Hancock, John (1737-1793) to Henry Knox
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.04348 Author/Creator: Hancock, John (1737-1793) Place Written: Boston, Massachusetts Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 1 September 1789 Pagination: 2 p. : address : docket ; 30 x 18.5 cm. Order a Copy
Letter has two portions, both dated 1 September 1789. The first, written by Henry Jackson, describes the bearer, John Sewall, who is the son of Jonathan Sewall, the former Attorney General of New York, and nephew of John Hancock. Declares that he is of good character and an able attorney on his way from Halifax to Quebec, where he plans to establish a law practice. Will be stopping in New York, and Jackson asks Knox to assist Sewall while he is there. The second page, written by John Hancock, is a letter of introduction for Sewall, asking that Knox welcome him into his acquaintance.
The "John Sewall," son of Jonathan Sewall, that the authors refer to may be Jonathan Sewell (1766-1839), who would become a prominent attorney in Canada, according to the Dictionary of Canadian Biography.
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