Arthur Sewall

Arthur Sewall

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Sewall
• https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Sewall-171
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7232538

He was William Jennings Bryan's running-mate of the United States Presidency in 1896.

Politician. Served as a Member of the Democratic National Committee from Maine from 1888-1896, and Democratic Candidate for Vice President of the United States in 1896.

Upon his brother's death the company became Arthur Sewall & Co (shipbuilders) built largest wooden ship Roanoke in 1894 launched the Dirigo first steel sailing ship built in America. President of the Eastern railway,Director of the Boston & Maine, New York & New England, and Mexican Central railroads.

Arthur Sewall was a U.S. Democratic politician from Maine, most notable as William Jennings Bryan's first running mate in 1896. As the Populist Party nominee, Bryan had another running mate as well, Thomas E. Watson. Sewall never held elective office, although he was a member of the Democratic National Committee from 1888 to 1896.

Arthur Sewall's main claim to fame had been as an exceptionally successful, wealthy shipbuilder and New England industrialist. He was a director of the Maine Central railroad and President of the Bath National Bank for years. His selection is believed to have been an effort to win votes among conservative and New England members of the party who were disturbed by the populist aspects of William Jennings Bryan. Arthur Sewall is also one of the few politicians to be an adherent of Swedenborgianism, a religion based on the writings of Swedish theologian Emanuel Swedenborg.

His main vice-presidential opponent, Garret A. Hobart (Rep), was also an Eastern banker and industrialist who had served on his party's national committee.

Sewall was Bryan's running mate for the first of Bryan's three times as the Democratic presidential nominee. He died not long after Bryan was nominated for the second time in 1900.

Sewall's grandson, Sumner Sewall, served as Governor of Maine from 1941 to 1945, as a Republican.

Legacy

In 2008, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch referenced Sewall in an article criticizing Senator John McCain's selection of Governor Sarah Palin as his vice presidential candidate in the 2008 presidential election, saying he had picked "the least qualified running mate since the Swedenborgian shipbuilder Arthur Sewall ran as William Jennings Bryan's No. 2 in 1896."

Sewall, Arthur (1835-1900) — of Bath, Sagadahoc County, Maine. Born in Bath, Sagadahoc County, Maine, November 25, 1835. Democrat. Shipbuilder; part owner of the Bath Iron Works; president, Maine Central Railroad; director for other railroads; president, Bath National Bank; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Maine, 1876, 1880 (member, Credentials Committee), 1888; member of Democratic National Committee from Maine, 1888-96; candidate for Vice President of the United States, 1896. Swedenborgian. Suffered a stroke of apoplexy and died three days later, in Phippsburg, Sagadahoc County, Maine, September 5, 1900 (age 64 years, 284 days). Interment at Oak Grove Cemetery, Bath, Maine.

Relatives: Son of William Dunning Sewall and Rachel Allen (Trufant) Sewall; married to Emma Duncan Crooker; father of Harold Marsh Sewall; grandfather of Arthur Sewall (1887-1961), Loyall Farragut Sewall, Sumner Sewall and Arthur Sewall II; first cousin of Daniel Albert Cony; first cousin twice removed of Chase Mellen Jr.; third cousin twice removed of Samuel Sewall; fourth cousin once removed of Joseph Homan Manley.

Political family: Sewall-Adams-Quincy family of Maine (subset of the Four Thousand Related Politicians).

https://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/sewall.html