Line 20.2, James AIKEN, Oh, my Aiken Heart

Oh, James, oh, James, you left too many records. Records of James AIKEN born 1 June 1731, married Molly McFARLAND  and died. 27 July 1817 and buried in Antrim, New Hampshire.  On page 6 of Vol I of the DAR Patriot Index, two James  Aikens both married to Molly McFarland. are named. James the second (or was he the first as well?) was born in  1736 and died July 1780. (Other genealogist put his death as 12 May 1787 in Londonderry, Rockingham, New Hampshire.) Both had patriotic service in NH. It has been suggested that Molly or Mary McFarland married first our James and then a cousin of his also named James. To add to this later genealogist add even more confusing information regarding our dear James. More on that later in this post.

 

James Aikin born 1 June 1731, son of Samuel AIKEN and his wife Miss YOUNG

 

James married Molly or Mary MacFarland

   Most genealogist agree that James and Molly Aiken were the parents of

1. Andrew AIKEN  born 1755 in Chester, Rockingham, NH, married Margaret ?, died 06 March 1835 in Bradford Center, Bradford, NH and buried there

2. William AIKEN born about 1757

3. Margaret AIKEN McArthur born 10 Feb 1759 in Chester, Rockingham, NH; She married John McArthur and died 31 Oct 1842 in Vershire, Orange, VT and buried at Vershire Center.

4. Samuel AIKEN born 9 Jan 1761 in Chester, Rockingham, NH. He married Martha Graham.

5. James AIKEN born 1762 in Chester Rockingham, NH and died 2 July1777

6. John AIKEN was born 1762 in Chester, Rockingham, NH and died 28 July 1777.

7. Mary "Molly" AIKEN  was born 1774(?) in Chester, Rockingham, NH and married Stephen Heath.Heath

8. a possible Mary AIKEN b. 1760 who married Ebenezer KIMBALL.

 

James died27 July 1817 in Antrim, New Hampshire. (maybe)

 

It is obvious that more research needs to be done on our James. His birth date and death dead could possible indicate that we are dealing with more then one James AIKEN who married a Molly What we do know about James is that he is listed in the 1776 Chester, Rockingham, New Hampshire, census of men who were of the right age to service in the Revolutionary War. There is also a James Aiken listed in the 1790 US Census that reads:

   US CENSUS: 1790, New Hampshire, Hillsborough County, Antrim Town  James AIKEN, 3 free white males 16 years and upward (including head of  house), 5 free white females including heads of families This James may be a son or grandson of our James. Benjamin Chase who wrote a wonderful book about the populations of Chester, New Hampshire says our James was killed in the Revolutionary War along with his son James. However, Chase also notes that a James AIKEN died July 1780, hence the confusion. Maybe, Molly MacFarland just liked married men named James AIKEN or she just wanted to confuss future generations of genealogists.(1) James (all of them) AIKEN certainly needs to have more research done on him! It is believed that three of James sons fought in Revolutionary War, young James being killed at Ticonderoga and the other two wounded there. The DAR book (2) lists James the elder as being a soldier at both Bunker Hill and Benhington.

 

A map of Chester, New Hampshire puts “J. AIKEN” at lots #146 and #145, next to #57 owned by John Powel as well as #146 (unnamed) on the east side, John Boyd at #59 on the west.

 

Who knows when and where our James died and was buried. He is also listed by Lewis L. Gregory in “Descendants of Andrew McFarland” 2002 as having died 13 May 1787 in Londonderry, Rockingham, New Hampshire. (12). However the one thing people can agree on is that James was of the The Scot-Irish Presbyterians church and religious lending

 

 

 

***SOURCES*****
1.  "History of Old Chester, From 1719 to 1869" by Benjamin Chase, 1869
2.   Roxann McArthur
3.   "New Hampshire State History of Daughters of the American Revolution" complied and edited by Elizabeth Knowles Folsom
4.   Olive M. Connary
5. Microfiche of the Maltby Family Genealogy by Dorothy Maltby Verril and Prof. Fred A. Molby
6.   New Hampshire Census, 1776 (for or against the War) by Jay Mack Holbrook 1976, Holbrook Research Institute, Census NH, 1776-7
7.   A Map of the Original township of Chester, NH, drawn by Benjamin Chase for his history of Chester
8.  DAR Lineage book, Vol 104, pgs 284 & 285
9..  "Descendants of Andrew McFarland" by Lewis L. Gregory Jr., 2002

 

**********
NOTE:

The Ancestral File, Ver. 4.02, Carson FHC, 1992---lists Jane AIKEN, b. 1769, Antrim Hillsbr., NH as a daughter of this James AIKEN. Needs checking. In fact this whole family needs checking out!

