Collection Summary
Joseph Sewall Papers
1832-1907
(bulk 1832-1842)
1832-1907
(bulk 1832-1842)
MSS39529
Sewall, Joseph,
1795-1851
3,700
items
14 containers
5.6 linear feet
English
Collection material in
English
Manuscript Division, Library of
Congress
Washington, D.C.
Adjutant general of
Maine and collector of customs for the District of Bath. General business
correspondence, including correspondence with the Treasury Department, account
books, printed documents, receipts, abstracts, and business files, relating
exclusively to Sewall's position as collector of customs. Includes
correspondence, certificates, and military papers of Frederick Dummer Sewall,
army officer and internal revenue agent.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Campbell, John, 1789-1866--Correspondence.
Sewall, Frederick Dummer, 1826-1907. Frederick Dummer Sewall papers. 1862-1907.
Sewall, Joseph, 1795-1851.
Woodbury, Levi, 1789-1851--Correspondence.
Organizations
United States. Department of the Treasury--Correspondence.
United States. Office of Commissioner of Internal Revenue.
Subjects
Customs administration--Maine.
Places
Bath (Me.)--History.
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
Occupations
Adjutants general.
Customs agents.
Provenance
The papers of Joseph Sewall, adjutant general of Maine and collector
of customs for the District of Bath, were given to the Library of Congress by
the American Antiquarian Society in 1935.
Processing History
The papers of Joseph Sewall were arranged and described in 1971. The
finding aid was revised in 2012.
Other Repositories
Other Sewall papers are held by the American Antiquarian Society,
Worcester, Mass., and the Bowdoin College library, Brunswick, Maine.
Copyright Status
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Joseph Sewall
is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Access and Restrictions
The papers of Joseph Sewall are open to research. Researchers are
advised to contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many
collections are stored off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these
items for research use.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the
following information: Container number, Joseph Sewall Papers, Manuscript
Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Biographical Note
Joseph Sewall was born in 1795, in Bath, Maine, graduated from Bowdoin
College in 1812, and practiced law in Bath, where he was collector of customs,
1842-1842, and adjutant general for the state of Maine, 1833-1834. Sewall died
in 1851. His birth and death dates were obtained from the Library of Congress
catalog that cites a lecture read by Sewall before the Lyceum (1833), entitled
“the History of Bath,” Collections of the Maine Historical Society, vol. 2,
1847, pp. 189-228. Genealogical information was obtained from Louis Clinton
Hatch,
Maine: A History
(New York, American Historical Society, 1919). vol. 4, pp. 383-385.
Scope and Content Note
The papers of Joseph Sewall (1795-1851) span the years 1832-1907, with
the bulk of the material concentrated in the period 1832-1842. The collection
consists of business correspondence, including correspondence with the Treasury
Department, account books, printed documents, receipts, abstracts, and other
files relating exclusively to Sewall's position as collector of customs in
Bath, Maine, for the port of Bath, 1832-1842. Correspondents include John
Campbell, treasurer of the United States, and Secretary of the Treasury Levi
Woodbury.
A small portion of the papers, 1862-1907, relates to Joseph Sewall's
son, Frederick Dummer Sewall, an army officer and internal revenue agent.
Included are correspondence, military papers, and certificates.
A miscellany file contains two items of unrelated correspondence. One
is a letter addressed to Henry Sewall from Elbridge G. Savage. The other is
addressed to Samuel A. Morse from Mary Spinney and is apparently written in
another hand.
Arrangement of the Papers
This collection is organized by type of material.
Catalog Record: [https://lccn.loc.gov/mm73039529]
Container List
Container
Contents
1
Joseph Sewall papers
1
General business
correspondence
1
1833-1837
1833-1837
(4 folders)
2
1838-1842, undated
1838-1842, undated
(4
folders)
3
Correspondence with U.S. Treasury
Department,
1834-1842, undated
1834-1842, undated
3
Letterbook,
1839-1842
1839-1842
4
Account books,
1834-1840
1834-1840
(4 folders)
5
Fishing vessel
agreements
5
1834-1838
1834-1838
(5
folders)
6
1839-1840, undated
1839-1840, undated
(3
folders)
6
Sailing agreements
6
1833-1836
1833-1836
(2 folders)
7
1837-1841
1837-1841
(5
folders)
7
Certificates of inward foreign
entry,
1835-1837, undated
1835-1837, undated
7
Receipts
7
Printed
7
1835-1837
1835-1837
(3
folders)
8
1838-1841
1838-1841
(3
folders)
9
Miscellaneous,
1834-1840
1834-1840
9
Handwritten
9
1834-1837
1834-1837
(4 folders)
10
1838-1841, undated
1838-1841, undated
(5
folders)
10
Abstracts
10
Quarterly returns relating to
the U.S. Marine Hospital,
1834-1841
1834-1841
10
Ad valorem
duties on merchandise imported,
1835-1840
1835-1840
10
Allowances to fishing vessels,
1837-1838
1837-1838
10
Amounts due to from U.S. to
Sewall,
1834-1838
1834-1838
10
Debentures for drawback of
duties,
1834-1837
1834-1837
10
Entries of vessels at the Port
of Hallowell, Maine,
1934-1840
1934-1840
10
Goods, wares, and merchandise
imported by foreign vessels,
1836-1839
1836-1839
10
Interest received on duty
bonds,
1835, 1838
1835, 1838
10
Merchandise free of duty,
1834-1839
1834-1839
10
Moneys received from masters
and owners of vessels,
1837, 1840
1837, 1840
10
Payments into the Maine Bank,
1835, 1837
1835, 1837
10
Payments made to inspectors,
1836
1836
11
Specific duties on merchandise
imported,
1832-1841
1832-1841
(3
folders)
11
Miscellaneous,
1835-1840
1835-1840
11
Business files
11
Accounts associated with
Sewall,
1834-1841
1834-1841
11
Appointments and oaths of
office
11
Document entitled “Know all
men by these presents.”
11
Documents transmitted to the
register of the U.S. Treasury,
1836-184xxx
1836-184xxx
11
Fisherman’s papers,
1834-1839
1834-1839
11
Lists of bonds taken in the
district of Bath, Maine,
1834-1840
1834-1840
12
Monthly returns of David White
and Stephen Woodman,
1836-1841
1836-1841
12
Papers relating to real estate
in Bath, Maine,
1835-1841
1835-1841
12
Papers relating to the U.S.
Marine Hospital “Pay to the Bearer,” notes
1834-1841
1834-1841
12
Public auction receipts,
1834-1839
1834-1839
12
Receipts relating to the Maine
District Court,
1834-1840
1834-1840
12
Statements and petitions by
groups,
1834-1839, undated
1834-1839, undated
12
Statements of duties accrued
on merchandise,
1836-1840
1836-1840
12
Statements of the amount of
tonnage registered,
1832-1835
1832-1835
12
Suits directed to be
instituted,
1839-1840
1839-1840
12
Miscellaneous files
12
Unidentified and
incomplete
13
Frederick Dummer Sewall
papers
13
Correspondence,
1862-1907, undated
1862-1907, undated
13
Letterbooks
13
1875-1879 (2 vols.)
1875-1879 (2 vols.)
14
1897-1905
1897-1905
14
Certificates
14
Miscellany
14
Henry Sewall and other papers,
1839
1839