Line 16.2 Anne West: Friends and Foes

Anne West Sellman is a woman of her generation. Little is known about her outside the names of her parents and the fact that she married twice and had six children by each of her husbands. Since her first husband was a Quaker, it follows that she was one too. However, that while her mother was a Quaker,  her father was of the Church of England so she probably got a dose of both the Church of England and the Quaker Church while growing up.

Ann West was born 12 February 1685/86 in Accomac, Accomack Co., Virginia the daughter of John West and his wife Matilda Scarborough.

Married 1. Thomas Sparrow about 1705 (he died in 1719) and 2. William Sellman son of  John Sellman and his wife Elizabeth Brashears.

Their children were:

1.      John Sparrow born 17 December 1706 at Anne Arundel Co, Maryland and died before 29 June 1781 at Anne Arundel Co, MD. He married Mary Knighton.

2.      Elizabeth Sparrow born 12 September 1708 in Anne Arundel Co, Maryland

3.      Mathilda  Sparrow married John Burgess. She died 1748 at Anne Arundel Co, Maryland

4.      Kensey Sparrow born at All Hallows, Anne Arundel Co, Maryland and died 1749 at All Hallows, Anne Arundel, MD. He married Dinah Richardson.

5.      Catherine Sparrow born 04 February 1713/14 at All Hallows Parish, Anne Arundel Co, Maryland. She married Edmund Curtis.

6.      Scarborough Sparrow born 16 May 1717 at Anne Arundel Co, Maryland

7.      Thomas Sellman born 29 November 1718 at Anne Arundel Co, Maryland died at Brooke Co., Virginia in 1794. He married Ruth Shipley.

8.      William Sellman born 18 May 1720 at Anne Arundel Co, Maryland . He married Charity Tidings

9.      John Sellman born 01 March 1720/21 at Anne Arundel Co., Maryland

10.  Charles Sellman born 05 August 1722 at Anne Arundel Co., Maryland and died there 20 December 1770. He married Elizabeth Gassaway.

11.  Anne Sellman born 25 September 1725 at Anne Arundel Co., Maryland. She married Samuel Batee.

12.  Jonathan Sellman born 21 February 1722/23 at Anne Arundel Co., Maryland and died there in 1783. He married Elizabeth Battee.

Ann married twice. Her first husband was a much older man, Thomas Sparrow. She was his third wife. Thomas and his first wife had no known children. He had two sons by his second wife, one of whom must have died before his father as he is not mentioned in Thomas’ will. By Anne, Thomas had six children, of whom four survived him.

Her second husband, who was three years younger then she, was William Sellman, the son of John Sellman, who had come to the New World as an indentured servant, and his wife Elizabeth Brashears, the daughter of French Huguenots. Anne’s mix of Christianity must have become even more diverse with the French Huguenot influence in William’s family.

By William, Anne had six more children. She survived her second husband, outliving him by seven years and leaving a will that was signed on 25 October 1748 in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. She names children from both marriages, as well as daughter-in-laws and grandchildren.

What role religion played in Anne’s during her second marriage is unknown. However, she life certainly had the pick of several Christian sects to choose from or maybe she choose to study the Bible on her own and serve God using the best of each choice. My guess is that she continued in her Quaker walk but had the influence of other sects that mellowed and furthered her faith in an almighty and loving God.

***SOURCES***

1. [JW] John Warren, john.Warren@worldnet.att.net

2. [FFS] "http://www.rootsweb.com/~mdannear/fistfam/sparrow

3. [ASW] Will of Anne Sellman (self)

4. [WTNA] Ancestry.com World Tree Project "Northampton/ Accomack Co. VA. Names

5. [JDW] "Founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, Maryland" by J. D. Warfield, A.M. 1967