Person Page - 600

Walter D. Sewall, about 91, last member of the family of Henry Devereux and Mary Catherine Sewall, early settlers of Watertown, died last Thursday at the home of his son, Frank H. Sewell, 125 Sterling street, Brooklyn, according to word received here today. Mr Sewall was an uncle of Mrs. Charles W. Valentine, 137 Mullin street, city.
After leaving Watertown about 35 years ago Mr Sewall was in the insurance business in New York. He retired a few years ago. Mr. Sewall was at one time connected with the Bagley & Sewall company of this city of which his brother, Edmund Q. Sewall, mother of Mrs. Charles W. Valentine, was one of the founders.
Mr. Sewall married Carina Houghton in this city. Mrs. Sewall, an accomplished musician, played the organ in the First Methodist church of this city for many years.
Henry Devereux Sewall, Walter D. Sewall's father was one of the early settlers of this city. He came here from New York city in May, 1829, and established a woollen mill on what is now known as Sewall's island. The entire island was owned by Mr. Sewall. He erected the original structure of Bagley & Sewall's Machine Works. He also built a large stone house on Sewall's island. This house was torn down a few years ago. When the first Trinity church was built in Court street the greater part of the expense was borne by Mr. Sewall, he and his family being members of the congregation. Mr. and Mrs. Sewall were the parents of nine children. Walter D. Sewall was the last of the children to die.
Edmund Q. Sewall, brother of Walter D. Sewall, was one of Watertown's most prominent men. He graduated from Harvard university at the age of 18 and spent two years at Heidelberg, Germany. For one year he was associated with the law firm of Mullin and Goodale and then engaged in business with George A. Bagley under the firm name of Bagley & Sewall. The Bagley & Sewall company was incorporated July 6, 1882.
Mr. Sewall is survived by his widow, Mrs. Carina Sewall of Brooklyn; a son Frank H. Sewall of Brooklyn, and the following nieces. Mrs. C.W. Valentine of this city, Mrs. Kendall Emerson of Wooster, Mass., and Mrs. John R. Searles of Detroit. Mich.⁷

Watson A. Sewall, 58 of 2500 Woodlawn, died at 6:05 p.m. Friday at Shannon Hospital after a long illness.
Born at Craft Jan 20 1906, he moved to San Angelo 18 years ago. He was a member of Wall Baptist Church.
Funeral will be held at 3.30 p.m. Monday in Johnson's Chapel with the Rev James Rogers officiating. Burial will be in Fairmount cemetery.
Survivors include his wife, two step daughters, Mrs Chester Kort of San Angelo and Mrs James Baker of Kokomo, Ind; a step son Bill A. Block of San Angelo and a brother, Marshal Sewall of Abilene.⁵

MEMORIAL services for Dr. Weston F. Sewall of Roslindale, a retired specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology on the staffs of several area hospitals, will be held at noon tomorrow at the First and Second Unitarian Church, Boston.
Dr. Sewall died Sunday at his home after a long illness. He was 81.
He was born in Livermore Falls, Maine and graduated from Bowdoin College in 1927 and Harvard Medical School in 1931.
A resident of Roslindale for more than 50 years, he was a member of the staff of the Boston Lying-In Hospital, Brigham and Women’s, Faulkner and the Massachusetts General Hospital.
He was the former president of the Suffolk District Medical Society, secretary of the Massachusetts Benevolent Society and a member of the Massachusetts Medical Society, the College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Sons of the Revolution. He is survived by wife, Elizabeth (McGee) Sewall, two sons, Bayard Livingston of Norwell and Richard Sewall of Pembroke.⁵

William taught school, badly, and owned a large farm in Cass County, Illinois, which he managed very badly and was heavily in debt when he died. Eliza ran it successfully until her death.
Another account of his life is rather different, it reads: "On account of his father's prominence and services to the country, his son, father of Mrs. Goodell, obtained a lucrative position in Washington, but on his way thither he was shipwrecked on Long Island sound in extreme cold weather, and, on seeing a woman on board suffering for want of more clothes, took off his coat and gave it to her to save her life. Then, to keep from freezing and the ship was sinking, he had to work the ship pump so long that he froze his hands and was rendered unable to write and fill the office. Then after a long illness he went, at the age of twenty-one, to Virginia, where he taught school, having received a liberal education for boys in those days. It was while thus engaged he met and married his wife in Virginia, which was then a part of Maryland. His wife was a native of Nanjamoy, Maryland, and was the daughter of Samuel and Catharine (Hoe) Middleton. The Middleton's were of English ancestry, and early settlers of America. Both families were prominent in business and social affairs of the State, and many of their relatives were accomplished literary men, while others were distinguished in the law and other professions. Some of the descendants took an active and prominent part in the Confederate army. Soon after his marriage, about 1829, Mr. Sewell removed to Illinois, then a new and sparsely settled country. They settled in Jacksonville, where Mr. Sewell taught school and entered 640 acres of land in Cass county. He taught school for about two or three years, when he removed to his farm, where he continued to reside until his death. He was a very devout man and did much good in this new country. He was a active worker in Sunday-school and church matters, acting for years as superintendent of the former as long as he lived, and was instrumental in building the first church in the community, of which he was the first the Elder. He did more to build up both of these institutions in the early day than any other man. Storms and cold weather deterred him from his duty. To make sure of prompt attendance he would take his kindling wood with him, and his wife her broom, and ride three miles to the village church, then used as a schoolhouse; and while he made the fire, she would sweep and clean up the house before the people of the village had started out.
He and his worthy wife had six children, three of whom are now living. He was universally beloved and respected, and was greatly lamented when he died on his farm, in 1846, aged about forty-nine years."³

See the guardian accounts (from 1827 to 1846) for William Sewall's children, though Sarah Sewall was still alive. Hardy Ropes and Stephen Sewall were guardians to Samuel G. Sewall, Mary Sewall, and William Sewall, Jr. The account book lists payments for domestic help, tuition, medicine, books, clothing, and shoes. Business Manuscripts Collection at Baker Library, Harvard University. Ropes Family Collection, Catalog Record Mss 766 1789-1875 R785. Boxes 1, 2, and 4, and carton 1.⁶