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An American Family History

The Sells Family

  also spelled Sell, Sellen, Sills  
The first European settlements in Maryland were made in 1634 when English settlers created a permanent colony.

Anthony Sells was born about 1712 in Pennsylvania. His father Hendrick Sellen.

His wife was named Catherine. Their children included:

Solomon Sells (1740, married Margaret Ashbaugh),
Anthony Sells, Jr. (abt 1742),
John Sells ( abt 1744),
Ludwick Sells (abt 1750),
Esther Sells (abt 1752, married Conrad Brumbaugh),
Abraham Sells (abt 1754, married Mary Wilson), and
Sophia Sells (abt 1756, married Frederick Ashbaugh).

On May 9, 1748, Anthony purchased 150 acres on the Schuykill River from Nicholas Carber. Anthony and wife Katherine Sell sold this land on August 21, 1750.

On May 20, 1750, Anthony requested that title to 200 acres in Heidelberg Township be recorded in his name. The indenture was recorded on June 7, 1751 in Frederick County, Maryland.

...John Digges to Anthony Sell, 200 acres in Digges Choice, Conewago [now Adams County, PA], "for consideration of 40 Pounds gold paid by Henry Sell deceased father to the said Anthony.

Anthony sold the land in Digges Choice to Henry Hergleroadt for 1,500£.

In 1774, Anthony sold his remaining land land in York and Frederick County and moved to Huntingdon County Pennsylvania . They moved to an village called Standing Stone in what was then Barree Township, Bedford County.

On January 7, 1792 wrote his will:

In the name of God Amen, I Anthony Sell of the town of Huntingdon, in the Township & County of Huntingdon, in the State of Pennsylvania husbandman being considerably advanced in age, but in health of body, of sound mind and disposing memory, do make this my last will and Testament...

Imprimus, my will is that my funeral expenses and all my just debts be honestly paid by my Executors hereinafter to be named out of my personal estate,

after which I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Catherine

  • one hundred pounds in gold or silver, lawful money of Pennsylvania, to be put to youse by the Executor, and paying my wife Catherine the lawful interest of the said money yearly as long as she lives, and after her death, the afore said hundred pounds to be equally divided between my son John and my son Solomon Sell.
  • Also one feather bed and bedding and one milk cow, to her own use,
  • besides her thirds;

and all the rest and residue of my personal Estate, together with all my real Estate I do hereby authorise and direct my Executor to sell within the space of one year after my decease.

Item I give and bequeath unto my son John one hundred fifty pound which he has already received from me and which is charged or ought to be charged unto him.

Item I give and bequeath unto my son Anthony Sell one hundred and fifty pound which he has already received from me on different payments, and is charged unto him or ought to charged.

Item, I give and [bequeath] unto my son Solomon Sell thirteen pounds in cash over and above all the sums of money I have advanced for him at different times, and for which I have charged him or ought to have charged, to the amount of one hundred and twenty-two pounds, also a bond in writing obligatory, in which he stands having to pay me fifteen pounds, the whole bequest amounting to one hundred and fifty pounds.

Item. I give and bequeath unto my son Lodowick Sell two hundred and forty five pounds which he has already received from me and stands charge or ought to be charged for the same.

Item, I give and bequeath unto my son Abraham Sell two hundred and forty five pound which he has already received from me and is charged or ought to be charged for the same - over and above he stands debtor in an obligation of twenty five pound and in payor to Nathaniel Jerrad fifteen pound, also by a bond against Michael Cryder, the sum of twelve pound, also lent to my son Abraham Sell the sum of fourteen pound in cash in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety one for which sums he stands detor over and above two hundred and forty five pound.

Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Sophia, who married Frederick Ashbaugh, one hundred forth five pound, exclusive of the sum of forty five pound which she received from me at the time of or soon after her marriage.

