convictions forced him to be humble and honest with himself
and others.
Question for Thought:
In what ways did Samuel Sewall represent the transition of the
Massachusetts colony from the rigid Puritan society to a more secular one?
Samuel Sewall at the Salem Witch Trial.