The 1880 Census for District 11, Overton County, Tennessee; page 354C, records the following family:
“Margret Sells, age 50, born TN, single, keeping house, both parents born VA; son Jas. T. Sells, age 21, born TN, laborer, both parents born TN; daughter Irnie Sells, age 12, born TN, both parents born TN; “other” Wm. L. Bagarly, age 56, born NC, laborer, both parents born NC.”
Is this Margret Sells really single – never married – with two children? Are these two children really her children? Or is she a widow? Who was the father of “Jas.T. (James?) and of “Irnie” Sells? Who were the parents of this Margret Sells, born about 1830?
We believe that this is the Ernie (or Irnie) Sells who married Sidney S. Davis, born 1862, Tennessee; son of John C. Davis, MD, 1833-1897, and Sarah Ann Elder, 1833-1915. Sidney and Ernie Sells Davis were the parents of seven children: (1) Nasby C. Davis, born 1889; (2) Eraspus Davis, born 1893/4; (3) Irnie Davis, born 1895/6; (4) Melvin Davis, born 1897/8; (5) Sarah M. Davis, born 1899/1900; (6) John B. Davis, born 1902/3; (7) Edgar Davis, born 8 Dec. 1905, died 13 January 2000.
There is a Margaret Sells, age 20, listed in the household of Henry and Mary Ringley Sells, on the 1850 Census. And a “Margaret Sells” is named as one of the heirs of this Henry Sells, in an 1865 Overton County, Tennessee deed, when Henry’s land in District 11, Overton County was sold.
This is the ONLY Overton County Margaret/Margret Sells, born about 1830 (age 20 in 1850 AND age 50 in 1880) for whom we have no marriage records, or children listed. Are these two Margaret’s the same person? Are Jas. T. and Irnie her children? OR children of perhaps a brother or brothers or cousin(s) that Margaret adopted?
Carolyn Cell Choppin
Please email me at :
Choppin.Carolyn@usa.net
