General Notes

Anthony Sell was probably born about 1712, most likely in Germantown, Pa. His parents were Mennonite. The Philadelphia County land warrants show an "Anthony Sellers" was warranted 100 acres in New Goshenhoppen on 5 Feb. 1733; and an "Anthony Sell" was warranted 150 acres in New Goshenhoppen on 2 Oct. 1734. The first warrant was "not returned"; and the second was "vacated". This Anthony, son of Hendrick Sellen, is the only Anthony we know of, who could have been old enough to be an adult by 1733. Both of these warrants indicate this person did not settle these claims.

Anthony Sell was in Coventry, Chester Co., PA by 9 May 1748 where he purchased 150 acres on the Schuykill River from a Nicholas Carber; and Anthony and wife Katherine Sell sold this same 150 acres to a Mr. Wanger on 21 August 1750.
Three months previous, on 20 May 1750, "Anthony Sell, farmer, of Little Conewango" requested that title to 200 acres of land in "Diggs Choice", paid for by "his deceased father, Henry Sell" be transferred to his name. This land was in Heidelberg Twp., near the present town of Hanover, York Co., PA. This indenture was recorded on 7 June 1751 in Frederick County, Maryland. According to Frederick County, MD land records Liber B, p.394, dated 21 May 1751 ...John Digges to Anthony Sell, 200 acres in Digges Choice, Conewago [now Adams County, PA], "for consideration of 40 Pounds gold paid by Henry Sell deceased father to the said Anthony."
York County, PA Deeds Book F, page 19, 8 June 1771: Anthony Sell sold the 200 acre plantation in Digges Choice to Henry Hergleroadt for 1,500 Pounds. Anthony also sold many other acres in York and Frederick County, and moved to Huntingdon Co, PA in 1774.
So by 1750 Anthony and family had moved from Chester County to York County. In 1762 "Anthony Sill of Mount Joy Township" is listed as an inhabitant. This area was then part of York County, and after 1800 was part of Adams County. In 1771 "Anthony and Catherina Sell of Mount Joy Township, York County" sold all 200 acres in Heidelberg Twp., York County in "Diggs Choice" to a Henry Hergleroat for 1500 # Pennsylvania money. Anthony signed his name, Catherine signed by mark.

By 1774 "Anthony and Catherine Sell" had sold all their remaining York County land and had moved their family to what was then an Indian Village called "Standing Stone" in then Barree Twp., Bedford County. In 1788 this area became Huntingdon Twp., of Huntingdon County. "Anthony Sills" is on the Barree Township tax rolls there in 1773, 1775, 1776, and 1779. "Anthony Sells" is on the Huntingdon Township tax rolls in 1782, 1783, 1784, and 1788. In the newly created (in 1788) Huntingdon County, Anthony Sell and his several sons became quite prominent in civic affairs, and are mentioned in most of the History Books of that area. On the 1790 Census "Anthony Sill" is listed in Huntingdon County.

On 7 January 1792 "Anthony Sell of Huntingdon town, husbandman" wrote his will, and it was probated on 2 March 1792 and is on file at the Huntingdon County Courthouse, in Volume 1, page 24 of their probate books. This will makes it quite clear who his surviving children were. His sons are listed as "John, Solomon, Anthony, Lodowick, and Abraham", in that order. His daughters are "Sophia, wife of Frederick Ashbaugh" and "deceased daughter Esther, wife of Conrad Bumbaugh" who's only son, Abraham Bumbough is named as heir in Esther's place. Son Solomon Sell and friend William Barrick are named as executors. Back in 1782 this same son, Solomon Sell, was given Power of Attorney by Anthony Sell to sell his lands in Frederick County, Maryland. Either Solomon was deemed by his father to have the best business sense in the family, OR he was the eldest son.

In the early 1930's, Eva Sells Jeager, a descendant of Ludwick Sells, who had moved to Franklin County, Ohio about 1800, decided she wanted to join the DAR. She did not know about the Anthony Sell probate records in Huntingdon County, so she chose a Rev. War ancestor she liked and invented a fake Bible Record and submitted all of these to the DAR. Unfortunately the DAR did not have any way to check her work, and so their records show all of Anthony and Catherine Sell's children as children of a John and Sarah Haak Sell (who lived in Berks County, PA at that time). And these records show her ancestor, Ludwick, as the eldest son. He was really at best the fourth son.
Subsequent searchers have copied Eva Jeager's false records into the Ancestral File, and many other magazines and history books. In the 1950's Dr. Ray Sells Morrish, a descendant of the youngest son, Abraham Sell, who married Mary Wilson and moved to Ontario, Canada did some real and accurate research and discovered the probate records of Anthony Sell at Huntingdon. In the 1960's another excellent researcher, Louis Duermyer, a descendant of Sophia Sells Ashbaugh, collected many of the Bedford County deeds, tax and land records we have on this family. And in the 1970's and 1980's Richard Henry Sell found the York County deeds, filed in Maryland, that prove Anthony's parentage, and where he was living before he moved to now Huntingdon County, Pa.

Descendants of this couple now number in the thousands, and include the "Sells Brothers Circus" founders; Gunsmiths in Ohio; early politicians in Iowa and other Western States; and many many Civil War Soldiers.

