Roger Forstall Sweetman was a merchant and political figure in Colony of Newfoundland. He represented Placentia and St. Mary's

Placentia and St. Mary's

Placentia—St. Mary’s is a provincial electoral district for the House of Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. As of 2011, there were 7,361 eligible voters living within the district....

 in the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly

Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly

The Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly is one of two components of the General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador, the other being the Lieutenant-Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Newfoundland and Labrador General Assembly meets in the Confederation Building at St...

 from 1832 to 1836.

He was the son of Pierce Sweetman, an Irish

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

 merchant, and Juliet Forstall. Sweetman may have been born in Ireland. He came to Placentia

Placentia, Newfoundland and Labrador

Placentia is a town on the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland and Labrador, consisting of the amalgamated communities of Jerseyside, Townside, Freshwater, Dunville and Argentia...

 in 1813 to look over the activities of the family business there. Sweetman was named a justice of the peace

Justice of the Peace

A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...

for the Southern district in 1834; he also served as a road commissioner and as a member of the board of education. He took over the family business when his father died in 1841. Sweetman was involved in fishing and the seal fishery.