Elizabeth
Brashear Sellman was of French ancestry but born in the New World. She never
knew the buzz of the big city. Her world was open farmland and small villages
that served as areas of business and social life. Her “social life” probably
centered around the family’s church, which for many in the new world formed
their world. However, being a child of Maryland, she was probably exposed to
more then just the Huguenot way of viewing Christianity.
Elizabeth
Brashears was born Nansemond Co., Virginia, the daughter of Benjamin and Mary
Brashears
She married 1.
John Sellman. Secondly, she married 2. Dr. William Nicholls.
She and
John Sellman had:
1.
John Sellman born 1680 in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland and died
there 1716. He married Martha Goss, the daughter of William Goss and Hester
Gassaway.
2.
Elizabeth Sellman born 1682 in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland and
died 1706. She married William Grey.
3.
Margaret Sellman born 1684 in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland and
died there May 1762. She married
Benjamin Williams.
4.
Mary Sellman born 1686 in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland and died
there around 1710.
5.
William Sellman born 22 January 1688/89 in Anne Arundel Co.,
Maryland
6.
Ann Sellman born in
Anne Arundel Co., Maryland
7.
Robert Sellman born in
Anne Arundel Co., Maryland
8.
Benjamin Sellman born
in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland
9.
Ruth Sellman born in
Anne Arundel Co., Maryland
10.
Lawrence Sellman born in Anne Arundel Co. Maryland
Elizabeth
Nicholls died 18 October 1707 in St. Mary's City, Anne Arundel Co., Maryland.
She was buried 20 October 1707 at All Hallow Parish, Anne Arundel Co.,
Maryland.
Elizabeth was
probably born about 1654 in either Nansemond County or Calvert County Virigina
because she was listed as a “headright” on Benois (Benjamin) Brasseur’s land
records when he moved from Virginia to Maryland. Only people not born in
Maryland were eligible for land and Benjamin received 50 additional acres of
land in Maryland for Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s sister Mary was not listed, which
probably means she was the only one of Benjamin’s children to be born in
Maryland. However, in 1663, Elizabeth was the last named child in her mother’s
will. Wills at the time listed children by their age, oldest to youngest.
“Mary Brasseur, widow of the Clifts” filed her last will and testament on 25
May 1663 recording: "I give and bequeath to my daughter elizabeth three
heifers, called and known by the names of Christmas, Cole and Nutt with their
female encreae, to be delivered unto her at such time and when she shall
accomplish the age of sixteen years or day of marriage, which shall first
happened;” Since at best Elizabeth was 9 years old, she may or may not have
actually been the youngest child.
Elizabeth
married twice, first to John Sellman by whom all her children were fathered and
secondly to Dr. William Nicholls. John Sellman came over from England with
Elizabeth’s parents as an indentured servant with Elizabeth’s family and was
many years older then Elizabeth. However, they had a long marriage, lasting
thirty-eight years. John owned over 900 acres when he dies, so Elizabeth was
well off as a widow. I haven’t been able to find much on her second husband
other then his name.
Little is
known of Elizabeth beyond her birth, marriages and death. She was most likely
raised with a strong Calvinist background, speaking both French and England. John Sellman may have had a
leaning toward the Puritan teachings rather then the Anglican church teachings. However,
in the end, Elizabeth was buried in the cemetery at the “All Hallows Church”,
an Anglican Church. This may have been due to her second husband’s influence or
merely because it was a covenant church to attend. The lovely red brick
building was build in 1710 and was placed on the National Register of Historic
Places in 1969. The old register of burial contains an entry for “Eliza
Nicholls, widow, 17 Jan 1728/9.” No gravestone remains and some family
historians believe she may actually have been buried in Baltimore.
***SOURCES*****
1. Familysearch.com, Ancestral File v. 4.19
2. "One Mississippi Family" by Ann
Geoghegan annieg49@bellsouth.net "Ancestry.com"
3.
"The Selman page" htp://www.talweb.com/redlimey/gene/selman.htm
4.
http://www.tamu.edu/ccbn/dewitt/pattselman1.htm
5. Will
of Mary Brasseur, mother
http://www.next1000.com/family/GRUBB/brashearBB.html
by Cheryl Grubbs
