Henry sewell biography

Henry Sewell was born on 7 September 1807, the younger brother of William Sewell, and was educated at Hyde Abbey School, near Winchester, before qualifying as a solicitor and joining the family firm in 1826.

His brother William relied upon him for legal advice during the foundation of Radley, but this advice was often ignored – Henry was deeply concerned in June 1847 that the lease on the Radley Hall estate was still not signed despite Sewell and Singleton storming ahead with the inauguration of the school.

He became a member of the Canterbury Association, which planned to form an Anglican colony in New Zealand, and was apppointed their deputy chairman in 1851. In 1853, the Association was wound up, and he travelled to New Zealand to oversee the disposal of their assets. He would live in New Zealand for seventeen of the next twenty-three years (1853-56, 1859-66, and 1870-76), and became a prominent figure in early colonial politics, becoming the first premier in 1856. He later became treasurer (and effectively deputy premier), then headed the land registry and served several terms as attorney-general, before retiring to the United Kingdom in the late 1870s. His journals from this period provide one of the fullest accounts of persons and places in early Canterbury and the beginnings of self-government in New Zealand.

This article was adapted from the entry on Sewell in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography; there is also a Wikipedia entry.

When Mayor Henry Sewell was born on 1 September 1544, in Coventry, Warwickshire, England, his father, Mayor William Shewall x-h, was 24 and his mother, Lady Matilda Ann Horne, was 20. He married Margaret Keene Grazebrook in September 1575, in Coventry, Warwickshire, England, United Kingdom. They were the parents of at least 3 sons and 4 daughters. His occupation is listed as sheriff in Coventry, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom. He died on 16 April 1628, in Coventry, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom, at the age of 83, and was buried in St Michael's Cathedral, Coventry, West Midlands, England, United Kingdom.

SEWELL, HENRY (1807-1879), first premier of New Zealand, was the fourth son of Thomas Sewell, a solicitor, who was steward of the Isle of Wight, and of Jane, youngest daughter of John Edwards, curate of Newport. Richard Clarke Sewell (1803- 1864)], Dr. James Edward Sewell. and William Sewell (1805-1874) [q, v.] were his brothers, and Elizabeth Missing Sewell, the novelist, his sister. He was born at Newport on 14 Sept. 1807, and educated at Hyde Abbey school, near Winchester. He qualified as a solicitor, and joined his father's in 1826, living first in Newport and then at Pidford, lie moved to Brockhurst, but, on the death of his first wife in 1844, went to reside in London, where he interested himself in the Canterbury Association for the Colonisation of New Zealand, ultimately becoming secretary and deputy chairman in 1850.

At the end of 1852 Sewell was sent out to New Zealand to wind up the affairs of the association. Arriving in February 1853, lie settled at Lyttleton (whence he afterwards moved to Nelson), and commenced practice as a solicitor. In May 1854 he was elected to the Honse of Representatives as member for Christchurch, and from June to August was in the Fitzgerald ministry. He became on 7 May 1856 the first premier on the introduction of responsible government, but on 13 May he resigned because the crown declined to allow the ministry full responsibility. On 2 June 1856 he joined the first Stafford ministry as colonial treasurer and commissioner of customs, and held office till April 1859. From 12 July 1861 to August 1862 he was attorney-general in the Fox ministry, in December 1861 giving up his seat in the House of Representatives and becoming member of the legislative council for Wellington; he continued as attorney-general under Alfred Domett till January 1863. He was minister of justice in Sir A. Weld's first ministry from 24 Nov. 1864 to 16 Oct. 1865, and again under Sir J. Fox from 28 June 1869 to 10 Sept. 1872. For his action in joining

Premier of New Zealand in 1856

For the Jamaican cricketer, see Henry Sewell (cricketer). For the English merchant and politician, see Henry Sewall.

Henry Sewell (; 7 September 1807 – 14 May 1879) was a New Zealand politician. He was a notable campaigner for New Zealand self-government, and is generally regarded as having been the country's first premier (a post that would later be officially titled "Prime Minister"), having led the Sewell Ministry in 1856. He later served as Colonial Treasurer (1856–1859), as Attorney-General (1861–1862), and twice as Minister of Justice (1864–1865, 1869–1872).

Early life

Sewell was the fourth son of Thomas Sewell, a solicitor, and his wife Jane née Edwards. He was born on 7 September 1807 in the town of Newport, on England's Isle of Wight. He was educated at Hyde Abbey School near Winchester. He qualified as a solicitor, and joined his father's law firm in 1826.

In 1840, however, Sewell's father lost a staggering sum of money when a bank failed, and died shortly afterwards, leaving the family with a great deal of debt. This put considerable strain on Sewell. In 1844, Sewell also suffered from the untimely death of his wife Lucinda (whom he had married on 15 May 1834 and had six children with). He put his sister in charge of his children and his mother and moved to London for better opportunities.

Sewell remarried, probably on 23 January 1850, and made plans to emigrate with his new wife Elizabeth Kittoe to New Zealand, hoping for improved financial prospects in the colony.

Sewell's connection to New Zealand arose through the Canterbury Association, a British organisation dedicated to the colonisation of the New Zealand region known as Canterbury. It is probable that John Simeon introduced Sewell to the Association, and he interacted greatly with John's brother Charles. Until Sewell's departure for New Zealand, he was the Association