656. Johann Jean Graber
Moved to Couthenans, France 1751
Occupation: farmer worked for "charcoal burners" hauling charcoal
714. Isaac Perkins
REFN: 6478[jackhollingsworth.FTW]
REFN: 6478
715. Mary Booth
REFN: 6477[jackhollingsworth.FTW]
REFN: 6477
752. Anthony Sells
Anthony Sell was probably born about 1712, most likely in Germantown,Pa. His parents were Mennonite Hendrick Sellen and probably his thirdwife, Margaret. The Philadelphia County land warrants show an "AnthonySellers" was warranted 100 acres in New Goshenhoppen on 5 Feb. 1733; andan "Anthony Sell" was warranted 150 acres in New Goshenhoppen on 2 Oct.1734. The first warrant was "not returned"; and the second was"vacated". This Anthony, son of Hendrick Sellen, is the only Anthony weknow of, who could have been old enough to be an adult by 1733. Both ofthese warrants indicate this person did not settle these claims.
Anthony Sell was in Coventry, Chester Co., PA by 9 May 1748 where hepurchased 150 acres on the Schuykill River from a Nicholas Carber; andAnthony and wife Katherine Sell sold this same 150 acres to a Mr. Wangeron 21 August 1750.
Three months previous, on 20 May 1750, "Anthony Sell, farmer, of LittleConewango" requested that title to 200 acres of land in "Diggs Choice",paid for by "his deceased father, Henry Sell" be transferred to hisname. This land was in Heidelberg Twp., near the present town ofHanover, York Co., PA. This indenture was recorded on 7 June 1751 inFrederick County, Maryland. According to Frederick County, MD landrecords Liber B, p.394, dated 21 May 1751 ...John Digges to Anthony Sell,200 acres in Digges Choice, Conewago [now Adams County, PA], "forconsideration of 40 Pounds gold paid by Henry Sell deceased father to thesaid Anthony."
York County, PA Deeds Book F, page 19, 8 June 1771: Anthony Sell sold the200 acre plantation in Digges Choice to Henry Hergleroadt for 1,500Pounds. Anthony also sold many other acres in York and Frederick County,and moved to Huntingdon Co, PA in 1774.
So by 1750 Anthony and family had moved from Chester County to YorkCounty. In 1762 "Anthony Sill of Mount Joy Township" is listed as aninhabitant. This area was then part of York County, and after 1800 waspart of Adams County. In 1771 "Anthony and Catherina Sell of Mount JoyTownship, York County" sold all 200 acres in Heidelberg Twp., York Countyin "Diggs Choice" to a Henry Hergleroat for 1500 # Pennsylvania money.Anthony signed his name, Catherine signed by mark.
By 1774 "Anthony and Catherine Sell" had sold all their remaining YorkCounty land and had moved their family to what was then an Indian Villagecalled "Standing Stone" in then Barree Twp., Bedford County. In 1788this area became Huntingdon Twp., of Huntingdon County. "Anthony Sills"is on the Barree Township tax rolls there in 1773, 1775, 1776, and 1779."Anthony Sells" is on the Huntingdon Township tax rolls in 1782, 1783,1784, and 1788. In the newly created (in 1788) Huntingdon County,Anthony Sell and his several sons became quite prominent in civicaffairs, and are mentioned in most of the History Books of that area. Onthe 1790 Census "Anthony Sill" is listed in Huntingdon County.
On 7 January 1792 "Anthony Sell of Huntingdon town, husbandman" wrote hiswill, and it was probated on 2 March 1792 and is on file at theHuntingdon County Courthouse, in Volume 1, page 24 of their probatebooks. This will makes it quite clear who his surviving children were.His sons are listed as "John, Solomon, Anthony, Lodowick, and Abraham",in that order. His daughters are "Sophia, wife of Frederick Ashbaugh"and "deceased daughter Esther, wife of Conrad Bumbaugh" who's only son,Abraham Bumbough is named as heir in Esther's place. Son Solomon Selland friend William Barrick are named as executors. Back in 1782 this sameson, Solomon Sell, was given Power of Attorney by Anthony Sell to sellhis lands in Frederick County, Maryland. Either Solomon was deemed byhis father to have the best business sense in the family, OR he was theeldest son.
Solomon Sell(s)' eldest known child, Henry, was born in 1760. We havenot found a marriage record for him as yet, nor do we know the name ofhis first wife. Anthony Sell(s) Jr. was married 19 April 1759 at ChristLutheran Church, at York, York County, Pa., to Mary Noel, daughter ofPeter and Margaret Noell. Their first child, John, was also born in1760.