Per Ancestral File, ver 4.15: Family Group Sheet lists two (2) James (1) b. 1762 (2) b. 1772. Also gives the first James and John's wives names are Betsey McDUFFEE. This record also adds a daughter named Jane born in Antrim. I feel Jane is someone else's child, not from this family. Folsom [3] adds a second daughter named Mary who married Ebenezer KIMBALL

Line 20.1 Samuel Aiken, Scots-Irish American

You’ve got to love the fierce bravery of the early settlers in the far North New England states. They were facing a frontier that was days, if not weeks from the ocean and an escape back to civilized Europe. On the other hand, they were facing an adventure that would lead to more religious freedom and thought. The Scot-Irish Presbyterians found a haven in Chester where they could build a church and create a community. And on the other hand (I know that makes three hands) there is also the sense of loss where the “native” population is concerned too. I’ve done a poor job of determining the effect of the building of a Scot-Irish community in the wilderness might have done to the Indians of the area. But I still have to admire a people group that would pick up and leave the familiarity of Ireland (even if they were transplant just a generation or two before) for a totally foreign place.

 

Samuel Aiken was born about 1708 in Ireland, probably the son of John AIKEN although William Aiken and Janet Wilson have also been suggested as Samuel’s parents

He married a woman whose surname may have been YOUNG.

The children of Samuel AIKEN and his wife were:

1.       William AIKEN born about 1730 in Ireland. He married Rebecca FOWLER. They drowned together at Passamoquaddy. His two sons, James and Robert died at the Battle of Bunker Hill

2.      James AIKEN born 1 June 1731 in Ireland or in Chester, NH and died 13 May 1787 in Londonderry, Rockingham, NH. He married Mary “Molly” McFARLAND

3.      Peter AIKEN born 1736 at sea and died 21 October 1806 in Canada. He married Rebecca Fowler the daughter of Thomas FOWLER (obviously a different Rebecca Fowler from the one who married Peter’s brother William.)

4.      Sarah AIKEN was born about 1740 in Chester, Rockingham, NH. She married Robert WITHERSPOON and had at least four sons

5.      Samuel AIKEN was born about 1749 probably in Chester, New Hampshire. He died there 4 January 1825. He married Isabella MCMCDOLE 17 April 1738 in Gofftown, Hillsborn, New Hampshire.

6.      Sarah AIKEN possibly born about 1736 and died young as a second daughter named Sarah was born about 1736.

Samuel AIKEN died in 1786 in Chester, New Hampshire and was buried there.

These early AIKENs in New Hampshire were a bear to research. Records were sparse and they, as was the English and Scottish tradition, name their numerous children names that were repeated by the many branches of their family tree. In one source (1) Samuel is listed as the son of John AIKEN; in another William and AIKEN and Janet Wilson (5) are named as his parents. I think Benjamin Chase just got the generations mixed up as Samuel is not mentioned in John AIKEN’s will and Chase in his book on Chester, New Hampshire mentions that he Samuel) was a young brother of John Aiken. Chase writes that He took the scenic route stopping at Portsmouth and Greenland where they might have lived for a short while before continuing on to the America colonies. The Scots-Irish who settled in Chester were early settlers although not the earliest European settlers. However, they soon became the largest group of settlers there. Samuel purchased one half of lot No. 32 in Chester on 22 June 1738. He later bought the other half for his sons, James and Peter. Samuel is mentioned in the town and church records but not as often as his older brother.

 

The Rev. John Wilson became the minister of the First Presbyterian Church in 1734. They worshiped in private homes until 1749 when the church was built. Samuel was one of the men in a committee to “examine the collector’s list” in 1743/4 and 1745 and again in 1749.

The Presbyterian Church seemed to be the center of this community, made up mostly of Scots-Irish immigrants. The government of the church was led by the Pastor but controlled by the elders. There must have been a very strong sense of democracy in this little town. Many of the Aikens and their cousin participated in the Revolutionary War. I imagine (and this is just my imagination) strong preachers who emulated the fierce image of John Knox of Scotland and the independence of pioneers in a new world.

