The Seawell Family; Wm. and Mary Qrtly., Vol. VIII, No. 1, July 1899, pp 54-62 Transcribed by Margaret Risby for the USGenWeb Archives Special Collections Project ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** SEAWELL FAMILY William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Vol. 8, No. 1. Jul., 1899), pp. 54 -62 SEAWELL FAMILY (See Quarterly VII., p. 194) Additional information makes a restatement of the latter part of the article advisable. Joseph Seawell (born about 1710) had by Elizabeth __________, (her will dated Sept. 22, 1786). at least three children: (1) Jo- seph, (2) John, (3) Sarah, born Sept. 30, 1746. Of these John Sewell married Jane Boswell, widow of _______ Thornton, and dau. of Major Thomas Boswell¹ and had an only son (1) John, _______________________________________________________________________ ¹The Boswell family had been long resident in Virginia. Major -------------------- Page 55 WILLIAM AND MARY COLLEGE QUARTERLY born February 6, 1760, and three daughters (2) Elizabeth, who married first Col. Thomas Whiting,² of Gloucester Town, and secondly Major Samuel Cary. (3)Jane, who m. Capt. William Vaughan, (4) Dolly, who married John Camp. (Who was Dorothy Churchill, of whom Dr. Thomas Boswell was administrator in Middlesex county in 1816?) Of these John Seawell married Fanny Hobday, dau of John and Hannah (Green) Hobday. John Hobday was manager for Col. Thomas Whiting. Fanny Greene, his wife, was a descendant _______________________________________________________________________ Thomas Boswell was probably a son of Joseph and Jane Boswell, of Gloucester. They had a son, Benjamin (a family name in the Seawells), baptized July 23, 1732. Joseph was born March 26, 1700, and was the son of John and Phebe Boswell, who had also Robert, born September 11, 1698, and John, baptized March ye 5th, 1690. The wife of Major Boswell was probably a Machen, a family resident in Middlesex (pro- nounced "Mitchum"). Major Thomas Boswell had at least two children, Dr. Machen Boswell and Jane, who married John Seawell. Probably Molly Boswell, who m. Churchill Armistead in 1775, was another daughter. Dr. Machen Bos- well left a will dated April 21, 1793, and proved Jan. 13, 1794: "To his son Thomas Boswell, all his land in Mathews county, including the tract on which my father now lives; my lands in Kentucky, 4000 to be equally divided between my three children, Elizabeth, Martha, Thomas; to my son all my books, except the books my daus. have; to my daus. one negro maid each of their own age; the rest of my personal estate to be equally divided; the guardians of my children to attend particularly to their education; my negro estate to be as equally divided by the families as possible. Benjamin Dabney, of King and Queen, and John Seawell, of Gloucester, exors. Proved at a court held for Mathews county, 13 Jan., 1794, to be the handwriting of Machen Boswell by the oaths of Mann Page and Francis Whiting. Teste, John Cary, Cl. Cur." (See suit of Boswell vs Seawell, Williamsburg clerk's office.) Young Thomas Bos- well studied medicine at William and Mary for several years, and in Europe from 1813 to 1815. His sister Elizabeth m. first Ralph Wormley, and secondly Mr. Carter M. Braxton. His sister Martha married Mr. Roy. ²Chancery papers in Williamsburg, Lowry vs. Cary, show that Thomas Whiting, who married Elizabeth Seawell, made his will Oct. 15, 1780. He devised certain land to his "5 youngest children," (1) Henry, (2) Horatio, (3) Susanna, m. first Gibson Cluverius in 1786, and second John Lowry in 1792, (4) Jane, (5) Ann. Of these Jane mar- ried Mr. Grymes; they had Charles, in the navy, and Mary, who m. Lewis Burwell. Elizabeth Seawell, wife of Col. Whiting, married secondly Maj. Samuel Cary. -------------- Page 56 WILLIAM AND MARY COLLEGE QUARTERLY of William Howard, an early settler in Gloucester county. John Seawell was captain, justice, etc., of Gloucester. He made his will in 1803, and died in 1806. He had issue, (1) John Boswell, born July, 1780, educated at William & Mary, was a prominent lawyer, etc.; (2) Sterling, (3) Fanny, married William Ed- wards, and had issue: William Henry, Capt. John A. (born Oct. 8, 1806, mar. Frances S. P. Murray), Oscar Edmund (born May 4, 1809, m. Mary Ann Jones and had Capt. Oscar E., Wal- ter A., resident, 1899, in Norfolk, John), Albert Sterling (m. Maria Louisa Seawell and had John, Maria, Albert Sterling, present clerk of Surry, Boswell), Overton Walter, Frances Vir- ginia (she m. Frank M. Armistead and had Mary Frances, who m. her cousin Robert Travis Armistead, attorney at law Williams- burg 1899), Susan W., Eliza Jane, m. Robert Glenn, Indiana, Anderwalta Jackson. (4) Courtney, who m. Thomas Cluverius, (5) Overton, (6) Thomas Machen, (7) Jane, m. Peyton Bur- well, of Mecklenburg (see Keith's Ancestry of Benjamin Harri- son); (8) Francis Thornton, (9) Benjamin, m. Rebecca