Sewell Chamberlain lived in Charlestown, Massachusetts his entire life. He was born just after the American Revolution in a tiny cottage two blocks from the sea. His father, Josiah Chamberlain was a renown carpenter and boat builder from the area. Josiah had been hand picked by Governor John Hancock to work on America's first naval vessels. Sewell grew up with the sounds of hammering nails, beating rope and sawing timber as the score to his life. The ocean air, damp wood and gun powder were the odors of home. When he came of age, Sewell went to work with his father everyday at the newly formed Charlestown Navy Yard and was never not useful. He picked up the trade quickly, became a master and by the age of 25, Sewell was the lead builder on a 32 gun frigate commissioned by the United States Government.
But that's not why he was the greatest ship builder in the world.
Little did Sewell know then, that he would be boarding the ship as a commissioned officer and master carpenter for the United States Navy.
End of part one.
