Maria "Louisa" SEAWELL
HAIRSTON.org ID#8224
| Father* | John Boswell SEAWELL |
| Maria "Louisa" SEAWELL was the daughter of John Boswell SEAWELL. | |
| Biography* | Narrative of Mrs. Maria Edwards. ”My father's family resided in Gloucester county, Va., at a place about five miles from Gloucester Town. My father's great uncle Joseph Seawell 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 Neckcreek, the place called the “White-house,” which still bears the name.Here there was a handsome house. As a child, my father took me thereto get cherries and English walnuts. This house was burned down, justafter the furniture had been imported; mirrors thrown out of the win-dows, etc. This was told me by an old servant, who followed his youngmaster, one of the Cleaver family, to Braddock's defeat. My great-grand-father then built 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 (afterwards 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 atone time camped in the field on the left hand side as you go up to the house called the Windmill 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 daughters, Elizabeth, Jenny and Dolly. Elizabeth married, first Col. Thomas Whiting, a very wealthy man of Gloucester Town. They had three daughters, one, Jenny, married a Mr. Grimes; had two children, Charles, in the navy, and Mary married to Mr. Lewis Burwell. Elizabeth’s second 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 Hannah Hobday) (1) 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 parents 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, Francis Thornton, Benjamin and Washington. My grandfather was a vestryman 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 came 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 graduated at William and Mary. Even in his old age and under many afflictions, 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, 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 greatest Bonapartist he ever saw, and so called me Maria Louisa! My brother John married Elizabeth Hairston, of Henry county, whodied leaving two children—John Hairston and Maria Louisa Seawell.He married [secondly] Miss Jackson.1 Maria Henry Tyler. - (1) In the Abingdon Parish register John Hobday, son of John Hobday and Hannah his wife, was born Nov. 2, 1759; Francis Hobday was born May 28, 1761. - (2) The Howard tradition is doubtless explained by a descent from William 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 afterwards bitterly complained that Beverley had plundered his store to the value of 500£ sterling (see Sainsbury MSS., and Mrs. Ann Cotton's account in Force'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. Xber 17, 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. 29, 1710. Grace, dau. of Hugh and Elizabeth 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 andElizabeth Hayward, baptized Aug. 12, 1705. - (3) In 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 1775 (Quarterly VI., p. 6). Rev.Mr. Dunlop died in Sept., 1779, while rector of St. Paul’s Parish, Hanover county. His dau. Deborah m. John Robinson, of Green Branch, Middlesex, 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? 1. Mrs. Edwards was daughter of John B. Seawell and Maria HenryTyler. From The William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine, Lyon G. Tyler, Editor Volume VIII 1899-1900. |
| Last Edited | 9 Oct 2021 |