Perrin; (10) Washington, Brigadier-General, U.S.A. John Boswell Seawell married on Dec. 23, 1800, Maria Henry Tyler at Greenway, in Charles City county, the residence of her father, Gov. John Tyler. She was but sixteen years old. Issue (1) John Tyler, a brilliant orator and lawyer, married first Elizabeth Hairston, by whom Hairston and Louisa; m. second Frances Elizabeth Jackson, by whom Mollie Elliott Seawell, the Authoress, and Henrietta Seawell. (2) William, (3) Maria Louisa, m. her cousin, A. S. Edwards above, by whom among others A. S. Edwards, clerk of Surry county; (4) Machen Bos- well, an able and eminent lawyer, m. Mary Louisa Atkinson, and had issue, four children, viz.: John, Sara Contesse, Charles, Maria Henry Ellen. (5) Sterling, (6) Wat Washington, m. Jane, dau. of Thomas Machen Seawell, his uncle. (7) Joseph Armistead. Will of Mrs. Elizabeth Seawell. In the name of God, Amen. I, Elizabeth Seawell, being old and weak, but of sound mind, memory and understanding, do make, ordain and ap- point this to be my last will and testament, that, whereas my deceased husband, Joseph Seawell, by his last will, gave me the right of disposing of half my dower (lands excepted) at my death, in case I should not marry, to whom I please. I do, therefore, dispose of the half of my said dower in manner and form following: --------------- Page 57 WILLIAM AND MARY COLLEGE QUARTERLY Item. I give to my granddaughter Elizabeth Seawell one negro wo- man named Jinny, with her future increase, except the first child she has, which said child I give to my granddaughter, Mary Seawell. Item. I give to my grandson John Boswell Seawell one negro boy named Wilson, to him and his heirs forever. Item. I give to my grandson John Seawell, son of my son John, one negro boy named Ralph, to him and his heirs forever, and I do also give to my said grandson all and every other part of my said dower and all the remainder part of my estate, to him and his heirs forever. I do hereby appoint my said grandson my executor to this my last will. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 22d day, Sept., 1786. Signed, sealed and delivered in the presence of Richard Coleman, Banr Pipen. her Elizabeth + Seawell mark Will of Sterling Thornton In the name of God, Amen. I, Sterling Thornton, of the Parish of Petsworth and county of Gloucester, being in my perfect senses, do make and constitute this my last will and testament in manner following: Im- primis. I give and bequeath to my son John Thornton my whole estate, both real and personal, to him and his heirs forever, but in case my son John should die under the age of twenty-one years, and without a child or children, living at his death, then my will and desire is that my whole estate so as aforementioned be divided equally between Watt Cole, half brother to my son John, and the children of my brother John Seawell, and my brother Francis Thornton, whom they have now, that is to say, one-eighth thereof to Watt Cole, three-eights between the children of my brother John Seawell, by name, John, Sterling and Francis, and other four-eights between the four children of my brother Francis Thornton, by name James, Elizabeth, Ann and Francis, to them and their heirs forever as tenants in common. They, the said Watt Cole, and the children of my brother John Seawell and Francis Thornton, paying, and their estates above given to be chargeable with the sum of one hundred pounds to my relation Meaux Thornton, and twenty-five pounds to each of the children of Capt. William Vaughn and Capt. John Camp, whom they have had by the daughters of Mr. John Seawell, Senr., but if either ___________________________________________________________________________ ¹Sterling Thornton was a brother of Jane Boswell's first husband. They must have been sons of William Thornton and Jane Clack, of Brunswick (see Quarterly IV., p. 158), and grandsons of Francis Thorn- ton, of Gloucester, great-grandsons of William Thornton, and great- great-grandsons of William Thornton, the emigrant (see Quarterly IV., p. 90). The Clacks descend from James Clack, son of William and Mary Clack, of Marden, Co. Wilts, England. James Clack was rector of Ware Parish, Gloucester county, Va., forty-five years, dying Dec. 20, 1723. (Quarterly III., p. 32.) --------------- Page 58 WILLIAM AND MARY COLLEGE QUARTERLY of the children of my brothers John Seawell and Francis Thorn- ton should die under the age of twenty-one years, and without a child or children, living at his or her death, then I desire and will the part or proportion of the deceased may be equally divided amongst the survivors and their heirs. Item. I desire that my executor hereafter named do build a comfortable house, twelve by sixteen feet, for my negro woman Cate and her children to live in, and that it be placed in the peach orchard back of the little house in the garden, and that the said Cate be annually furnished