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  of Summerbrook,’ 1859, a tale in verse for little schoolgirls, and ‘Patience Hart's Experiences in Service,’ 1862, a prose tale, each had a sale of thirty-three thousand copies. Her stories were short, and published in pamphlet form.

In 1867 Mrs. Sewell returned to Norfolk, and spent the rest of her days at Old Catton, near Norwich. There her daughter died in April 1878, and her husband on 7 Nov. following. Mrs. Sewell's old age was remarkably vigorous. She died on 10 June 1884, and was buried beside her husband and daughter in the Friends' burying-ground at Lamas, Norfolk.

The popularity of her verses was due to the simplicity of language and form, to the simple faith they inculcated, and to the obviousness of the moral. Her poems were collected in 1861 under the title of ‘Stories in Verse,’ and again after her death in 1886, as ‘Poems and Ballads,’ in two volumes, with a memoir by Mrs. Bayly.

(1820–1878), authoress, only daughter of the above, was born at Yarmouth on 30 March 1820. The severe spraining of both ankles in early childhood lamed her, and made her an invalid for life. In 1871 she began in the intervals of sickness to write her attractive ‘autobiography’ of a horse; it was published in 1877 under the title of ‘Black Beauty,’ and had a remarkable success (nearly a hundred thousand copies had been sold by 1894, when a new edition appeared). It was translated into French, Italian, and German. Its general aim was to induce kindness and sympathy towards horses, while it specially denounced the use of the bearing-rein; it was warmly recommended by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Miss Sewell died in April 1878.



SEWELL, RICHARD CLARKE (1803–1864), legal writer, eldest son of Thomas Sewell of Newport, Isle of Wight, brother of [q. v.], premier of New Zealand, and of [q. v.], was baptised at Newport on 6 Feb. 1803, and entered Winchester College in 1818. He matriculated from Magdalen College, Oxford, on 26 July 1821, was a demy of his college from 1821 until 1837, and a fellow from 1837 to 1856. He served as senior dean of arts in 1838, as bursar 1840, and was vice-president and prælector of natural philosophy in 1843. He graduated with a second-class in lit. hum., B.A. 1826, M.A. 1829, and D.C.L. 1840. He was awarded the Newdigate prize in 1825 for an English poem on ‘The Temple of Vesta at Tivoli.’ On 25 June 1830 he was called to the bar at the Middle Temple, became known as a special pleader, and took business on the western circuit and at the Hampshire sessions. Later in life he went to Australia, where he practised in the criminal law courts, and was in 1857 appointed reader in law to the university of Melbourne. He died at Melbourne on 9 Nov. 1864.

Sewell was a man of varied learning. He published: For the English Historical Society Sewell edited ‘Gesta Stephani,’ 1846, and contributed to the ‘Field’ ‘The Papers of a Hampshire Fisherman.’
 * 1) ‘Collectanea Parliamentaria,’ 1831.
 * 2) ‘A Digest of the New Statutes and Rules, with the Cases decided at Banc and at Nisi Prius,’ 1835.
 * 3) ‘The Municipal Corporation Act, 5 and 6 Will. IV, c. 76,’ 1835.
 * 4) ‘Vindiciæ Ecclesiasticæ, or a Legal and Historical Argument against the Abolition of the Bishops' Courts in Cases of Correction, as proposed by the Church Discipline Act,’ 1839.
 * 5) ‘A Manual of the Law and Practice of Registration of Voters in England and Wales,’ 1835; 2nd ed. 1844.
 * 6) ‘A Treatise on the Law of Sheriffs with practical Forms and Precedents,’ 1842.
 * 7) ‘A Treatise on the Law of Coroner, with Precedents and Forms,’ 1843.
 * 8) ‘A Letter to the Members of the Venerable House of Convocation [on the subject of the Proceedings against W. G. Ward],’ 1845.
 * 9) ‘Sacro-Politica: the Rights of the Anglican Church examined with, and tested by, the Laws of England and the Principles of the British Constitution,’ 1848.
 * 10) ‘Legal Education: an Inaugural Lecture,’ Melbourne, 1857.
 * 11) ‘The Speech of R. C. Sewell in defence of G. Chamberlain and W. Armstrong, charged with intent to murder W. Green,’ Melbourne, 1859.



SEWELL, THOMAS (d. 1784), master of the rolls, the son and heir of Thomas Sewell of West Ham, Essex, is said to have been ‘bred up under an attorney’ (Gent. Mag. 1784, ii. 555). He was admitted a member of the Middle Temple on 6 June 1729, was called to the bar on 24 May 1734, became a king's counsel in Hilary term 1754, and a bencher of his inn in the following May. He practised with