52 Ancestors: #24, Mary Cook Sellers

 

Amy Johnson Crow of No Story To Small has started a challenge of 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.
From her blog “The challenge: have one blog post each week devoted to a specific ancestor. It could be a story, a biography, a photograph, an outline of a research problem — anything that focuses on one ancestor. Not only should this get me blogging more, but also to take a deeper look at some of the people in my family tree.”
 
The focus of my blog posting today is the First Wife of Hardy Sellers - MARY COOK. 
 
Hardy Sellers is my 5th Great Grandfather; thus, his wife is my my 5^th Great Grandmother. For years we knew that Hardy was twice married and that his second wife was Levinia Gulledge, daughter of Rev. Joel Gulledge and Zilpha Huntley. Hardy and Levinia had two children:
 
{#25} Evans, John Exer. vs. H. H. Sellers & others - Bill for partition & c 1851
See Will of Hardy Sellers. Hardy Sellers died testate on or about 17th January 1835, leaving widow, Levinia Sellers and children: Hardy Huntley Sellers and Zylpha Ann Sellers and the children & grandchildren from a former marriage, John Sellers; Abraham Sellers; Philip Sellers; Richard Sellers; Mary who intermarried with Thomas Gaddy; Elijah Gulledge, James Gulledge, & Pheobe Gulledge the children of Pheobe, a deceased daughter of Hardy Sellers who predeceased her father; and, Iverson L. Briley, the son of Jane, a deceased daughter of Hardy Sellers who predeceased her father. ¹
 
The name of Hardy’s first wife went undocumented for years until James C. Pigg published his book entitled “Some Descendants of Hardy Sellers of Chesterfield County, South Carolina” in 2001.² Prior to the revealing of Hardy first wife a large group of Sellers researchers were compiling data on the various Sellers Lines that can be found here: http://www.sellers-sellars-sollars-zellars.net/ ³
 
Among those involved were Marie Gulledge Wiggins, myself, Jim Pigg, Belinda Guerette and many others. If you browse the above website you will see the names of various contributors to this effort. 
 
Hardy Sellers first wife was revealed to be Mary Cook, daughter of Abram Cook and Feebe Mastin. This information was found in a Book entitled “The Book of Cooks" Some Descendants of Daniel & Ruth Moultrie Cook who married in South Carolina about 1785, by Virginia James Cook and Leacy Elizabeth Newell, Camden, Wilcox County, Alabama, 1978, Page 7. The information was provided to Jim by a “COOK” researcher in the state of Georgia. Her name is being withheld for privacy concerned but we chatted about the book just a couple days ago and she is sending me some additional pages from the Book. ⁴
 
MARY COOK, 1^st Wife of HARDY SELLERS
 
Mary Cook is my 5^th Great Grandmother. Very little is currently known about Mary Cook. She is said to be the daughter of Abram Cook and Feebe Mastin. I believe this to be partially right but a Quaker Meeting minute’s shows that Abraham Cook married Phebe MILLS not Feebe Mastin on 25 September 1756.
 


Abraham’s son, Daniel who married Ruth Moultrie had a son named Abraham Mastin Cook. It possible someone in the past assumed that this middle name “Mastin” was the surname of Daniel’s Mother and thus the reason Abraham was named Abraham Mastin Cook.
On the other hand we could be looking at two different Abraham Cook’s with wives named Phebe or Feebe. 
 
What is known about Mary Cook is based on data contained within ”The Book of Cook”.⁵ She married Hardy Sellers in Chesterfield County, South Carolina about 1771. This date is calculated based on their first born son John Sellers birth date of 19 June 1772. 
 
Hardy and Mary had 7 known children listed in the above equity record – 4 sons and 3 daughters. Census records indicate the possibilities of 2 additional daughters not named above. Hardy married Levinia Gulledge about 1827. Hardy and Mary are listed in the 1790-1820 censuses for Chesterfield County, SC. Mary’s date of birth is unknown. However, based on these 4 censuses Mary’s birth date calculates to be between 1756 and 1765. She died between 1820 and 1827. ^{6 7 8 9}






 
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[1] James C. Pigg, Cheraw/Chesterfield District Wills, 1750-1865: Abstracts from the Court of Common Pleas 1823-1869 (Tega Cay, South Carolina: Self-published, 1995), page 118.
[2] Pigg James C., Some Descendants of Hardy Sellers of Chesterfield County, South Carolina (Tega Cay, SC 29708: James C. Pigg, 2001), page 1.
[3] http://www.sellers-sellars-sollars-zellars.net/
[4] Virginia James Cox & Leacy Elizabeth Newell, The Book of Cooks: Some descendants' of Daniel & Ruth Moultrie Cook who married in South Carolina about 1785 (Camden, Wilcox County, Alabama: n.p., 1978), page 7.
[5] Ibid.
[6] 1790 U. S. Census, Cheraw District, South Carolina, population schedule, St Thomas, Cheraws District, South Carolina, Page: 373; Line 939, Household of Hardy SELLERS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://ancestry.com : viewed 11 January 2012); citing National Archives Microfilm M637_11.
[7] 1800 U S Census, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page: 106; Line 16, Household of Hardy SELLERS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 11 January 2012); citing NARA microfilm publication M32, Roll 47.
[8] 1810 U S Census, Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page: 578; Line 23, Household of Hardy SELLERS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 11 January 2012); citing National Archives Microfilm M252_60.
[9] 1820 Census of the United States, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page: 128; Line 5th from bottom of page, Household of Hardy SELLERS; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 11 January 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm M 33_119.