out of my estate, with two hundred weight of good pork, salt and meal, as well as clothes, and it is my will that the said Cate may never be compelled to work unless she chooses and that she may be found fire wood. Item. I desire that the old woman Leah shall have to her own use and disposal, one-half the money she may earn as a midwife. Item. I do constitute my brother John Seawell guardian to my son John Thornton. Item. I desire that my estate be kept to- gether, and land and negroes and team be worked as usual until my son arrives at the age of twenty-one years. I direct that my executor do sell my studd horse Brilliant and my old gray horse, and my large bay mare called Phoenix. Item. I do direct and order that my executor here- after named may, if he shall see it advantageous, sell as many negroes or personal estate as he shall think proper to purchase lands for my son John and his heirs, which, if he doth, I desire shall be in all respects under the like limitations and restrictions as the estate above devised. Lastly, I do nominate and appoint my brother John Seawell my whole and sole executor, hereby revoking all other wills by me heretofore made. I do constitute this my last will and testament. It witness whereof I have hereto set my hand and seal this 28th day of March, 1790. Sterling Thornton (seal) Teste, Ben, Dabney, Alice Brodie, Jane Seawell. Recorded April 6, 1790 Will of John Seawell. In the name of God, Amen. I, John Seawell, do publish and declare this to be my last will and testament: Imprimis. I lend to my beloved wife during her life my manor plantation, being the plantation given me by my father, and also the land which I purchased of Charles Grymes, adjoining Lewis Williams and Wm Haywood, together with the tract of land which I purchased of Joseph Seawell, dec'd, called the White- house Tract. I also lend my wife during her life one-third of my negroes, with the right of disposing at her death one-fourth part thereof to any one or more of my children. I also give her to dispose of as she may think proper the negroes which came by her, viz., a negro man Armistead and two boys, Joe and Jim. I also give her one-half of my stock of sheep, cattle and hogs which are on the plantation on which I live, together with my chariott, and her choice of six horses, excepting the horses which I shall hereafter dispose of; I also give her all my kitchen furni- -------------- Page 59 WILLIAM AND MARY COLLEGE QUARTERLY ure. The above devises, legacies and bequests I give her in bar and in lieu of dower. In addition to the above legacies I give her one-half of my household furniture, which she may take in such articles as she may choose at the appraised value. Item. I give to my son John B. Seawell, during the life of my wife, the land which I purchased of Horatio S. Whiting, and at the death of my wife, I give to my said son John, to him and his heirs forever, the land which I have lent my wife for life; I also give my said son John a negro man named Wilson, and also a negro wo- man called Molly, and her children in lieu of a negro of his which I sold, which was given him by Sterling Thornton; I also give him my riding horse, a mare called Poier with a Knowesby (?) colt, and the colt from a mare called Pegg. Item. I give to my son Sterling Seawell, to him and his heirs forever, the tract of land which I purchased of Benjamin Pol- lard, together with the land which I last purchased of Joseph Seawell, the land which I purchased of Samuel Fairbanks, and the land called White's Point; I also give him a negro boy called Yellow Billy; I also give him a young black horse and a mare colt, which I purchased of Christopher Pryor. Item. It is my will and desire that my plantation called Hall's, be sold and the residue of my personal estate, excepting negroes, and after the payment of my just debts, it is my will and desire that my whole estate be divided among all my children, except my sons John and Sterling and my daughter Frances, who are to have one-fourth less than the others, they being already provided for by the legacies which were given them by Sterling Thornton, dec'd. Item. I give my wife one hundred and fifty pounds, and it is my wish that in the division of negroes she should have, if she thinks proper, Blacksmith Dick and his wife Lucy, and her children, my negro man called Doctor, and a negro woman called Sary, at the appraised value, which negroes are to be comprehended among those which I have given her and lieu of dower. Item. It is my will and desire, as I have sold a tract of land to Thomas Catlett, to which my sons John and Sterling, and my daughter Frances, were entitled under the will of Sterling Thornton, dec'd, if my said sons John and Sterling and my daughter Frances do not release to the said Thos. Catlett all their right and title in and to the said land, then and in that case he, she or they, so refusing, shall