It’s Family Time~The John M. Sellers Family

John M.* Sellers was born about 1825 in Chesterfield, Chesterfield, South Carolina. He was one of the middle sons of Roland Sellers and Margaret Eddins. John W. Sellers had 13 siblings; He had 8 brothers and 5 sisters.

About April 1850, John W. Sellers married a young lady, age 19, by the name of Mary. After years of research and having lived into the 1900's I still have not determined her maiden name.

Their first child, a son was born in 1854. There may have been a daughter Mary as shown in the 1880 Census  below and and Infant that arrived and did not survive in 1856.  

On 18 December 1856, John W. Sellers and his sister Sarah Sellers executed a deed (DB 15:182 & 183) to John Pratt giving him title to approximately 165 acres land on the  East & North side Jones Creek to secure a loan of five hundred and sixty dollars.

John W. Sellers enlisted with Co. "B", 31st Regiment, Anson County, NC on 8 September 1863. His Regiment was known as the "O-KAY BOYS".  He died on 14 May 1864 at the age of 39 in Drewery's Bluff, Virginia. He was also known as John M. Sellers.

Mary his wife, born 7 July 1830 in Anson County, remained single and begin drawing a Civil War pension about 1885, She raised her son and daughter alone.

Mary died on 26 Dec 1905 at the age of 75 in Lilesville, Anson, North Carolina, United States. I have spent many hours searching for Mary's maiden name and death date.  I did find one minor clue that I feel certain is a report of her death. On page 206 of Emma Goodwin’s “TypeTalk of Lilesville Township Anson County, NC the following death notice appeared from the December 28, 1905 Newspaper.

“Mrs. Polly Sellers, 80, of Lilesville Township died at her home on Tuesday Night.” 

The 28th of December 1905 was a Thursday; so Polly Sellers died on 26 December 1905.

John W. Sellers and Mary  had the following children:

        i.    William R. "Todd" Sellers, born 13 Feb 1854, Anson County, North Carolina; married Rosa Elizabeth Ratliff, 1880; died 20 May 1924, Lilesville, Anson, North Carolina.
         ii.    Mary Sellers, born 1854, Anson County, North Carolina; married Lewis Jones.
         iii.    Infant Sellers was born in 1856 in Anson County, North Carolina.

*Note: Name appeared as John M and John W. Sellers.

John M./W. Sellers is my 1st Cousin 4X Removed.

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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 41, Dwelling 691, Family 691, Household of John W. SELLERS; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 14 August 2014); citing  National Archives Microfilm M432 Roll 851.
     2. North Carolina, Deed Book:  DEED BOOK 15,, Pages 182 & 183, Sarah & J. W. Sellars to John Pratt; Register of Deeds, Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina.
     3. 1860 U. S. Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, Morven, Anson County, North Carolina, Page 279; Line 27, Dwelling 911, Family 876, Household of John SELLERS; online database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 14 August 2014); citing National Archives Microfilm Publication M653, Roll 887.
     4. "North Carolina DIGITAL ARCHIVES," NC Dept. of History & Archives,  (http://mars.archives.ncdcr.gov/ : viewed 3 August 2019), Civil War Widow's Pension, "John M. Sellers," 2; MARS Id: 5.22.380.66.
     5. Ancestry, "Civil War Service Records" database, Military Service Records (https://www.fold3.com/ : accessed 3 March 2020), entry for John M. Sellers, Private; 31st_NC_Infantry; Confederate.
     6. 1900 US Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed ); citing National Archives Microfilm T623, Roll 1181.
     7. 1850 U. S. Census, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Population Schedule, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page: 143A(stamped); Line 41, Dwelling 691, Family 691, Household of John W. SELLERS.
     8. 1860 U. S. Census, Anson County, North Carolina, Population Schedule, Morven, Anson County, North Carolina, Page 279; Line 27, Dwelling 911, Family 876, Household of John SELLERS.
     9. 1870 U S Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, Lilesville, Anson, North Carolina, Page: 378A(Stamped); Line 33, Dwelling 190, Family 190, Household of Mary SELLERS; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 3 March 2019); citing National Archive  Microfilm M593, Roll 1122.
     10. 1880 US Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, Lilesville, Anson, North Carolina, enumeration district (ED) 008, Page: 484B (stamped); Line 25, Dwelling 391, Family 400, Household of Mary SELLERS; digital image, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 3 March 2020); citing National Archives Microfilm T9, Roll 951.
     11. State Archives of North Carolina .., NC Manuscript and Archives Reference System (http://mars.archives.ncdcr.gov/ : viewed 2 August 2014), digital Image of Pension Application, "Pension Bureau: Act of 1885 Pension Applications - John Sellers," MARS Id: 5.21.49.61 (Folder); Call Number: Box 6:162.
     12. 1900 US Census, Anson County, North Carolina, population schedule, , , .
     13. Mrs. Polly Sellers obituary, The Messenger and Intelligencer, Wadesboro, Anson County, North Carolina, United States, 28 December 1905, Page 5, column 1.
     14. 1860 U. S. Census, Anson County, North Carolina, Population Schedule, Morven, Anson County, North Carolina, Page 279; Line 27, Dwelling 911, Family 876, Household of John SELLERS.