Samuel AIKEN died about 1788. His wife survived him nine years and died in Chester in 1797. Only daughter, Sarah and son Samuel seemed to have remained in Chester until their deaths.

***SOURCES***

1. "History of Old Chester, From 1719 to 1869" by Benjamin Chase, 1869

2. "Probate Records of the Province of New Hampshire" Vol. 4, 1750-1753 State Papers Series Vol 34, Edited by Otis G. Hammond, 1933, 974.2 Rec 21.2-4

 

3. "History of Chester, New Hampshire" a Supplement to the History of Old Chester," compiled and published by John Carroll Chase, 1926; 974.22  CHE 3.60

4. Internet http://www.redrock.net/sjones/d0006

5. http://hstsearches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ifetch2?/u1/texindices... Roots Web surname searches "CNIDR I search -cgi 1.20.06" Akin Family by Marci

6. Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. History

A friend on Facebook began posting about her resent interest in her family's history. That reminded me that with the death of both of my parents in the past year, I've neglected posting on my blog. So with some renewed energy, I am going to start back on my journey through my family's "religious" history with a Presbyterian Scots-Irish line.

 

 

Line 20

Edward AIKEN

IRISH OR SCOTS-IRISH

 

I’ve been dealing with Southern ancestry and am now returning to my New England ancestors. Edward Aiken was born in Londonderry, Ireland of Scottish ancestry, which of course makes him Scots-Irish. Further evidence of his ancestry is that he was connected, as you will see, with the Presbyterian Church. My source for this, puts his birth as 1618 so unless he married very late in life, he may have been the grandfather of the following children rather than the father.

Edward Aiken was born about 1716 in Londonderry, Ireland, his parents’ names being lost to history as are his death date and place.

He married a woman whose name has not been discovered.

The children of Edward Aiken were:

 

1.       John Aiken born about 1689 in Ireland and died 1 Dec 1750 in Chester, Rockingham, New Hampshire. He married Mary Karr born about 1700 and died after 1750.

2.      Samuel Aiken born about 1700 in Irland and died about 1688 in Chester, Rockingham, NH. He married a woman from the Young family who died in Chester, New Hampshire in 1797

3.      William Aiken born about 1702, died before 1736 in Ireland.  William was an educated clergyman.

 

Edward Aiken probably died sometime in the early 1700s.

 

Little is known of Edward Aiken. I am not sure where my source got her information on Edward but we can be fairly sure that Edward was among the people who were sent to Northern Ireland from Scotland by James I of the United Kingdom (England, Scotland and Ireland) to keep an eye on the rebellious Irish in the seventeenth century.  Many of the Scotch-Irish, including two of Edward’s sons, (a term that originated in the American colonies to distinguish them from the Catholic Irish American) became disenchanted with Ireland and migrated to the colonies.

This family was Presbyterian. Son, William Aiken was known to be not just a clergyman but a well-educated one too. It is likely that his brothers had a better than average education as well. This marks the Aikens as probably middle-class, although the protestant lower classes tended to teach their children to read as their version of the Bible would have been printed in English or Scotch rather than Latin as the Catholic Bible was at that time. The Presbyterians came from the reformed Protestantism movement in the British Isles, begun in Scotland by John Knox a follower of the Calvinist theology founded by John Calvin. The name of the church comes for the “Presbyterian” form of church government which is represented by an assembly of elders. Their theology is built on the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures and salvation through grace that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. 

 

***SOURCES***

1. "History of Old Chester, From 1719 to 1869" by Benjamin Chase, 1869

2. http://hstsearches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ifetch2?/u1/texindices... Roots Web surname searches "CNIDR I search -cgi 1.20.06" Akin Family by Marci

3. Gale Encyclopedia of U.S. History

 

Line 19.3, Margaret Sellman; the lesser part of the family

Margaret Sellman

Margaret Sellman was born about 1742 in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, the daughter of Charles Sellman and his wife Elizabeth Gassaway.

Married Joshua Hobbs, the son of John and Elizabeth Hobbs

The children of Margaret Sellman and Joshua Hobbs were:

1.      Eli Hobbs born about 1761 in Frederick Co., MD, married Elizabeth Hamilton on 4 October 1782 and died 1830 in Nelson Co., Kentucky

2.      Elizabeth Hobbs born 31 December 1765 in Frederick, Frederick Co.,MD, married Christopher Frederick Burkheart 16 November 1780 in Frederick, MD and died 22 October 1844 in Clinton, Henry County, MO.