have no part of my estate, but his, her or their shares shall be equally divided among the rest of my children. Item. It is my will and desire that if either of my sons John or Sterling or my daughter Frances should claim anything of my estate for the services which I may have received from the use of their negroes, then that so much as their claim or claims may amount to shall be deducted from the estate which I have given them and divided among the rest of my children. Item. It is my will and desire that each of my daughters shall be at liberty to choose a maid, not exceeding twelve years of age, which are not to be considered in the portions which I have above given them. Item. It is my will and desire that my wife should have a sufficiency of corn to fatten her meat and for use the en- --------------- Page 60 WILLIAM AND MARY COLLEGE QUARTERLY suing year, and also that she should have one-half of my top fodder and blades. Item. I give my sons John and Sterling seventy-five barrels of corn each, and the balance of my top fodder and blades to be equally divided between them. Item. It is my will and desire that my land now in corn, which I purchased of Joseph Seawell and Benjamin Pollard, be sown in barley and that the crop, when made, be equally divided between my wife and my sons John and Sterling and daughter Frances. Lastly, I constitute and appoint my friend Benjamin Dabney and my son John B. Seawell executors of this my last will and testament and guardians to my children. It witness whereof I hereunto set my seal this 10th of Sep- tember, 1803. John Seawell (JS). Signed, sealed and acknowledged as his last will and testament in the presence of James Trice, John West, W. C. Catlett. Narrative of Mrs. Maria Edwards.¹ My father's family resided in Gloucester county, Va., at a place about five miles from Gloucester Town. My father's great uncle Joseph Sea- well lived on the tract of land during the Revolutionary war. The old servants told me of those days. His brother John, who was my great- grandfather, built on the adjoining tract. He built first on Timber Neck creek, the place called the "White-house," which still bears the name. Here there was a handsome house. As a child, my father took me there to get cherries and English walnuts. This house was burned down, just after all the furniture had been imported; mirrors thrown out of the win- dows, etc. This was told me by an old servant, who followed his young master, one of the Cleaver family, to Braddock's defeat. My great-grand- father then build the house in which I was born, Gloucester Place. I forget the date, but before the Revolution. His wife when he married her, was a widow Thornton. My father remembered her, and said she was handsome, with expressive black eyes. He bore her maiden name, Boswell, as his middle name. She was Jane Boswell, the sister of Dr. Thomas Machen Boswell, and an aunt of Mrs. Elizabeth Wormley (after- wards Mrs. Braxton), and of Dr. Thomas Boswell, and of Mrs. Boswell Roy. My great-grandfather was an importing merchant, and the "war" interfered sadly with his business. The American and French troops at one time camped in the field on the left hand side as you go up to the house called the Wind-mill field, and fed to their horses, and destroyed a fine crop of corn. Many years afterwards my uncle John Tyler found, in an old "day-book" a full account of it, in which my great-grandfather stated his grievances, and thought my father should have put it in his hands while he was in Congress. My great-grandfather left three daugh- ters, Elizabeth, Jenny and Dolly. Elizabeth married, first Co. Thomas Whiting, a very wealthy man of Gloucester Town. They had three __________________________________________________________________________ ¹Mrs. Edwards was daughter of John B. Seawell and Maria Henry Tyler. --------------- Page 61 WILLIAM AND MARY COLLEGE QUARTERLY daughters, one, Jenny, married a Mr. Grimes; had two children, Charles, in the navy, and Mary married to Mr. Lewis Burwell. Elizabeth's sec- ond marriage was to Major Samuel Cary. The third daughter of my great-grandfather married "Gentleman John Camp." The only son of my great-grandfather, was John, my father's father . . . . . The mother of John Seawell's wife, Fanny Hobday [she was dau. of John and Han- nah Hobday¹] was one of twin sisters, Hannah and Joanna Greene, and were lineal descendants of the Howards of England. One Lord Howard came to this country in some official capacity. Howard is still a family name.² The other sister married a Mr. Dunlop, of the Episcopal Church, and was rector of Petsworth Parish.³ My grandfather, after his marriage, continued to live with his par- __________________________________________________________________________ ¹In the Abingdon Parish register John Hobday, son of John Hobday and Hannah his wife, was born Nor. 2, 1759; Francis Hobday was born May 28, 1761. ²The Howard tradition is doubtless explained by a descent from Wil- liam Howard, who came to Virginia in 1636, served in 1644 as volunteer under Sir William Berkeley against Opechancanough, when the Indian emperor was captured. During Bacon's Rebellion his house was occupied by Bacon's Lieut.