Census Sunday~1850 Household of William Burkley

First, I have one caveat for this article – some of the information contained within this article is hearsay and folklore. 





The 1850 Census for Chesterfield County shows the William M. Burkley household as Dwelling 500 and Family 500. Within the household are:¹

• William M. Burkley, age 42
• Mary Burkley, age 60
• Elizabeth Rivers, age 75
• Jesse Coker, age 18

Four individuals, of which, very little is known about any of them. The Census shows that William was born about 1808 in Georgia. However in 1860 his age is listed as 61 making his birth year to be 1799, a difference of 9 years. 

William M. Burkley is enumerated in the 1840-1850-1860 and 1870 Census for Chesterfield County, South Carolina. He wrote his Will on 29 December 1869 in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. Even though he was married to Mary, he left her nothing giving his entire estate to his niece – Sarah Frances Hancock. ^{2 3 4}

• http://carolinafamilyroots.blogspot.com/2014/07/amanuensis-mondaythe-will-of-william-m.html 

• http://carolinafamilyroots.blogspot.com/2013/01/william-m-burkley-estate-384-letters-of.html

“It is my will that all my just debts remaining unpaid at my death to be paid out of any personal property or moneys that I may leave and that the funeral expense of myself and wife Mary be paid in like manner.
I will and bequeath all my property both real and personal that I may seized and possess of unto my niece Sarah Frances Hancock to be hers her heirs and assigns forever at my death- the real property or estate above mentioned consisting of three tracts of land in said County adjoining each other, the first being the home track of One hundred (100) acres as will show by deed from Charles William Guardian to me made bearing date the 13th day of December A.D. 1843 the second containing thirty-three (33) acres more or less, reference being had to be made to me by Eliza Sellers, the one dated 27th June 1868 and the other dated the 21st day of August 1869 will fully show the third containing two (2) acres more or less will show by deed from Isaac F. Sweeney to me dated the twenty-third day of the December 1861 the personal property above mentioned consisting of stock of all kinds, farming implements household and kitchen furniture and other property to tedious to mention the above to belong to my said niece at my death provided she remains unmarried and reside with me and my said wife as long as either of us shall live and if my said wife shall survive me she my said niece shall take care of her and support her during her life.”

So Mary in this Census is his wife, as noted in his Will. But who is Mary? because Elizabeth Rivers is in the household many have suggested that she is Mary Rivers. Others say that William M. Burkley married Mary R. Sellers, daughter or grand daughter of Hardy Sellers and Mary Cook.

This note is from a dear departed friend and fellow genealogist, Marie G. Wiggins
Other information (some from the Rivers family) state that the wife of William Berkley wasn't Mary Sellers, but was Mary Rivers, daughter of Isaac Rivers and Nancy Parker. However, Marie Wiggins records show her as Mary Sellers. After the death of her first husband, Thomas Gaddy, in Georgia, she remarried to William Berkley (also spelled in the census records as Brinkley) and returned to Chesterfield County, SC where the couple were enumerated in the 1850, 1860 and 1870 census. They are buried on their farm, near the Old Sellers Graveyard. Marie Wiggins.

There is a Chesterfield County equity record that shows Mary Sellers married to Thomas Gaddy.⁵

SOURCE: #25 Index and Genealogical Abstracts of the Chesterfield District Court of Common Pleas, Equity Side, 1823-1869, page 118 as recorded in "Cheraw/Chesterfield District Wills, 1750-1865 & Abstracts from the Court of Common Pleas 1823-1869, Published  by James C. Pigg, Copyright 1995.
[#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.

There is also the 1850 census for DeKalb County showing Mary Gaddy, age 61, with her daughter Martha and son-in-law, John Steen.⁶

Thomas Gaddy did die in Georgia in October 1849.⁷

Circumstantial evidence suggest that the story of Mary Sellers marrying William M. Burkley may be true. Still the facts are that there is no proof of Mary’s surname found as of this date. It’s ALL speculation.

Elizabeth Rivers, age 75 in the Burkley household, if her age is correct, she was born in 1775. Nothing more is known about this Elizabeth Rivers; this is the only census in which she appeared.