3.      Anna Hobbs, also known as Nancy, born about 17666 in Maryland. She married 1. George Burkheart on 10 March 1838 in Nelson County, KY and 2. Aaron Bridges. Nancy died 18 May 1840 in Nelson Co., KY

4.      Ezekiel Hobbs born about 1767 in Frederick Co., MD, married Nancy Read 4 August 1830 in Nelson Co., KY.

2.      Joshua Hobbs born about 1768 in Frederick Co., MD, married Rachel Hobbs and he died about 1846 in Nelson C., KY

3.      John Hobbs born 1770 in Frederick County, MD, married Cassandra Briscoe 28 Feb 1787 in Nelson Co., KY and died there in 1840.

4.      Nicholas Hobbs born about 1773, married Kate Shelton in Nelson Co., KY and died 5 July 1830 in Hardin Co., KY

5.      Vachel Hobbs born 31 October in Frederick Co., MD, married 1. Mary Scott. 2. Sallie, 3. Celia Helm on 17 April 1799 in Nelson Co., KY, 4. Eleanor Marshall15 Oct 1817 in Nelson Co., KY and  5. Amelia ? on 3 March 1823. Vachel died 26 April 1847 in Mt. Pleasant, Howard Co., MO

6.      Peggie Hobbs born about 1778 and probably died young.

7.      Hennie Hobbs born about 1780 and married Samuel Brown on 22 May 1799.

8.      Sarah Hobbs born about 1782. She married twice 1. Stephen Compton Briscoe in Nelson Co., KY on 15 November 1799 and 2. Also in Nelson co., John Rogers on 20 January 1806.

9.      Lydia Hobbs born 22 December 1786 who married William Jones Bayne on 8 January  1801 in Nelson Co., KY

 

Margaret isn't a "lesser" part of the Sellman family in my mind. She is just very special to me because without her, I wouldn't be here. But by the time Margaret was born the family had "come down" in the world and no longer owned lots of land. I don't know if she grew up with a slave or two on the farm. Hopefully not but it is possible. However, she must have lived an adventuresome life having been born in Maryland and then as a married woman, moving to Kentucky with her husband and children.

Family tradition names Margaret Sellman as the mother of all of Joshua Hobbs children. In 1784 Joshua Hobbs and his wife Margaret sold their land in Frederick County, Maryland. Land deeds for Joshua Hobbs are found near the Sellmans in both Anne Arundel County and Frederick County, Maryland which makes the probability even higher that the family remembered correctly. Joshua sold land in 1785 and 1786 that set next to a John Sellman. Another family story, first reported by George N. Hobbs says that John married Margaret’s sister Ann first and had several children George reports she died giving birth to Vachel and then Joshua Hobbs married Margaret. However George also reported some family “facts” that can be proved incorrect. Also, Eli Hobbs, the eldest son of Joshua named his first daughter, Margaret and had several other daughters, none named “Anne”. Since it was common for the eldest son (as well as younger children) to name their first daughter after the father’s mother, the second after the mother’s mother, it would make since that Eli would have named a daughter Anne, which he did not.

 

There is a good chance that Margaret and her family were practicing Baptists or maybe just nominal ones. Moving to the "wilderness" took faith and strength. Margaret must have been one busy woman with nine children born in 19 years as well as leaving her home in Maryland and moving to the frontier.

***SOURCES***

1. Bob Moore, “Joseph Hobbs of Md. And KY” GenForum, 5 March 2000
2. George N. Hobbs, 25 June 1940 (Great-grandson of Vachel) to Anna M. Grisez
3. Familysearch.com Ancestral File v. 4.19

 

Line 19.2, Charles Sellman, An Enigma

Little is known of Charles Sellman apart from the fact that he did own land in Maryland, a slave state. Southern records aren’t as meticulous as the ones kept in the Puritan controlled New England states. Church and state records were kept half hazardly in the South or often not preserved. Gravesites on farms and plantation weren’t always kept up and often just disappeared or the stones were damaged beyond repair or just disappeared.  If “Bible” records were kept, the book itself had to have been preserved over the centuries by the family and more often than not just disappeared.