Which of these two sons was the eldest is a toss up, but since Solomonwas given power of attorney and named executor, we theorize that he wasthe eldest. We believe that John was the third son, and is listed firstin his father's will only because he lived closest to his parents in 1792.
We also do not know when Anthony and Catherine married, or what hermaiden surname was. Most likely they were Mennonites in Germantown atthe time of their marriage, and no records exist for them there. Theirchildren were probably not baptized, because the Mennonites did notpractice infant baptism. So we have simply had to guess when and wheretheir children were born, based on their marriage dates or birth dates oftheir children and where Anthony and Catherine were living at that time,as indicated from the land and tax records above. Most likely, all oftheir 7 surviving children were born between 1739 and 1758 inPhiladelphia, Chester or York Counties of Pa.
In the early 1930's, Eva Sells Jeager, a descendant of Ludwick Sells, whohad moved to Franklin County, Ohio about 1800, decided she wanted to jointhe DAR. She did not know about the Anthony Sell probate records inHuntingdon County, so she chose a Rev. War ancestor she liked andinvented a fake Bible Record and submitted all of these to the DAR.Unfortunately the DAR did not have any way to check her work, and sotheir records show all of Anthony and Catherine Sell's children aschildren of a John and Sarah Haak Sell (who lived in Berks County, PA atthat time). And these records show her ancestor, Ludwick, as the eldestson. He was really at best the fourth son.
Subsequent searchers have copied Eva Jeager's false records into theAncestral File, and many other magazines and history books. In the1950's Dr. Ray Sells Morrish, a descendant of the youngest son, AbrahamSell, who married Mary Wilson and moved to Ontario, Canada did some realand accurate research and discovered the probate records of Anthony Sellat Huntingdon. In the 1960's another excellent researcher, LouisDuermyer, a descendant of Sophia Sells Ashbaugh, collected many of theBedford County deeds, tax and land records we have on this family. Andin the 1970's and 1980's Richard Henry Sell found the York County deeds,filed in Maryland, that prove Anthony's parentage, and where he wasliving before he moved to now Huntingdon County, Pa.
Descendants of this couple now number in the thousands, and include the"Sells Brothers Circus" founders; Gunsmiths in Ohio; early politicians inIowa and other Western States; and many many Civil War Soldiers.
LAST WILL & TESTAMENT of ANTHONY SELL
In the name of God Amen, I Anthony Sell of the town of Huntingdon, in theTownship & County of Huntingdon, in the State of Pennsylvania husbandmanbeing considerably advanced in age, but in health of body, of sound mindand disposing memory, do make this my last will and Testament, herebyrevoking and making void all other wills heretofore made, either in wordsor writing, and this only to be taken for my last will and Testament,and none other, and touching such Temporal Estate as it hath pleased Godto favor me with, I give divise and bequeath in the following manner,that is to say:
Imprimus, my will is that my funeral expenses and all my just debts behonestly paid by my Executors hereinafter to be named out of my personalestate, after which I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Catherineone hundred pounds in gold or silver, lawful money of Pennsylvania, to beput to youse by the Executor, and paying my wife Catherine the lawfulinterest of the said money yearly as long as she lives, and after herdeath, the afore said hundred pounds to be equally divided between my sonJohn and my son Solomon Sell. Also one feather bed and bedding and onemilk cow, to her own use, besides her thirds; and all the rest andresidue of my personal Estate, together with all my real Estate I dohereby authorise and direct my Executor to sell within the space of oneyear after my decease. Item I give and bequeath unto my son John onehundred fifty pound which he has already received from me and which ischarged or ought to be charged unto him. Item I give and bequeath untomy son Anthony Sell on hundred and fifty pound which he has alreadyreceived from me on different payments, and is charged unto him or oughtto charged. Item, I give and [bequeath] unto my son Solomon Sellthirteen pounds in cash over and above all the sums of money I haveadvanced for him at different times, and for which I have charged him orought to have charged, to the amount of one hundred and twenty-twopounds, also a bond in writing obligatory, in which he stands having topay me fifteen pounds, the whole bequest amounting to one hundred andfifty pounds. Item. I give and bequeath unto my son Lodowick Sell twohundred and forty five pounds which he has already received from me andstands charge or ought to be charged for the same. Item, I give andbequeath unto my son Abraham Sell two hundred and forty five pound whichhe has already received from me and is charged or