Quest of the Spirit: From Suffering to Acceptance

4.3Sowells(Seawell,Sewell,Seawall,Sawell, Showell,Sowle,Soule)in Early America

 Note: The  documentation from 1776 to the present has been verified and  used several times to successfully gain admission into the Daughters of the American Revolution. *If you are interested in this genealogy, please advertise it on a blog or send copies to others  who may be interested.  I sincerely need your support in order to make more readers aware of Quest of the Spirit. My email is as follows: bsowell112652 @gmail.com.-- Bryan E. Sowell      Note: You can find additional information about the author's family in the section entitle Memories from Bosque County.

      Settlers named  Sowell first came to America  in the year 1618. According to the Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, "Sowell has been in Virginia pronunication time out of mind, and for the point at the mouth of the Elizabeth river. Sowell is found on Jefferson and Fry's map of Virginia, in Jefferson's Notes on Virginia, in Hening's Statutes at Large. The name Sowell is in the Richmond Directory, and belongs to the people of Fluvanna. Sewell is the New England form of the name, and was borne by one of the witchcraft judges" (Lothrup 1903). The Genealogies of Virginia Families states that the "old English pronunciation" of the name Seawall, "as shown in the early records, was Sowell" (McGhan 1982). The Compendium of American Genealogy states the following: "Thomas (Sowell) Seawell (b. ca. 1605), prob. from Coventry, Eng., ca. 1640; settled in York Co., Va., later in Gloucester Co." (Virkus 1933). The William and Mary Quarterly states that this particular Thomas Seawell "patented 400 acres on Pocoson River, in York county in 1635" and "in 1642 he patented in Gloucester" (Genealogies 380-381).  Unconfirmed online research suggests that Thomas Sowell, Sr., was born in England in 1597, and that he married Mercy Sowell in 1618. To the couple was born Thomas Sowell, Jr., in 1630, and died around 1650. which would correspond to  a Tyner deed of 1707, which mentions Sarah Sowell, alias Thomas. In essence, since both the Sowells, Sewells, and the Seawells claim common ancestors, their families must also be the same, despite spelling variants. As yet, no connection  has been made with the Samuel Sewall (1652-1730) who settled in Massachusetts and served as a judge in the Salem witch trials of 1692. Sewall's father came to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635, and his grandfather served as the Mayor of Coventry, England, the place supposedly associated with Thomas Sowell, Sr.  In contrast, the Richard Sowell branch first settled in  Virginia, and from there the families migrated to North and South Carolina, where one branch migrated to Tennessee , Arkansas, and Texas; while another to Alabama, Texas, and parts of Georgia  and Florida.  Their descendants can still be found there today, which this brief history will trace to some degree. One branch of the Sowells settled in the Yadkin Valley in North Carolina in the same area where Daniel Boone was later born. The Tennessee branch  later settled in South Texas near Seguin and subsequently  fought in the early battles of Texas independence. The Alabama branch settled in San Augustine County, Texas, fought for Texas independence, some of which  subsequently moved to Bosque County, Texas. In 1787, Governor Richard Caswell of North Carolina granted James Sowell  tract of 130 acres for his service in the American Revolution (North Carolina Archives. No. 1030. File 914). The North Carolina Sowells fought under Andrew Jackson and named their sons after him before moving to Alabama. According to A. J. Sowell, historian and early Texas Ranger,  a blacksmith named John Sowell forged the  famous knife wielded by martyr and patriot Jim Bowie. This information comes from  A. J. Sowell's book Texas Indian Fighters: Early Settlers and Indian Fighters of Southwest Texas, printed in 1900.

William and Henry Sewell--From England to America . . .

           The following unconfirmed information was taken from www.geni.com/people/Henry-Sewell-of-Sewell-s-Point/6000000021608924173: "Henry [Sewell] settled at what came to be known as Sewell's Point, Lower Norfolk,VA, prior to 1625. Sewell's Point is located on the current site ofthe US Naval Station. In 1625, he served as Justice of Elizabeth. He served from 1629 to 1633 in the Jamestown House of Burgess and again, from Lower (Southern) Norfolk County (now Nansemond County) in May 1640. From Gillem's account--Henry came from England with his older brother Thomas, in 1619, aboard the George  and settled at Sewell's Point, Virginia (1626-1632) at a landing on "Fleur-de-Hundred" (Thomas Sewell's land). There is an accounting record dated 1638 from Henry's father in London, England, of tobacco being sent from Henry in the ships America and Alexandria containing sassafras roots that were to be sold in England. The cash receipts totalled 650 pounds, 19 shillings, and 6d (about $35,000 in 1955 currency). Henry Sewell and Captain Sibley were authorized by the court of Elizabeth City to build a church at Sewell's Point." Wikipedia says, "About 1637 the ELizabeth River Parish was created. The first Anglican church of Elizabeth River. Parish was erected between 1638-1640 "at Mr. Seawell's Pointe,"  with the assistance of Thomas Willoughby. The first recorded minister was the Reverend John WIlson. The first church to be located in the area now known as South Hampton Roads, it stood somewhere within the present western limits of the US Naval Station Norfolk. According to old court records, the Episcopal churches in Norfolk are directly descended from it." Other records of the era reflect that the church Sewell founded was a Puritan church. Historical records reflect that Henry Sewell and his wife died before the Indian uprising of 1644 and were both buried in the church chancel." In his book The Founders of Anne Arundell and Howard Counties, Maryland. A Genealogical and Biographical Review from Wills, Deeds, and Church (1905), J. D. Warfield records that Alice Willoughby, daughter of Thomas Willoughby, was Henry's wife. Lower Norfolk Court Records, Book B, reflect that his wife's first name was Alice but does not show her maiden name.  Another source cites a Henry Sewell  as the Mayor of Coventry who was known as The Linen Draper, born circa 1544 in Coventry, Warwickshire, England. This Henry first was the son of William Sewell (Shuell) and Matilda Sewell, and a brother of William Sewell. This site suggests that Richard Sewell (Sowell) and Henry of Sewell's Point were  Henry Sewell first's sons. Richard is also named with Margaret Sewell, Henry first's wife; Anne Power; and William Sewell . This information is managed by Gwyneth McNeil. Richard's brother Henry is listed as a tobacco trader. This site was last updated on February 2019. It cites Richard's brother Henry Sewell of Sewell's Point who was born  circa 1601 in Warwickshire, England. If this evidence is correct, then Richard Sowell's father was Henry, and Henry's father was William (1510-1548). Another source says, "Col. Henry Seawall was born in 1624. He was the son of Richard Seawall and Mary Dugdale. He married Jane Lowe, daughter of Vincent Lowe and Ann Cavendish, circa 1654 in England." Another source cites a Henry Sowell, Jr., who was born in ca. 1590, the son of William Henry Sowell and wife Martha Horn Sowell, presumably the parents of Thomas Sowell, subsequently mentioned in this text. His father, possibly William Henry I, was born in Coventry, England in 1544 and died in 1628, the husband of Margaret Grazebrook Sowell. This site, also from geni.com, was managed by Tamara Kaye Duncan on April 28, 2022.