Item I give and bequeath unto my grandson Abraham Brumbaugh, only child of my daughter Esther, who married Conrad Brumbaugh, the sum of sixty five pound to be his full Legase, but if my grandson dies before he attains the age of twenty one, then and in that case I give and bequeath the said sum of sixty five pound to my aforenamed children, or the survivors of them, share and share alike to be divided at the time that my grandson would have been twenty one years of age had he lived,

and whereas, my son Solomon Sell hath had six Bonds of one hundred pounds each bond, and taken land for the said bonds in the State of North Carolina, from Henry Herklerode, who stood indepted for said bonds, I give and bequeath unto my son Solomon Sell one hundred pound out of said land, the land to be praised by two sworn praisers in that state who knows the said land and the money to or the praisement of the said land will be equally divided, share and share alike unto my before named sons, except Lodwick and Abraham to be equally divided amongst them, share and share alike, until their legacies are severally raised to the sum of two hundred and forty five pound. My son Solomon to receive an equal share with the others notwithstanding the bequest to him of one hundred pounds for his trouble and expence he has been at to receive or get the said land and after all the bequests are made equal to Lodwick and Abraham Sell

as there should be any residue I give and bequeath the same to be equally divided amongst all my children, share and share alike,

and I do hereby make and ordain William Barrick of Hopewell Township, and my son Solomon Sell executor of this my Last will and Testament.

In Witnefs of I the said Anthony Sell have hereunto set my hand and seal the seventh Day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety two.
his
Anthony X Sels (seal)
Mark
Signed Sealed and Delivered by
The said Anthony Sell as his
Last Will and Testament in the
Presence of us, who subscribed our
Names as witnefs in the Testators
Presence and at his request.
Abraham Haine
George Strigleden
Michael Africa


Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania was established on September 20, 1787 as a large region of Central Pennsylvania. It was previously part of Bedford County and the earlier Cumberland Region.
 
 
Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania was established on September 20, 1787 as a large region of Central Pennsylvania. It was previously part of Bedford County and the earlier Cumberland Region.

Ludwick Sells was born about 1750 in Prince George's County, Maryland. His parents were Anthony and Catherine Sells.

He married Katherine M. Deardorf (1748/49) about 1770.

Ludwick and Catherine's children included:
Samuel Sells (1771, married Elizabeth Wolcott),
John Sells (1774, married Elizabeth Stroup),
Benjamin Sells (1777, married Rebecca Ervin),
Peter Sells (1780, married Sarah Casey),
Mary Sells (1782, married Jacob King),
Sophia Sells (1785, married John Ashbaugh),
Margaret Sells (1787, married Henry Coffman),
William Henry Sells (1790, married Elizabeth Ebey), and
George Sells (1792).

When David McMurtrie came to Huntingdon in 1776-77 one of the few houses was a Tarvern kept by Mr. Ludwig Sills. The first settlers in Huntingdon were Benjamin Elliott, father-in-law of David McMurtrie, Abraham Haynes, Frank Cluggage, Mr. Ashbrough and Ludwig Sills. (Souvenir Historical Book by the Huntingdon County Historical Society)

Ludwig served in Martin Bowman's company in 1777.

Ludwig signed a letter to the assembly in Philadelphia on February 20, 1779 concerning the "Inhabitants on the Juniata."

When Bedford (formerly Cumberland) County became Huntingdon in September, 1787, the courts were to be held at Ludwig Sell's tavern.

At the time of the 1790 census, they were in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania.

The Sells family moved to Ohio where they founded the city of Dublin.

Ludwig died on October 13, 1823 in Dublin, Washington Township, Franklin County, Ohio.

He was buried in Odd Fellows Cemetery.

 
 

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from History of Franklin and Pickaway Counties, p. 369

Samuel Sells, a son of Ludwick Sells, settled in Franklinton in 1802. In 1809 he moved to Washington township, and settled a mile west of the present village of Dublin, on Indian Run. A large body of Indians numbering about one hundred and fifty, were encamped on his land, it being a favorite ground for them. Some of them enlisted under General Harrison, among them a noted warrior called Captain Turtle, who participated in the battle of Tippecanoe.

 
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©Roberta Tuller 2024
tuller.roberta@gmail.com
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