Background
Sewell was the son of Sir Thomas Sewell and Catherine Heath and christened 13 December 1751 at All Hallows, London.
Sewell was the son of Sir Thomas Sewell and Catherine Heath and christened 13 December 1751 at All Hallows, London.
In February 1776 they set sail for Jamaica on board the Judith and Hilaria from Portsmouth with Sarah"s sisters,Mary, Maria and Catherine. In 1780 he was appointed Attorney General of Jamaica. He spoke in the House of Commons on behalf of the West Indian Planters interest.
In May 1797, he argued that it would be economically impossible to abolish slavery.
In April and May 1798 he spoke against William Smith"s proposal to provide minimum space for enslaved Africans on slave ships. He rejected a minimum of 40 cubic feet (11 m3) arguing that "negroes prefer being herded together".
He was an uncle of Monk Lewis. He also brought up William Henry, who adopted the name William Henry Sewell and became a general in the British Army.
1st United Kingdom Parliament. 18th Parliament of Great Britain]
Robert Sewell returned to England in 1795 and became member of parliament for Grampound from 1796 to 1802.