ought to be chargedfor the same - over and above he stands debtor in an obligation oftwenty five pound and in payor to Nathaniel Jerrad fifteen pound, also bya bond against Michael Cryder, the sum of twelve pound, also lent to myson Abraham Sell the sum of fourteen pound in cash in the year onethousand seven hundred and ninety one for which sums he stands detor overand above two hundred and forty five pound. Item I give and bequeathunto my daughter Sophia, who married Frederick Ashbaugh, one hundredforth five pound, exclusive of the sum of forty five pound which shereceived from me at the time of or soon after her marriage. Item I giveand bequeath unto my grandson Abraham Brumbaugh, only child of mydaughter Esther, who married Conrad Brumbaugh, the sum of sixty fivepound to be his full Legase, but if my grandson dies before he attainsthe age of twenty one, then and in that case I give and bequeath thesaid sum of sixty five pound to my aforenamed children, or the survivorsof them, share and share alike to be divided at the time that my grandsonwould have been twenty one years of age had he lived, and whereas, my sonSolomon Sell hath had six Bonds of one hundred pounds each bond, andtaken land for the said bonds in the State of North Carolina, from HenryHerklerode, who stood indepted for said bonds, I give and bequeath untomy son Solomon Sell one hundred pound out of said land, the land to bepraised by two sworn praisers in that state who knows the said land andthe money to or the praisement of the said land will be equally divided,share and share alike unto my before named sons, except Lodwick andAbraham to be equally divided amongst them, share and share alike, untiltheir legacies are severally raised to the sum of two hundred and fortyfive pound. My son Solomon to receive an equal share with the othersnotwithstanding the bequest to him of one hundred pounds for his troubleand expence he has been at to receive or get the said land and after allthe bequests are made equal to Lodwick and Abraham Sell as there shouldbe any residue I give and bequeath the same to be equally divided amongstall my children, share and share alike, and I do hereby make and ordainWilliam Barrick of Hopewell Township, and my son Solomon Sell executor ofthis my Last will and Testament. In Witnefs of I the said Anthony Sellhave hereunto set my hand and seal the seventh Day of January in theyear of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety two.his
Anthony X Sels (seal)
MarkSigned 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 AfricaHuntingdon County.
Before me the subsriber Register, for the private will and grantingletters of administration in and for the County of Huntingdon in theCommonwealth of Pennsylvania personally came the within named GeorgeStrigleden and Michael Africa, who being duly sworn on the HolyEvangelists of Almighty God did depose and say that they were present andto see and hear the within named Anthony Sell sign Seal publish & Declarethe within Instrument of writing to be his Last will and Testament. Thatat the time of such signing he was of a sound and disposing mind andmemory and that they subscribed their names hereunto as witnefses inpresence of the Testator at his request.
Given & Subscribed this 2nd March 1792
George Strigleden
Michael Africa
Ano HendersonPlease note that all information that I have is displayed, except for living individuals. If you have any additional information or corrections or you are looking for privatized data then please feel free to contact me.
Copyright © 2001-2004, Tim Dowling
email: tdowling_53223@yahoo.com
753. Catherine
Please note that all information that I have is displayed, except for living individuals. If you have any additional information or corrections or you are looking for privatized data then please feel free to contact me.
Copyright © 2001-2004, Tim Dowling
email: tdowling_53223@yahoo.com
754. Peter Noell
Please note that all information that I have is displayed, except for living individuals. If you have any additional information or corrections or you are looking for privatized data then please feel free to contact me.
Copyright © 2001-2004, Tim Dowling
email: tdowling_53223@yahoo.com
755. Margaret
Please note that all information that I have is displayed, except for living individuals. If you have any additional information or corrections or you are looking for privatized data then please feel free to contact me.
Copyright © 2001-2004, Tim Dowling
email: tdowling_53223@yahoo.com
766. Tobias Ream
[rank.FTW]
Founder of Reamstown, PA, located in Cocalico Township, Lancaster County,PA.
Excerpt from will of Tobias Ream:
"The children of my daughter, Catharine, Susanna Wertenberger and SamuelWertenberger, shal l each of them have forty pounds in order, as soon asit can be paid to them, further it is m y will that George Wertenberger,father of said Susanna and Samuel Wertenberger shall have fi ve poundscurrent money, but otherwise shall be wholly excluded of having any claimor deman d of any sort to my estate".