Friday, January 8, 2021

The Family of Mathew Sellers; Parents Unknown

Mathew Sellers, borne about 1818 first appears in the 1850 Census for Chesterfield County, South Carolina. He was married to Sarah "Sallie" Sellers, age 26 with three children and an elderly woman, age 74, who most likely was the mother of Mathew and the grandmother of the three children.

1850 CENSUS: Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina; Roll:  M432_851; Image: 290, Page: 143A(stamped); Line 10, Dwelling 683, Family 683; Mathew SELLERS, Male, age 32, born in SC; Sally SELLERS, Female, age 26, born in SC; Zilpha A. SELLERS, Female, age 6, born in SC; Jerusha L. SELLERS, Female, age 3, born in SC; Sarah SELLERS, Female, age 1, born in SC and Zilpha SELLERS, Female, age 74, born in SC.

Based on the age of the oldest child in the household it looks as if Mathew and Sarah Turnage also known as Sallie were married about 1843 in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. There are no early records of this period due to Civil War destruction; so, we have no official marriage document. Sallie's surname was obtained from the Texas death certificate of Jerusha L. Sellers also known as Tossie Sellers.

By 1860 Mathew and Sallie have packed up their children and moved the family to Choctaw County, Alabama.  The family had increased in size with four (4) additional children.

Then in 1861, the Civil War broke out and Mathew enlisted into Company "C", 3rd Reg't Alabama Reserves.

In 1863 the eight and final child, a son, was borne into Mathew and Sallie's family.

In a 1866-67 State Census and Tax List we find the family still in Choctaw County.  At some point after this time-frame and before 9 Aug 1876, Sallie Turnage Sellers passes away. The exact date is still unknown; but, we do know that Mathew Sellers remarried on 9 August 1876 to a young lady by the name of Elizabeth M. Christian.

In February 1879, Mathew and Elizabeth sells their 320 acres home-place to Azariah Abney for three hundred dollars. (DB N, pg 424).

We next find Mathew, his new bride and youngest son, William, in the 1880 Census for Chowtaw County, Alabama. William is 17 years of age.

In his waning years Mathew applied for and received a pension for his service in the Civil War. He died on 1 March 1896 in Choctaw County, Alabama. After his death, his widow, Elizabeth,  applied for and received a pension until her death on 4 March 1927. Elizabeth Christian Sellers is buried in Providence Cemetery, Butler, Choctaw County, Alabama. It is not known where Mathew and his 1st wife Sarah "Sallie" Turnage Sellers are buried. 




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1. 1850 U. S. Census, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page: 143A(stamped); Line 10, Dwelling 683, Family 683, Household of Mathew SELLERS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : Viewed 12 September 2015); citing  National Archives Microfilm M432 Roll 851.
2. 1860 U. S. Census, Choctaw County, Alabama, population schedule, Northern Division, Choctaw County, Alabama, Page: 534(stamped); Line 29, Dwelling 541, Family 515, Household of M. [Mathew] SELLERS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : Viewed 12 September 2015); citing  National Archives Microfilm M653_5.
3. Ancestry, "Civil War Service Records" database, Military Service Records (https://www.fold3.com/ : accessed 12 September 2015), entry for MATHEW SELLERS, Private; Company "C", 3rd Reg't Alabama Reserves; Confederate.
4. 1866 State Census, Choctaw County, Alabama, population schedule, Alabama, U.S., State, Mathew Sellers; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 2 June 2020).
5. Mathew Sellers, Line 180, , 1867; , Alabama, Property Tax Digests,; Alabama Archives, Montgomery, Alabama.
6. 1880 U. S. Census, Choctaw County, Alabama, population schedule, Beat 4, Choctaw County, Alabama, enumeration district (ED) 017, Page: 204D (stamped); Line 15, Dwelling NL, Family 218, Household of Mathew SELLERS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : Viewed 12 Sept 2015); citing NARA publication T9, Roll: 007.
7. 1880 U. S. Census, Choctaw County, Alabama, agriculture schedule, Township 13, Choctaw, Alabama, USA, Page 12, Line 10, Household of Matthews Sellers, Matthews Sellers; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 2 June 2020); citing NARA publication M279, Roll: 27.
8. State of Alabama, "Confederate Pension Applications, 1880-1940" database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 2 June 2020), entry for Mathew Sellers, Private; Company "C", 3rd Reg't Alabama Reserves; Confederate.    
9. "Alabama Marriages, 1816-1942," database, Ancestry (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 2 June 2020), Marriage: Mathew Sellers & Elizabeth Christian; Marriage Date: 9 Aug 1876.
10. Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database and digital images, (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed  3 December 2020); Memorial page for Elizabeth Christian Sellers; (19 May 1840–4 March 1927); Find a Grave memorial # 68176663, Citing Providence Cemetery; Butler, Choctaw County, Alabama, USA.

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