Contents

Background
Military Record
Battle of Crysler’s Farm
Family
Bibliography
Links

Background

    There has been much speculation with regard to the origins of John St. Alban Sewell.  Officially, he was baptized in September of 1793 as the natural child (i.e., born without the parents having undertaken the formality of a church marriage) of Chief Justice Jonathan Sewell and Elizabeth Cornfield.  It appeared for years that Elizabeth Cornfield didn’t exist and it also appeared quite likely that John St. Alban was the son of Edward Augustus Hanover, Duke of Kent and his much loved and devoted common law wife of over twenty years, Mdm. Julie St. Laurent.  Thus, John St. Alban Sewell would have been a half brother of Queen Victoria, whose parents were the Duke of Kent and Princess Victoria Mary Louisa von Saxe-Coburg.  There are several facts that tend to back this idea, but they certainly don’t "prove" anything:

• When Jonathan Sewell married in 1796, John St. Alban remained in the home and was brought up as an elder brother of the family.  Then, as now, it was completely and totally socially unacceptable for a child from a previous relationship that didn’t have the blessing of the church to even be referred to, let alone remain in the family.  This suggests that Jonathan had perhaps made some sort of a promise or had some sort of a deal with someone important.

• When Jonathan Sewell clashed with the obnoxious and tyrannical governor Lord Dalhousie, nothing really happened except that Dalhousie was eventually recalled and censured.  In normal circumstances, Jonathan would have been dismissed.  His brother Stephen Sewell lost his position of Solicitor General when he disagreed with Sir George Provost.  It seems that perhaps someone higher up was indebted to Jonathan Sewell.

• According to from the Directory of Royal Genealogical Data courtesy of: Brian Tompsett, University of Hull, UK, HU6 7RX the Duke of Kent and Mdm. Julie St. Laurent had a son who was “said to have been adopted at birth in Canada”.

• Henry Charles DeQuincy Sewell (1888-1959) told his son Robert George Sewell that they "were descendants of the Duke of Kent".  While this is not true, it does suggest that a story involving a connection with the Royal Family had been passed down and had perhaps been misinterpreted over time.

• While stationed in Scotland during the Second World War, Robert George Sewell volunteered to act as navigator for a pilot who wanted to fly down to London on what seemed to be personal business.  This pilot questioned Robert George at considerable length about his descent from Chief Justice Jonathan Sewell, and also told Robert George "he was going to London to visit the King".  Robert George thought he was joking, but on returning to Scotland, other officers told him that the pilot was indeed a "cousin" of King George VI.  We don’t know who the pilot actually was, but once again there is the suggestion of a connection with Chief Justice Jonathan Sewell and the Royal Family.  It is to be noted, however, that Colonel John St. Alban Sewell was not specifically mentioned.

• John St. Alban Sewell joined the military at an early age and his rise through the ranks was nothing less than meteoric.  Only very well connected persons experienced success such as his.

    However, in March 2000, the diligent research of Ms. Deborah Carroll revealed that Elizabeth Cornfield not only existed, but that she was present, along with Jonathan Sewell, at the baptism of John St. Alban on September 22, 1793.  Thus, we are left with a choice of two fathers (Jonathan and Edward Augustus) and two mothers (Julie St. Laurent and Elizabeth Cornfield) for one child (John St. Alban).

    As for Elizabeth Cornfield, she married Sergeant John Finch, a musician of the Royal Fusiliers, on November 19, 1793.  No other records have been found, and it is to be hoped that they "lived happily ever after".
 

Military Record

    The following notes are quoted from W. Darcy McKeough, The Sewell Family Record (unpublished) and were provided by John St. Alban Sewell’s great-great grandson, Stephen Walker Sewell, 2071 Rte. 329, St. Agathe Nord, Quebec, PQ, J8C 2Z8.
 

• He served during the war of 1812 – 14 with General Brock’s Regiment -  the  49th, or The Princess Charlotte of Wales. He married Miss Hobbs (daughter of Justice Hobbs) when his Regiment was stationed in Ireland. Miss Hobbs was from Cork. The 49th Regiment were in Ireland after they came back from Europe where they fought at the Battle of Copenhagen against Napoleon. The following is a brief list of the engagements that John Sewell was present at in the war of 1812 – 14:

• Appointed Ensign to the 89th Regiment, 8th January, 1811. Transferred same year to the 49th regiment.

• Stationed at Fort Erie, 28th September, 1812; on that day the American Seamen having cut out the British Armed Brig "Maddeson", and Commercial Schooner "Caledonea" of the North West Company, assisted in the recaption of the "Maddeson", by boarding and burning her.

• Commanded a Battery opposite the American Post at Black Rock on the 13th of October, 1812. Blew up the American Powder Magazine, destroying the Barracks of large dimensions. Present in action, 28th, 29th and 30th of November, 1812. British Batteries captured, retaken, and repelling American Army, under General Smith, driving it back to its position at Black Rock, State of New York.