 

Charles Sellman was born 5 August 1722 in Accomac, Accomack Co., Virginia, the son of William Sellman and his wife, Ann West

Married Elizabeth Gassaway the daughter of Nicholas Gassaway and his wife Elizabeth Hawkins, in 1745 probably in Accomack Co., Virginia

The children of Charles Sellman and Elizabeth Gassaway were:

1        Margaret Sellman born 1740 in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland. She married Joshua Hobbs.

2.      Anne Sellman, born 1741 at Anne Arundel, Maryland.

3.      Gassaway Sellman born about 1745  in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland and died in Frederick Co., Maryland on 27 May 1823. He married Francis Davis’ widow, Catherine and they had six children.

4.      John Sellman born about 1748  in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland. He married Elizabeth (Betsy) Phelps. They had six children. He died October 1816 in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland.

 

Charles Sellman died 20 December 1770 in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland

 

Charles Sellman grew up on his father’s plantation in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. He inherited “residue” of land at “Crosses Forest” according to his father’s will. “Sheep” were willed to his children, Margaret and Ann. Gassaway and John must have been born after their grandfather’s 1743 will. Elizabeth Gassaway Sellman inherited “clothing” from the will. He was also left land from his father-in-law’s will.  Slaves were left to Charles’ brother Thomas and to a sister and brother-in-law in their father’s will but not to Charles so it is very possible that Charles did not own slaves. But he was a land owner and he did live in Maryland where the practice of slavery was common among land owners. However I have not been able to find a will so it’s impossible to know for sure. Since he was not the elder son, his portion of land holdings was probably small and he may not have had to buy slaves. I also know little about Gassaway and John, Charles’ sons so if they didn’t owned slaves then the practice  may have ended with Charles in that line. Daughter Anne probably [see more on Margaret Sellman] died young and Daughter Margaret’s family was in Kentucky by the early 1770s. While Kentucky was a slave state I haven’t found evidence that the Hobbs were slave owners.

 

***SOURCES***

1. Will of Nicholas Gassaway of Anne Arundel Co., dated 18 Feb 1757

2. Will of William Sellamn of Anne Arundel co., dated 11 Feb 742/3 / 31^st March 1743

3.  Early Families of Southern Maryland, Vol 2,”the Lawrence Family”

1.      Anne Arundel Gentry Vol 1 “The Gassaway Family.”

 

Donald C. Mendoza 

 My dad went to Heaven on July 2, 2013. This is what I said about him at his memorial service.

What Dad taught me.

The last few months has made me realize just how valuable the legacy my dad left me is. He was a son, a brother, a cousin, a husband, an uncle, a father and grandfather and a friend. He was an engineer, a hiker, a camper and a teacher. He taught me a lot as I was growing up and into my adult years, right up until the day he died.

My dad loved books. He taught me to love the written word. As a very young child he would sit me on his lap and read the comics from the newspaper to me. He taught me to hunger after knowledge. He was a treasure chest of knowledge and of wisdom. I always said he was the encyclopedia salesman’s best friend. Our home was filled with encyclopedias and books. Often he would tell us to look up the answer and let us learn by our own efforts. My dad taught me to love to read and to love knowledge. My dad used to tell us that his mother once said to him “I hope that one day you have a little boy who asks as many questions as you do and he drives you crazy too.” Her wish not only came true it was quad tripled by three sons and a daughter who all loved to ask questions.

My dad taught me to love history. He made history come to life for my brothers and me with his love of museums and historical sites. We visited old forts, California missions, historical houses and battleships. We took a trip to the East Coast one year and since I had studied about the Battle of Lake Champlain that year, he made a detour just so I could get a glimpse of that lake.

My dad taught me to love nature. Our vacations were full of national parks, hikes, camping and beaches. He loved the outdoors so much that every house we lived in was close to nature. He even found a house in the city of Oakland that bordered on a canyon full of opossums and rabbits and an occasional deer. We lived in Gresham surrounded by forest on two sides and a dairy farm on the third. When I was in college, he and my mother and brother, Tim, moved into a house in Los Angeles that was a block and a really big step to the ocean.

He taught me to appreciate family. He loved his sister and Billie Jean and her family are still a big part of my life, as well was my dad’s cousin, Dick Austin’s family. As a child, I remember going to Fresno, California for family reunions. In the eighties, my cousin Christine, Billie’s daughter and I arranged family reunions that inspired my genealogy research. It was fun to listen to my Great-Aunts and my dad’s cousins tell stories of the family and my dad’s misadventures as a child.

