Amanuensis Monday~Heirs of Elijah Sellers

Amanuensis Monday is a genealogy blogging theme. It was started by John Newmark who writes the TransylvanianDutch blog.
 
His definition of Amanuensis is:
Amanuensis: A person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another.

Today’s subject is a Land Deed Between The Heirs of Elijah Sellers and Helton Joe Sellers.¹




HEIRS AT LAW OF ELIJAH SELLERS TO HELTON J. SELLERS
The State of South Carolina}
Chesterfield County}
Know all men by these presents that we Duncan Douglass and wife Lucy A. Douglass, in right of said Lucy A. Phillip [Albert] Sellers Hardy J. Sellers William Hurst and wife Vicey Hurst, in the right of said Vicey, and Harriet Sellers all of the County and State aforesaid being heirs-at-law of Elijah Sellers deceased in consideration of twenty five dollars to us paid by Helton J. Sellers of the same County and State have granted bargained sold released and assigned and by these presents do grant bargain sell release and assign unto the said Helton J. Sellers all that certain piece or parcel of land situate lying and being in the County and State aforesaid on the west side of Big Branch beginning at a pine 3x0 in the head of a drain the head of Nancy Copeland branch running S,E, 10° to a pine 3x0 thence along a row of trees to a gum 3x0 on the bank of the big branch thence a cross the big Branch the various courses thereof to a small white 3X0 on the bank of the said branch in the old line of the original tract thence along the old line SW 63° 24 to the beginning comer containing fifty three acres more or less this being the description of said land as near as the same can be deciphered contained in a deed from Mackerrel Sellers to Elijah Sellers dated 12th February 1838 (except that the marks are there referred to as 'N' instead of 'O’ and the kind of trees referred to cannot be plainly read thought it would be taken to be maple) being land belonging to the Estate of Elijah Sellers deceased Together with all and singular the rights members hereditaments and appurtenances to the same belonging or in anywise incident or appertaining and all our and each of our undivided rights interest claim and estate therein as heirs at law and children of Elijah Sellers or in any other right To have and to hold all and Singular said premises and every right and interest which we or either of us have or shall have therein unto the said Helton J. Sellers his heirs and assigns forever And we bind ourselves and each of us our and each of our heirs executors and administrators to warrant and forever defend all and singular the said premises unto the said Helton J. Sellers his heirs executors administrators and assigns from and against ourselves and our and each of our heirs executors and administrators and any and every other person or persons claiming by from or under us or any of us ever claiming or demanding any part thereof or any interest therein In testimony whereof we here unto set our hand and seal this the 29 day of September in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and eighty two and in the one hundred and seventh year of the Sovereignty and Independence of the United States of America.                                                                                                      H. E. Sellers {LS}
Signed sealed and}                                 Phlilip Sellers {LS}
Delivered in presence of}                       D. D. Douglass {LS}
Alex Sellers}                                          Lucy A. Douglass {LS}
A. B. Sellers}                                         H. L. Sellers {LS}
                                                            William X(his mark) Hurst {LS}
                                                            Vicey X (her mark) Hurst (LS)
South Carolina }
Chesterfield County} Personally appeared A. B. Sellers and made oath that he saw the within named H. E. Sellers Philip Sellers, D. D. Douglass Lucy A Douglass H. J. Sellers William Hurst & Vicey Hurst sign seal and as their act and deed deliver the within written deed and that he with Alex Sellers witnessed the execution thereof.
Sworn to before me}                                           A. B. Sellers
25^th Nov. 1882}
W. J. Hanna}
Clerk}

Elijah Sellers is the Grand Uncle of Helton Joe Sellers the buyer of this land.

Elijah Sellers, born 1800 died sometime before 1870. He was the son of Phillip Sellers and his wife Mary LNU. Elijah married Sarah Purvis and they had six children, two daughters and 4 sons. Two of their sons, John and Elijah, died in the Civil War. The other two sons are named along with the two daughters in the above Land Deed.

Elijah Sellers is my 3rd Great Grand Uncle.  







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[1] Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Deed Book 7: pages 62-64, HEIRS AT LAW OF ELIJAH SELLERS TO HELTON J. SELLERS; 29 September 1882, Register of Deeds, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina.

Thriller Thursday~Helton Joe Sellers Assassinated

June 8, 1932 began as a normal day in the home of Helton Joe Sellers and his wife Annie Bittle Sellers at their small farm near the Pee Dee River. 

While Annie remained in the home taking care of her daily household chores; her husband Helton Joe went about his duties on the farm. 

By mid-afternoon, Helton Joe could be seen plowing a field about a quarter of mile or less from his home. He had reached the end of the row and was turning his team when the quite of the afternoon was shattered with the sound of a single gunshot. ^{1 2}    

His family sensing something ominous rush to the field to find Helton Joe lying on the ground. Helton Joe was still alive but gravely injured. The remote location of the farm resulted in some time lost before his son, Clifton, was successful in finding transportation to take his Father to the local hospital in Wadesboro, approximately 12-15 away.   

Helton Joe died about  an hour later while en route to the Anson Sanatorium by his son and son-in-law. 

Sheriff J. Flake Martin and his deputy, W. C. Mangum, rushes immediately to the Sellers farm to begin an investigation. Meanwhile, the body of Helton Joe Sellers was taken to Dr. J. H. Bennett for post mortem examination.

Sheriff Martin found where the killer had hidden in bushes at the edge of the field. Bloodhounds from Fayetteville was brought in to assist with the investigation. 

Dr. Bennett determine that Mr. Sellers was shot with a rifle with the bullet had entered his back below the right shoulder blade passing through the lungs and liver then exiting the upper right breast. He died of internal hemorrhaging.   

Helton Joe Sellers was survived by his wife, Annie Bittle Sellers, his son, Clifton and three daughters, Mildred V. Sellers and her husband Jack Stewart; Anna Naomi Sellers and her husband Craven Smith Staton and Mary Elizabeth Sellers and husband William E. Huntley. 
 
W. J. “Bill’ Tarlton  was convicted by the courts for killing Helton Joe Sellers.  Mr. Tarlton, died in prison, at Raleigh, North Carolina in October 1933 from cirrhosis of the liver. ³

Helton Joe Sellers was buried at Hopewell Baptist Church cemetery, Chesterfield, South Carolina on  10 June 1932. Annie lived another 25 years dying in 1957 and is buried beside her husband at Hopewell. ⁴

Helton Joe Sellers was my 2nd cousin 3 times removed.


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[1] H. J. Sellers is Killed by Skulking Assassin, The Messenger and Intelligencer, Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina, USA, 8 June 1932.
[2] Helton J. SELLERS obituary, The Chesterfield Advertiser, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, 6 June 1932, page 1, col. 5.
[3] W. J. ”Bill’ Tarlton Dies, The Messenger and Intelligencer, Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina, USA, 11 October 1933.
[4] Find A Grave, Inc., Find A Grave, database and digital images, (http://www.findagrave.com : accessed 11 January 2014); Memorial page for Helton Joe Sellers; (8 September 1858–8 June 1932); Find a Grave memorial # 57338589, Citing Hopewell Baptist Church Cemetery; Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, USA.