Dr. Thomas Sewall and the Corpses of Chebacco Parish

For the last two centuries, Dr. Thomas Sewall has been miscast as a grave robberand body snatcher, after buried corpses vanished in 1818 from Chebacco Parish,Ipswich, Essex County, Massachusetts. Ever since, writers have repeated thatfalsehood despite his never having been charged or convicted of that crimeby any legal authority.In fact, no evidence exists to show that Sewall ever robbed graves of theircorpses anywhere at any time. Yet he did confess to possession of humananatomical material linked to two corpses removed from their graves by elusiveunknown actors. This book provides an explanation for Sewall's possessionof that human anatomical material.In Dr. Thomas Sewall and the Corpses of Chebacco Parish, physician authorMargaret R. O'Leary examines the circumstances that led to the exit of thatremarkable physician from a provincial parish in Massachusetts, where hehad served residents for almost a decade. Even the best among them did notrecognize Sewall's talent or promise of future eminence.