My dad taught me how to be a faithful friend. He didn’t have a lot of close friends but those who were stayed in his life until either their death or his own. He went to every one of his high school class reunions until the one two years ago when his health was starting to limit his mobility. And as he grew weaker and closer to his home-going to Heaven, I heard wonderful things about his sweet nature and his knowledge from the friends who knew him in the final phase of his life on this earth.

My dad taught me that kindness was better then wisdom. A couple of months ago, my cousin Kent told me “Your dad is the kindest man I’ve ever known.” What a tribute to a quiet man who didn’t just expose his heart in words but in his deeds. I’ve been noticing lately that a lot of people use the word “kind” about my dad. He exposed his heart in the love and compassion he showed to other people. He worked in soup kitchens, tutored a neighbor’s home schooled children in math, and he and my mom welcomed a young college student who was a stranger to them at the time into their home several years ago. Yenny is now a part of our family and a legacy to my dad’s and my mom’s warm hearts. And Dad and my mom took my son and me in when we were homeless.

Dad taught me that I was loved. I have a very positive picture of what our Father in Heaven is like because of my dad. I am very, very fortunate to have had an earthly father who reflects his Heavenly Father. Theology was a great passion in my dad’s earthly life. He knew his Bible and he knew his God. As the gates of heaven open up for him, I can almost hear Our Lord saying, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”  

My dad taught me a lot of things and I will forever be grateful to him for those lessons.

Line 19.1 William Sellman; Can a Slave Owner be Holy?

William Sellman was the son of a former indentured servant. By the time he died he owned “31 negro slaves.” It seems ironic that coming from a background where his own father had been an “indentured” servant and did not own slaves, that William would. Am I proud he owned slaves? Of course not but owning slaves did not make him a wholly evil man. But could he still be holy and a slave owner? There isn’t much known about William, except what can be gleamed from his will and some land records. Hopefully, he was a Christian man who was kind to his slaves. The man who wrote "Amazing Grace" went back to slaving once he became a Christian but at the end of his life he fought to end the practice. William Sellman didn't give up his slaves (he actually "willed" his slaves to his heirs). He didn't fight against slavery. So it leaves to question if he could justify owning slaves. We can't know his heart condition, but I at least will hope that he had pity on people he imprisoned.

William Sellman was born 22 January 1688/9 in Accomac, Accomack Co., Virginia, the son of John Sellman and his wife, Elizabeth Brashears

Married Ann West, daughter of John West and Matilda Scarborough on 09 October 1718 in Accomac, Accomack Do., Virginia

The children of William Sellman and Ann West were:

1.      Thomas Sellman born 29 November 1718 in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland. He married Ruth Shipley and died 1794

2.      William Sellman Jr., born 18 May 1720 at All Hallows, Anne Arundel, Maryland. He married Charity Tidings and died 7 November 1749 in Virginia

3.      John Sellman born 1 March 1720/21 in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland and died there 15 November 1804.

4.      Charles Sellman born 5 August 1722 in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland. He married Elizabeth Gassaway about 1745. He died 20 December 1770 in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland.

5.      Jonathan Sellman born 21 February 1723/4 in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland. He married Elizabeth Battee.

6.      Ann Sellman born 25 September 1725. She married Samuel Battee.

William Sellman died 31 March 1743 in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland

William Sellman was the great-grandson of both a French Huguenot, forced to flee France for his religious beliefs and a powerful man who persecuted people not of the Anglican lean toward Christianity. It seems odd that the grandchildren of two such men, should find enough love between themselves to marry and have children.

William lived most of his life in Anne Aundel Co.,  Maryland. His main residence was “Sparrow’s Rest” on the Rhodes River. He later added Shaws Foly to his land holdings and then added “Francis Addition” forty-two acres, which he purchased from John Gresham in 1729. Here William build a brick house in 1735 and marked the chimney in “old Flemish bond” with “W A 1735” for himself and his wife, Anne and their children. A hundred and ten years later his descendant added a large addition. The house remained in the Sellman family for six generations when it was sold to Mrs. Alexander Howat in 1915. Grainy but interesting photos of this house can be seen at Wilbert (Bert) Webb’s RootWeb site. I hope he doesn’t mind me posting the site address: http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~yearsgoneby/p1113.htm

