52 Cousins~Lucy Anne (Sellers) Douglas

52 Cousins~Lucy Anne (Sellers) Douglas: A Life in Chesterfield County

The “52 Cousins” series of biographical sketches are Artificial Intelligence (AI) compiled narratives of selected individuals from my Genealogical database.  The selected AI will used the RootsMagic Individual Summary from my Genealogical Software, Roots Magic. All genealogical data is my research material acquired over the past 46 years of research. Today's Biography of Lucy Anne (Sellers) Douglas: A Life in Chesterfield County was compiled with the assistance of Claude Sonnett 4 and is entitled:

 Lucy Anne Sellers Douglas: A Life in Chesterfield County

Early Life and Family Background

Lucy Anne Sellers was born on September 7, 1841, in Chesterfield, South Carolina, to Elijah Sellers (1800-1870) and Sarah Purvis (1813-1870). She grew up during a pivotal time in American history, entering the world just as the nation was experiencing westward expansion and increasing sectional tensions that would eventually lead to the Civil War.

Lucy was part of a large family that included several siblings: Harriett E. McNair Sellers and Phillip Sellers are documented among them. The Sellers family owned property along Bear Creek in Chesterfield County, where they farmed the land that had been established by her father, Elijah.

Marriage and Starting a Family

In 1863, at about age 22, Lucy married Duncan Daniel Douglas (1843-1914), a private who likely served during the Civil War years. This was a tumultuous time to begin married life, as the nation was in the midst of a devastating conflict. Despite the challenging circumstances of wartime and its aftermath, Lucy and Duncan built a strong partnership that would last over fifty years.

The couple established their home in the Court House area of Chesterfield County, where Duncan worked as a farmer. Together, they raised a large family of seven children, all born in South Carolina.

Children:

Lucy and Duncan welcomed eight children into their family, seven of whom survived to adulthood:

Sidney Douglas (1867-1934)

Sarah Harriet Douglas (1869-1947)

J. Lucas Douglas (1873-1955)

Margaret Catherine Douglas (1875-1957)

Carl Quincey Douglas (1877-1954)

Ellen Douglas (1880-1916), who married and became Ellen Douglas Brantley

Alice Douglas (1882-1975)

By the 1900 census, Lucy had been married for 37 years and had raised seven of her eight children to adulthood—a testament to her dedication as a mother during an era when childhood mortality was common.

/Life During Reconstruction and Beyond

The years following the Civil War were challenging throughout the South, and Chesterfield County was no exception. In 1870, shortly after the war ended, Lucy participated in a significant family transaction. Along with her mother Sarah Purvis, her stepmother Harriett Sellers, and several other family members, Lucy and her husband Duncan sold the family estate lands of her father Elijah Sellers to John D. Douglass. The 76-acre property on Bear Creek sold for $450, helping to settle the estate after both of Lucy's parents passed away in 1870.

Throughout the decades that followed, Lucy witnessed tremendous changes in American life. The 1870s and 1880s brought Reconstruction, the rise of sharecropping, and the beginning of industrialization in the South. The 1890s saw economic depression, while the early 1900s brought new technologies like automobiles and electricity, though rural South Carolina remained largely agricultural.

Faith and Community

Lucy was a devoted member of Ebenezer Methodist Episcopal Church, where her faith sustained her through both joyful times and periods of loss. Her church community was central to her life, and according to her obituary, "in that church there is a vacancy no one can fill." Those who knew her said simply, "To know her was to love her."

Later Years

In her later years, Lucy lived with her son Carl Quincey Douglas and his family. The 1910 census shows her at age 69, still living in the Court House area with Carl, his wife Josie, and their infant daughter Clara. By this time, Lucy had been married for 40 years and had six of her seven surviving children still living—though she would experience the heartbreak of losing her daughter Ellen in 1916.

Final Days and Legacy

Lucy Anne Sellers Douglas died on June 2, 1919, at her home near Chesterfield at the age of 77. She had been ill for several weeks but bore her illness patiently, according to those who knew her. Her funeral was held the next day, June 3rd, at Hurst Cemetery, conducted by Reverend B. J. Guess and J. H. Hildreth. A large number of friends and relatives gathered to pay their respects to this beloved woman.

She was survived by her children, who had scattered across the region: some remained in Chesterfield, one had moved to Florida, one to Richmond, Virginia, and others to nearby Pageland. Through her faith and devotion to family, Lucy had built a legacy that would continue through her children, grandchildren, and beyond.

Lucy was laid to rest in Hurst Cemetery in Chesterfield County, beside her husband Duncan, who had preceded her in death by five years. Her obituary closed with the words: "The work of this good and faithful woman is done. Through faith, we believe she won the victory."

Historical Context: 

Lucy's lifetime (1841-1919) spanned some of the most transformative years in American history, including the Civil War, Reconstruction, the Industrial Revolution, westward expansion, and World War I. She witnessed the end of slavery, the struggle for civil rights, women's suffrage movement, and the transformation of America from a primarily agricultural nation to an industrial power.

Lucy Anne (Sellers) Douglas is my 1st Cousib 4X Reemoved.

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1. Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database and digital images, (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed  3 September 2009); Memorial page for Lucy A. Sellers Douglas; (7 September 1841–2 June 1919); Find a Grave memorial # 30005895, Citing Hurst Cemetery; Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, USA.

2. 1870 U. S. Census, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Court House, Chesterfield, South Carolina, Page 303B(Stamped), Line 24, Dwelling 318, Family 318, Household of D. [Duncan] DOUGLASS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 3 September 2009); citing  National Archives Microfilm M593_1491.

3. Land Deed - HARRIETT SELLERS + Others   to  JOHN D. DOUGLASS   DEED; 14 January 1870; Deed Book #4; Page(s) 401; Register of Deeds; Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, SC; 7 June 2017.

4. 1880 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Court House, Chesterfield, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 005, Page: Penciled 4 & 5/312(Stamped); Line 50, Dwelling 39, Family 39, Household of D. D. DOUGLASS; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 3 September 2009); citing National Archive  Microfilm T9, Roll 1225.

5. 1900 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Court House, Chesterfield, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 020, Page 4B/76B (Stamped), Line 79, Dwelling 68, Family 68, Household of Duncan D. DOUGLASS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com : viewed 3 September 2009); citing National Archives Microfilm T623_1523.

6. 1910  U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Court House, Chesterfield, South Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 0036, Page 11B/114B (Stamped), Line 61, Dwelling 194, Family 196, Household of Carl Q. DOUGLASS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 3 September 2009); citing National Archives Microfilm T624, Roll 1455.

7. Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database, "Record, Duncan D. Douglass (4 September 1843–17 March 1914), Memorial # 30005870.

8. Ancestry, "Civil War Service Records" database, Military Service Records (https://www.fold3.com/ : accessed 3 March 2020), entry for Duncan D. Douglas, Pvt.; Company E 21st SC Infantry; Confederate.

9. Land Deed - HARRIETT SELLERS + Others   to  JOHN D. DOUGLASS   DEED; 14 January 1870; Deed Book # 4; page(s)401.