Thomas Sewall (April 16, 1786 – April 10, 1845) was an American physician, writer and academic. He gained notoriety for being convicted of

body snatching Body snatching is the illicit removal of corpses from graves, morgues, and other burial sites. Body snatching is distinct from the act of grave robbery as grave robbing does not explicitly involve the removal of the corpse, but rather theft from ...

, and later went on to become a professor.

Early life

Thomas Sewall was on April 16, 1786, in

Hallowell, Maine Hallowell is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,570 at the 2020 census. Popular with tourists, Hallowell is noted for its culture and old architecture. Hallowell is included in the Augusta, Maine, micropolitan ...

. In August 1812, he graduated from

Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the graduate medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States and is consi ...

and began practicing medicine.

Career

Sewall commenced his medical practice in Ipswich, Massachusetts. In 1819, he was arrested, charged, and found guilty of multiple counts of body snatching in Ipswich. Forced to leave the state, he moved to

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around 1820 to re-establish his career. In 1821, Sewall was appointed a professor of anatomy and physiology, as well as doctor at Columbian College (which later became

George Washington University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Chartered in 1821 by the United States Congress, GWU is the largest Higher educat ...

). In 1825, the college began its operations and he remained with the college until his death. In 1828, Sewall became a professor of religion and joined the

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...

. In 1834, Sewall served as manager of the

American Colonization Society The American Colonization Society (ACS), initially the Society for the Colonization of Free People of Color of America until 1837, was an American organization founded in 1816 by Robert Finley to encourage and support the migration of freebor ...

. In May 1841, Sewall was appointed by President

John Tyler John Tyler (March 29, 1790 – January 18, 1862) was the tenth president of the United States, serving from 1841 to 1845, after briefly holding office as the tenth vice president in 1841. He was elected vice president on the 1840 Whig tick ...

as inspector of the Penitentiary in Washington, D.C. Sewell is remembered today for his eight graphic drawings of "alcohol diseased stomachs". Colored lithographs of these were made and widely distributed to promote

teetotalism Teetotalism is the practice or promotion of total personal abstinence from the psychoactive drug alcohol, specifically in alcoholic drinks. A person who practices (and possibly advocates) teetotalism is called a teetotaler or teetotaller, or is ...

and the

temperance movement The temperance movement is a social movement promoting temperance or complete abstinence from consumption of alcoholic beverages. Participants in the movement typically criticize alcohol intoxication or promote teetotalism, and its leaders emph ...

. He was also an opponent of phrenology, the pseudo-science of studying the size and shape of peoples' heads.

Personal life

Sewall married Mary Choate, sister of

Rufus Choate Rufus Choate (October 1, 1799July 13, 1859) was an American lawyer, orator, and Senator who represented Massachusetts as a member of the Whig Party. He is regarded as one of the greatest American lawyers of the 19th century, arguing over a th ...

from

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. They had at least one son, Thomas Sewall. Thomas Sewall was a Methodist reverend of

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

and

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. Sewall died on April 10, 1845, at his house in Washington, D.C. He was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

References

Sources

*Hanson, David J. ''Preventing Alcohol Abuse: Alcohol, Culture, and Control''. Wetport, CT: Praeger, 1995. *A most daring and sacrilegious robbery" The extraordinary story of body snatching at Chebacco Parish in Ipswich, Massachusetts by Christopher Benedetto. New England Ancestors magazine, 2005 (Spring), 6 (2), p. 31. {{DEFAULTSORT:Sewall, Thomas 1786 births 1845 deaths Body snatchers Burials at Oak Hill Cemetery (Washington, D.C.) George Washington University faculty George Washington University trustees Harvard Medical School alumni Members of the Methodist Episcopal Church People from Hallowell, Maine