 William died 7 March 1742/3 at age 53. According to his will, he owned 1373 acres of land, thirty-one “Negro” slaves, 21 horses, 119 head of cattle, 108 sheep and 19 hogs    as well as farm and home equipment and goods. His will read in part:

Sellman, William A.A. Co., 11th Feb., 1742-3; 31st March 1743. To son-in-law Scarborough Sparrow, 100 A. lying bet. property of Thomas Higgins and Nicholas Maccubbin's quarter on Elk Ridge. Shd. he die without issue to pass to son Thomas. to son William, part of 300 A. "Morton's Lot" on Bush R. in Baltimore Co. and liberty to live at swelling plantation for yrs. To son John, 260 A. "Sewall's Lot," 88A. "Catter's Whim," 100 A. "Carter's Rock," 23 A. "Carter's Addition." To son Charles, residue of "Crosses Forest." To son Jonathan, 360 A. "Shaw's Folly," 42 A. "Frances Addition". To son Thomas, land testator bought from Benjamin Trasker, agent of Lord Baltimore, and money now in the hands of Joseph Adams. To child. afsd. and dau. Anne, personalty. To wife Anne, personal estate. Tobacco in warehouses to be shipped and proceeds thereof to go into his personal estate. Ex.: Wife and son Jonathan. Test: John Jacobs, John Sparrow, Mary Sparrow. 23.251"} {4--Sellman, Anne Arundel Co. [will]; 25 oct 1748; 29 May 1749, to son William Sellman, 1 s. sterl.; to son Scarborough Sparrow, slaves. To son Thomas Sellman, slaves. To grandson Jonathan Sparrow, son of Kensey, 1 slave.To other 2 grandsons, Kensey and Thomas, sons of the above sd. Kensey Sparrow, remainder of above slaves....To grand-dau. Ann Battee, slavaes; to the 2nd child. of dau. Ann Battee, 1 slave. To son Jonathan Sellman, furnishings; To Elizabeth, wife of Jonathan, chest of drawers. To son Scarborough Sparrow, sheep and the 2 child of my son Charles Selman, Margaret and Ann, and the 3 children of my son John Sellman: Ann, William and Frances. To grand-son West Burgess, cattle. To grand-dau. Katharine Sparrow, dau. of sd. son John, one large hammered pewter dish. to sons John Sellman and Charles, all my crop of cotton. To dau. Matilde Brugess, furnishings. To dau. Ann Battee, my clothing. To dau. Katharine Curtis, clothing. To Elizabeth, wife of son John Sellman, and to Elizabeth, wife of son Charles Sellman, clothing. To Mary, wife of son John Sparrow, clothing. To Dinah, wife of son Kensey Sparrow, clothing. To children: Kensy Sparrow, Scarborough Sparrow, John Sellman, Charles Sellman, Thomas Sellman, and dau. Ann Batee, remainder of my estate. son Scarborough Sparrow, ex. Wit: John Jacobs, Jos. Cowman, Jr., Richard Tidings. 26.141}

   

I don’t know if William Sellman had any religious affiliations but if so, it can be hard in our age to justify his owning slaves. But the Eighteen Century was a different time and slavery was practiced at that time. It became an economic rather then a moral issue to many people in the Southern States. That doesn’t justify it but it makes it easier to understand that if William Sellman was a Christian, why he would own other people. He was part of a system that used the black man and woman as a source of labor. My hope is that he treated his slaves with compassion, despite enslaving them. Again, it doesn’t justify his “economics” but it does make it a little less intolerable. The issue of Slavery and Christianity is an interesting discussion and the Internet has several interesting article on this subject. If you are a descendant of a Sellman slave or of William Sellman himself, I’d love to hear your view this son of an indentured servant become slave owner.

***SOURCES***

1. Maryland Calendar of Wills by Jane Baldwin & Roberta Balling Henry, Baltimore Gen. Publ Co., 1968: Volume 8

2. "One Mississippi Family" by Ann Geoghegan annieg49@bellsouth.net "Ancestry.com"

3. Ancestry.com "Our Family History Rebecca Miller and Bruce Rutherford"

4."Founders of Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, Maryland" by J. D. Warfield, A.M. 1967
5.John Warren, john.Warren@worldnet.att.net
6.“Bert’s Family Links Over 500 Surnames” byWilbert (Bert) Webb, Root Web http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~yearsgoneby/p1113.htm.