Amanuensis Monday - Will of Hardy Sellers, Sr.

Amanuensis Monday is a Web Blog theme started by blogger John Newmark. You can access his blog here.

 

A full explanation of the Amanuensis Monday blog theme can be found here.

Today's subject is the WILL of Hardy Sellers, Sr., born March 2, 1757, Johnson County, North Carolina and died January 17, 1835 in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. Hardy Sellers, Sr. was twice married. His first wife was Mary COOK daughter of Abram Cook and Feebe MASTIN. His second wife, whom he married about 1827 was Lavina GULLEDGE, daughter of Rev. Joel Gulledge.

Hardy Sellers and Mary Cook are my 5th Great Grandparents (Maternal lineage).

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The State of South Carolina}  

Chesterfield District}

I Hardy Sellers, Sr. of said State and District, do make ordained and constitute this my Last Will and Testament.

1^st - My son John Sellers who sometime since moved to the West has received from me one track a land on Thompson’s Creek worth six hundred dollars, [ $600] one Negro man names Ned worth five hundred dollars [$500] and sixty [$60] dollars in money which I gave him as a full share of my estate, both real and personal.

2^nd - My son Abraham Sellers I had previously given one Negro man named Jacob, worth five hundred dollars [ $500] besides sundry other articles I have not named , it is my will and I give him two other Negros viz Louis a boy and Penelope a girl to be his full share of my estate both real and personal.

3^rd - My son Philip Sellers has received from the one track of land on Thompson’s Creek worth six hundred dollars [$600], one Negro woman worth four hundred dollars [$400] I also give him three five hundred dollars [$300] to be a full share of my estate both real and personal.

4^th – My son Richard Sellers who lives in a Western country has received from me one wagon worth one hundred dollars [$100] and one hundred dollars [$100] in money, one Negro woman named Rhoda worth six hundred dollars [$600], and I give to his lawful begotten children three hundred dollars [$300] to be equally divided between them as they arrive to the age of twenty-one [21] years to be received as herein after directed to be his full share of my estate both real and personal.

5^th - My daughter Mary Gaddy has received from me two Negros some money and so forth to the amount of her share of my estate both real and personal for which her husband Thomas Gaddy has given me a receipt to that it effect.

6^th - To the three children on my deceased daughter Phoebe Gulledge viz: Elisha Gulledge, James Gulledge, Phoebe Gulledge, I give to each three hundred dollars [$300] to bear interest from my death until they arrived to twenty-one [21] years of age which sum is to be a full share of my estate both real and personal to the three last children named.

7^th – To the son of my deceased daughter Jane Briley, Iverson L. Briley I give three hundred dollars [$300] to bear interest from my death until he arrives to the age of 21 years which is to be false is full share of my estate both real and personal.

8^th - It is my will that my Executors sell my two tracts of land on Cruises Branch and one on Black Creek and such other of my property as are not disposed of such a stock, crops, household and kitchen furniture and etc to the amount of the legacies given and to be sold at their discretion in all legacies debts and expenses being provided for by my Executors then the balance of my estate not disposed of I given dispose of in the following manner. It is my will that the tract of land on which I live be divided in the following manner, that is to say, be equally divided between my beloved wife Lavina and my son Hardy Huntley Sellers and my daughter Zilpha Ann Sellers, my wife to have that part whereon the dwelling house and other out houses now stand and one third of the balance of my estate not given away I loan to my wife Lavina during her natural life time or widowhood except the land before mentioned to be for her use and benefit until my son Hardy H. do arrive to the age of twenty [20] years (should she remain my widow so long) at which time my son is to take possession of the said land and at the marriage or death of my said wife the whole of my estate not before given to my first set of children and grandchildren to be equally divided between my son Hardy H. and daughter Zilpha A. Sellers, my son as before stated to have that part whereon the dwellings now stand. And I do hereby nominate constitute and appoint my father-in-law Elder Joel Gulledge and my friends John Evans and Turner Bryan Brian Executors of this my Last Will and Testament in witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 14th day July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-four [1834] and in the 59th year of the American Independence.

Signed Sealed and Published}

and declared in the presence}

of the testator and in the presence}             Hardy Sellers, Sr. {seal}[1]
of us who have subscribed }

our names as witnesses hereto}

Neill Smith

William X(his mark) Hancock

Andrew J. Hancock

Recorded in Book #8 pages 28, 29, 30; January 26th 1835 then qualified John Evans Executor to this Will, T. Bryan, Ordy. 

[SOURCE: "Cheraw/Chesterfield District Wills, 1750-1865 & Abstracts from the Court of Common Pleas 1823-1869, James C. Pigg, January 2000, Page 107 & 108].

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[1] James C. Pigg, Cheraw/Chesterfield District Wills, 1750-1865 &: Abstracts from the Court of Common Pleas 1823-1869 (Washington, D.C.: self-Published, 1995), pages 107 & 108.