• May 1813, present in Fort George, Niagara, during the bombardment of that Fort by the Americans, previous to their landing at Missasauga Point. Next day, present in action at Missasauga Point. Present in action at Stoney Creek, 6th June, 1813. Present in action at the Reconnoitering of the American Position at Fort George, Niagara. Present in action at Chrysler’s Farm, 11th November, 1813. Present in action at Plattsburg, State of New York. Present in action in some affairs of out-post from St. David’s Camp, Crossroads near Niagara, against the Seneca indians, allies of the Americans.

• During the troubles of 1837, organized and commanded the Quebec Light Infantry, having for a time to garrison the Quebec Citadel with my Battalion, under the command of Colonel Baird, 66th regiment.

Battle of Crysler’s Farm

    John St. Alban Sewell was barely twenty years of age and already a lieutenant at the Battle of Crysler’s Farm on November 11, 1813.  The following excerpt from Pierre Berton, Flames Across the Border 1813-1814, Toronto, McClelland and Stewart, 1981

"JOHN CRYSLER’S FARM, St. Lawrence River, Upper Canada, November 11, 1813

    "As the three dragoons dash through the ranks of the 49th Regiment, Lieutenant John Sewell is in the act of toasting a piece of breakfast pork on the point of his sword. He needs hot nourishment, for he has slept on the cold ground all night, his firelock between his legs to protect it from the icy rain, laced with sleet. Now it seems, there will be no time for breakfast, as his company commander shouts to him: "Jack, drop cooking, the enemy is advancing."  The British troops are scrambling into position behind a stout rail fence, but the warning is several hours premature.

    "At his headquarters in the Crysler farmhouse, hard by the King’s Highway that runs along the riverbank, Colonel Morrison assesses his position. He has been chasing (the American General) Wilkinson in Mulcaster’s gunboats for five days, ever since word reached Kingston that the main American attack would be on Montreal. Now he has caught up with him. Will the Americans stand and fight or will the chase continue? With a force of only eight hundred men to challenge Wilkinson’s seven thousand, Morrison is not eager for a pitched battle. But if he must have one, it will be on ground of his choosing — a European-style battle here on an open plain where his regulars can manoeuvre, as on a parade ground, standing shoulder to shoulder in two parallel lines, each man occupying twenty-two inches of space, advancing with the bayonet, wheeling effortlessly when ordered, or moving into echelon — a staggered series of platoons, each supporting its neighbour."

    John Sewell, the British lieutenant whose breakfast was so rudely interrupted, is standing with his fellow Green Tigers in the thin line formed by the two British regiments when he sees the grey-clad Voltigeurs burst from the woods on his left, pursued by the Americans. The situation is critical. If Ripley’s men can get around the 89th, which holds the left flank, and attack the British from the rear, the battle is as good as lost."

    "John Sewell, advancing with his company into the hail of grape, sees his captain killed, takes over, and suddenly spies a squadron of American dragoons galloping down the King’s road on his right. He realizes the danger: if the horsemen get around the flank, they can wheel about and charge the British from the rear. Fortunately, another drill book manoeuvre exists to meet this threat. Captain Ellis on the right wing executes it under Plenderleath's command, wheeling his men backward to the left to face the line of cavalry. Sewell notes that the entire movement, which the Americans believe to be a retreat, is carried out with all the coolness of a review as the commands ring out over the crash of grape and canister: Halt. . . Front. . .Pivot. . . Cover. . .Left wheel into line. . .Fire by platoons from the centre to the flank. The effect is shattering as the wounded American horses, snorting and neighing, flounder about, their saddles empty."

Family
 

Margaret Hobbs Sewell d. 1849	{Colonel} John St.Alban Sewell 1793 - 1875

    John St. Alban Sewell married Margaret Hobbs, daughter of Justice Hobbs of Cork, circa 1815.  They had the following children, three of whom (Edmund, Robert and Henrietta) he named the same or nearly the same as his siblings:
 

• John Sewell
• Edmund Willoughby Sewell  (died February 3, 1882)
• Robert Shore Milnes Sewell  (1827 – 1901)
• Henrietta Eliza Story Sewell  (b. 1830)
• Margaret Sewell  (b. 1832)
• Steven William Sewell  (b. 1833)
• Debuarz Sewell  (b. 1835)
• Francis Story Sewell  (b. 1838)

Bibliography
 

• W. Darcy McKeough, The Sewell Family Records, unpublished.
• Deborah Carroll, Letters, unpublished.
• Pierre Berton, Flames Across the Border, 1813-1814, Toronto:  McClelland and Stewart, 1981
• Mollie Gillen, The prince and his lady:  the love story of the Duke of Kent and Madame de St. Laurent, Toronto:  Griffen House, 1970 ASIN: 0283484284