-Colonel, Thomas Harris, who was surprised and taken prisoner with his command by Major Robert Beverley. Howard after- wards bitterly complained that Beverley had plundered his store to the value of 500£ sterling (see Sainsbury MSS., and Mrs. Ann Cotton's ac- count in Forcc's Tracts). The following entries are from the Abingdon Parish register: Sarah, dau. of Henry and Hannah Howard, born Dec. 23, 1745. Henry Howard m. to Hannah White April 29, 1744. Molly, dau. of William and Mary Howard, b. Xber17, 1743. Wm. Howard m. to Mary Freeman Feb. 19, 1741. John Burt and Ann Howard were married Nov. 4, 1735. Jacob Smith and Grace Howard were married Feb. 17, 1728. Ann, dau. of Hugh Howard baptized March 13, 1714. Eliz., dau. of Hugh Howard, baptized Oct. 20, 1710. Grace, dau. of Hugh and Eliza- beth Howard, baptized Sept., 1704. William, son of Hugh and Elizabeth Howard, baptized Oct. 27, 1700. Mary, dau. of Hugh and Elizabeth Howard, baptized July 10, 1698. Grace, dau. of Richard and Elizabeth Hayward, baptized Oct. ye 8th, 1699. Eliz., the dau. of Richard and Elizabeth Hayward, baptized Aug. 12, 1705. ³In 1774 Rev. William Dunlop was rector of Stratton Major Parish, King William county. He was formerly from Philadelphia. He had an extensive library of "several thousand volumes in most arts and sciences." His wife Deborah died in 1774 (Quarterly VI., p.6). Rev. Mr. Dunlop died in Sept., 1779, while rector of St. Paul's Parish, Han- over county. His dau. Deborah m. John Robinson, of Green Branch, Mid- dlesex, and had issue, William D., Deborah E.C., Benjamin F., and Christopher (see will of John Robinson, in Middlesex, dated Sept. 15, 1818). Was Mrs. Edwards right in calling the other twin sister Greene Joanna? Was it not Deborah? --------------- Page 62 WILLIAM AND MARY COLLEGE QUARTERLY ents at their seat (Gloucester Place), which at their death he inherited. Their eldest son, John Boswell, was my father, born July, 1780. Then came Sterling, Fanny, Courtney, Overton, Thomas Machen, Jane, Fran- cis Thornton, Benjamin and Washington. My grandfather was a vestry- man of Abingdon church. He died at forty-six years of age, leaving my father and his old friend, Benjamin Dabney, his exors. He left a very large estate, lands and negroes. My father went first to the grammar school, and then to the college of William and Mary. His father said he regretted having sent him to William and Mary because he cam home a Democrat, he being a Federalist. I heard my father say that after he was married it was proposed at a large dinner party at Belle Farm (Col. Lewis' residence) that his father should be brought out as a candidate for the Legislature, and the votes of those present were taken on the proposition. When father's turn came to vote he said he would not vote for him, when his father immediately declined the proposition, saying he could not consent to run if his own son would oppose him. My father studied law with Edmund Randolph in Richmond, after having grad- uated at William and Mary. Even in his old age and under many afflic- tions, he was a delightful companion; full of anecdote. While at college had rooms, and kept his servant and horse, even at the age of sixteen. On a visit to 'Miss Betsey Christian," in Charles City, he first saw my mother,¹ a child of twelve years. They were married when he was twenty and she sixteen, on Dec. 23, 1800, at Greenway, the residence of her father, Gov. John Tyler. My aunt told me her "papa" would have taken her to the wedding, but the pole and horses had been lent to Mrs. George Catlett, who had gone to King and Queen to be married, and (of course) they could not go with only two horses! My parents lived some time with my grandparents, by whom my mother was much beloved. Their oldest son, my brother John, was born in Williamsburg, in Dec., 1808, and was named by my father "John Tyler," when baptized by Bishop Madison at my mother's house in Williamsburg. Then came my brother William, also born in Williamsburg. After my parents came back to live at Gloucester Place, I was born; and their other children -- Boswell, Sterling, Wat. Washington, and Joseph -- were all born there. My father called me Maria, after my mother, and she added "Louisa," after "Aunt Hairston," but my uncle, John Tyler, said she was the great- est Bonapartist he ever saw, and so called me Maria Louisa! My brother John married Elizabeth Hairston, of Henry county, who died leaving two children -- John Hairston and Maria Louisa Seawell. He married [secondly] Miss Jackson. _________________________________________________________________________ ¹Maria Henry Tyler