Jesse Coker, at age 27, enlisted into the 53rd NC Infantry  on 20 March 1862 in Union County, North Carolina.  He died January 2, 1863 in Raleigh, North Carolina from Typhoid fever.⁸

 To confuse the situation even more, in the 1870 Census, two teenage females appears in the household. ⁹

I have no idea who these teenage girls are or who they belong too. They certainly are not the children of William and Mary but they are most likely are their granddaughters.













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[1] 1850 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, page 131, Line 5, Dwelling 500, Family 500, Household of William M. BURKLEY; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 18 September 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm M432 Roll 851.
[2] 1860 U. S. Census, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, page 144B, Line 26, Dwelling 115, Family 113, Household of Wm. M BAKLEY; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 18 September 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm M653_1217.
[3] 1870 U. S. Census, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Court House, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page 292A; Line 8, Dwelling 89, Family 89, Household of W. M. BURKLEY; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 18 September 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm M593_1491.
[4] "South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1-19420-61532-89?cc=1911928&wc=MPP1-PTL:190567401,190561002,190567402,190970801 : accessed 06 Jul 2014), Chesterfield > Probate Court, Estate records > 1865-1927 > Cases 0384-0469 > image 7 of 1665.
[5] 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.
[6] 1850 U. S. Census, DeKalb County, Georgia, population schedule, Shallowford, DeKalb County, Georgia, Page: 117A(stamped); Line ??, Dwelling 26, Family 26, Household of John STEEN; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 9 February 2014); citing NARA publication Roll: M432_67.
[7] 1850 U. S. Census, Dekalb County, Georgia, mortality schedule, DeKalb County, Georgia, Page: 165, THOMAS GADDY; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 2 November 2014); citing National Archives Microfilm T655-07.
[8] http://www.fold3.com/image/271/52194560/
[9] 1870 U. S. Census, Chesterfield, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, population schedule, Court House, Chesterfield County, South Carolina, Page 292A; Line 8, Dwelling 89, Family 89, Household of W. M. BURKLEY; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : viewed 18 September 2011); citing National Archives Microfilm M593_1491.

Treasure Chest Thursday~William Eddins, Deceased

Pre Civil war records are very scarce for Chesterfield County, South Carolina. Gen. Sherman and his union forces set out to make an example of our little town of Chesterfield, the county seat of Chesterfield County. Not only did they take everything that was edible but they also burned the Courthouse and every public document that they could find.

Yesterday, I received a small booklet that I ordered from Amazon entitled “Cheraw District, South Carolina, Court of Equity, Volume 2: Minutes, 1823-1832” by Lee G. Barrow.

The booklet consist of 152 pages of which 11 & 1/2 pages are indexes.  Two transcripts of records in this book automatically caught my attention.

These two records were found on pages 17 and 29 and are shown below:
Page 208                                                                                                       May 1824

May Term 1824

William Sellars}
Vs }
James Notts adm. } Bill for account partition & discovery
Wm. Edings do}
Mary Edings do } On motion compl. Sol, it is ordered that a writ of partition do issue in the above case directed to Turner [?] Bryan, Peter May, Hardy Sellars, W. McBryde [?] & Lewis Ganey requiring then to divide the estate of the late Wm. Eddings, among his heirs at law – and to allot one third part of the estate both real and personal to Mary Edings the _widow of Wm. Edings Decd. And that the do make a return thereof to the next court.
 
Page 225                                                                                                February 1825

February Term 1825

William Sellers & wife & others}
Vs }
Mary Eddings, Jos. Knotts}
Admr. of W.} On motion of Evans for the Complainants Ordered that the return of the Commissioner to the writ of partition be confirmed & it is further Ordered and decreed that the property allotted the complainant William Sellers & wife be conveyed by said Sellers to some person to be nominated by the Commissioner in terms for the husband & wife during their joint lives then to the survivors for life then to the Children of marriage share & share Alike.

These two transcriptions may not seem very important but to this genealogist researching in a county where records are so scarce they are priceless.

This William Eddings was born about 1757 in North Carolina. He married first Nancy LNU who passed away about 1816; he then married Mary LNU. William died in 1822 and his death is recorded in a Chesterfield County Bond Book. Gilly Eddings is the wife of William Sellers and daughter of William & Nancy Eddings.

William Sellers and Gilly Eddings are my 3rd Great Grandparents.
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[1] [Cheraw District, South Carolina, Court of Equity, Volume 2: Minutes, 1823-1832, Lee G. Barrow, Bargraphica, Gainesville, GA, 2013, Page 17]
[2] [Cheraw District, South Carolina, Court of Equity, Volume 2: Minutes, 1823-1832, Lee G. Barrow, Bargraphica, Gainesville, GA, 2013, Page 29]
Note: Eddins is spelled – Eddings, Eddins, Edings, Eddens, etc.