LAST WILL & TESTAMENT of ANTHONY SELL
In the name of God Amen, I Anthony Sell of the town of Huntingdon, in the Township & County of Huntingdon, in the State of Pennsylvania husbandman being considerably advanced in age, but in health of body, of sound mind and disposing memory, do make this my last will and Testament, hereby revoking and making void all other wills heretofore made, either in words or writing, and this only to be taken for my last will and Testament, and none other, and touching such Temporal Estate as it hath pleased God to favor me with, I give divise and bequeath in the following manner, that is to say:
Imprimus, my will is that my funeral expenses and all my just debts be honestly paid by my Executors hereinafter to be named out of my personal estate, after which I give and bequeath unto my beloved wife Catherine one hundred pounds in gold or silver, lawful money of Pennsylvania, to be put to youse by the Executor, and paying my wife Catherine the lawful interest of the said money yearly as long as she lives, and after her death, the afore said hundred pounds to be equally divided between my son John and my son Solomon Sell. Also one feather bed and bedding and one milk cow, to her own use, besides her thirds; and all the rest and residue of my personal Estate, together with all my real Estate I do hereby authorise and direct my Executor to sell within the space of one year after my decease. Item I give and bequeath unto my son John one hundred fifty pound which he has already received from me and which is charged or ought to be charged unto him. Item I give and bequeath unto my son Anthony Sell on hundred and fifty pound which he has already received from me on different payments, and is charged unto him or ought to charged. Item, I give and [bequeath] unto my son Solomon Sell thirteen pounds in cash over and above all the sums of money I have advanced for him at different times, and for which I have charged him or ought to have charged, to the amount of one hundred and twenty-two pounds, also a bond in writing obligatory, in which he stands having to pay me fifteen pounds, the whole bequest amounting to one hundred and fifty pounds. Item. I give and bequeath unto my son Lodowick Sell two hundred and forty five pounds which he has already received from me and stands charge or ought to be charged for the same. Item, I give and bequeath unto my son Abraham Sell two hundred and forty five pound which he has already received from me and is charged or ought to be charged for the same - over and above he stands debtor in an obligation of twenty five pound and in payor to Nathaniel Jerrad fifteen pound, also by a bond against Michael Cryder, the sum of twelve pound, also lent to my son Abraham Sell the sum of fourteen pound in cash in the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety one for which sums he stands detor over and above two hundred and forty five pound. Item I give and bequeath unto my daughter Sophia, who married Frederick Ashbaugh, one hundred forth five pound, exclusive of the sum of forty five pound which she received from me at the time of or soon after her marriage. Item I give and bequeath unto my grandson Abraham Brumbaugh, only child of my daughter Esther, who married Conrad Brumbaugh, the sum of sixty five pound to be his full Legase, but if my grandson dies before he attains the age of twenty one, then and in that case I give and bequeath the said sum of sixty five pound to my aforenamed children, or the survivors of them, share and share alike to be divided at the time that my grandson would have been twenty one years of age had he lived, and whereas, my son Solomon Sell hath had six Bonds of one hundred pounds each bond, and taken land for the said bonds in the State of North Carolina, from Henry Herklerode, who stood indepted for said bonds, I give and bequeath unto my son Solomon Sell one hundred pound out of said land, the land to be praised by two sworn praisers in that state who knows the said land and the money to or the praisement of the said land will be equally divided, share and share alike unto my before named sons, except Lodwick and Abraham to be equally divided amongst them, share and share alike, until their legacies are severally raised to the sum of two hundred and forty five pound. My son Solomon to receive an equal share with the others notwithstanding the bequest to him of one hundred pounds for his trouble and expence he has been at to receive or get the said land and after all the bequests are made equal to Lodwick and Abraham Sell as there should be any residue I give and bequeath the same to be equally divided amongst all my children, share and share alike, and I do hereby make and ordain William Barrick of Hopewell Township, and my son Solomon Sell executor of this my Last will and Testament. In Witnefs of I the said Anthony Sell have hereunto set my hand and seal the seventh Day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety two.

his
Anthony X Sels (seal)
Mark

Signed Sealed and Delivered by
The said Anthony Sell as his
Last Will and Testament in the
Presence of us, who subscribed our
Names as witnefs in the Testators
Presence and at his request.
Abraham Haine
George Strigleden
Michael Africa

Huntingdon County.
Before me the subsriber Register, for the private will and granting letters of administration in and for the County of Huntingdon in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania personally came the within named George Strigleden and Michael Africa, who being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God did depose and say that they were present and to see and hear the within named Anthony Sell sign Seal publish & Declare the within Instrument of writing to be his Last will and Testament. That at the time of such signing he was of a sound and disposing mind and memory and that they subscribed their names hereunto as witnefses in presence of the Testator at his request.
Given & Subscribed this 2nd March 1792
George Strigleden
Michael Africa
Ano Henderson


SOURCES: "Family of Johann Heinrich Eschbach" Rev. John D. Ashbaugh webmaster@@zionweb.org, at AWTP (who has generously shared the above information at AWTP.  Much Appreciation!)