caption death_date death_place birth_place birth_date spouse known_for signature image article_title name occupation
1729 , by john smibert 01 january 1730 boston , province of massachusetts bay bishopstoke , hampshire , england march 28 , 1652 hannah -lrb- shrimpton -rrb- gibbs hull abigail -lrb- melyen -rrb- woodmansey tilley mary salem witch trials samuel sewall signature.svg samuel sewall.jpg samuel sewall
 samuel sewall judge
samuel sewall

samuel sewall -lrb- ; march 28 , 1652 -- january 1 , 1730 -rrb- was a judge , businessman , and printer in the province of massachusetts bay , best known for his involvement in the salem witch trials , for which he later apologized , and his essay `` the selling of joseph '' -lrb- 1700 -rrb- , which criticized slavery .
he served for many years as the chief justice of the massachusetts superior court of judicature , the province 's high court .
