We are looking for records of the family of John Humphrey Sell, born about 1861, son of Isaac and Miriam Portlock Sell, grandson of Benjamin and Delila Sell.
Etta Withers (esw@longview.net) has shared the above photograph of a Delila or Delie Sell, Birtha Sell and Elzy Portlock, probably taken in the time frame of 1901-06. Etta's Portlock family records include information on Miriam Portlock, 1843-1916, daughter of Thomas S. Portlock and Ellen Jane Phemester, who married 29 December 1859 in Putnam County, Missouri (IGI) to Isaac Sell. These Portlock families are also well recorded in the Ancestral File.
Elzy Portlock was a younger brother of Etta's grandmother, and a son of James Portlock and Elcy Ann Hunter. This James Portlock was a brother of Miriam Portlock Sell.
Isaac Sell was born about 1837/38 in PA (age 12 in 1850), son of Benjamin and Delila Sell(s) or Cell(s), who were living somewhere in Pennsylvania until about 1845; in Harrison twp., Licking County, Ohio by 1850; and in York twp., Putnam County, Missouri by 1859. Etta's Portlock family records show that Isaac and Miriam Portlock Sell had one son, John Humphrey Sell, born about 1861, before Isaac Sell was killed in the Civil War. Miriam Portlock Sell then remarried to a Mr. Perry, and they had at least one daughter.
The Portlock History, compiled by Eva Ellen Portlock, daughter of Charles Franklin Portlock, and granddaughter of James and Elcy Ann Hunter Portlock; records the following on the family of:
John Humphrey Sell, born 1 January 1861, died 25 August 1940; married Henrietta Alexander, died 9 April 1927. Their children were: (1) Myrtle Alice Sell, born 1 July 1881, MO, died 1915. (2) George Sell, born Nov. 1883, MO; died 1892. (3) Della May Sell, born 3 Oct. 1887, NE. (4) Bertha D. Sell, born 15 May 1890, NE. (5) Edna Belle Sell, born 25 June 1894, KS. (6) Mabel Maud Sell, born 2 Feb. 1898, KS. (7) Elsie Marie Sell, born 12 April 1904, KS.
In 1880, John H. Sell was living next door to his uncle, Isaiah Commings Sell, and his family in York twp., Putnam County, Missouri. They are listed as follows:
Page 582B: "Isaiah C. Sell, age 35, born PA, farmer and Carpenter, both parents born PA; wife Sarah, age 32, born Iowa, both parents born TN; daughter Mary Jeanetta Sell, age 13, born Missouri; daughter Nancy D. Sell, age 11, born MO; daughter Elisa Ann Sell, age 8, born MO; daughter Maria Bertha Sell, age 6, born MO; daughter Hattie Irene Sell, age 4, born MO; son Henry F. Sell, age 1, born MO."
Page 583C: "Evan Morris, age 64, born IN, farmer, both parents born KY; wife Mary Morris, age 61, born NC, both parents born NC; grandson-in-law John H. Sell, age 19, born MO, farmer, father born VA, mother born IL; wife Henrietta Sell, age 15, born IA."
Two houses over, also on page 583C, is: "Benjamin Sell, age 67, born PA, farmer, both parents born PA; wife Delila Sell, age 66, born PA, both parents born PA."
And in the house in between, also on page 583C, is: "Albert Deeds, age 31, born PA, farmer, both parents born PA; wife Tabitha, age 28, born WV, both parents born PA; daughter Delila Deeds, age 6, born MO; daughter Silva Deeds, age 4, born MO; son Silver Deeds, age 2, born MO; daughter Mignonette Deeds, age 1, born MO; sister Anna S. Deeds, single, age 21, born PA, teacher."
Also from the Portlock family files of Etta Withers: Miriam Portlock Sell Perry died in 1916 and is buried in the High Prairie Cemetery at Glen Elder, Mitchell County, Kansas; along with her nephew, Elzy Portlock, who is in the center of the photo (above).
And on the 1895 Kansas State Census, Diana Baumann (Mo2okie@aol.com), a descendant of Isaiah Commings Sell, found the following listed in Hayes Township, Mitchell County, Kansas:
B. Sell, male, age 81, born PA
J. H. Sell, male, age 34, born Missouri
Henretta Sell, female, age 30, born Iowa
M. A. Sell, female, age 13, born Missouri
D.M. Sell, female, age 7, born Nebraska
B.D. Sell, female, age 4, born Nebraska
E. B. Sell, female, age 7 months, born Kansas
Conclusions: First, John H. Sell, age 19 in 1880 is John Humphrey Sell, son of Isaac and Miriam Portlock Sell. And John has married Henrietta, granddaughter of Evan and Mary Morris, about 1879 or early in 1880. Also he is most likely the J.H. Sell, age 34 in 1895 in Mitchell County, Kansas, with his wife, Henretta, four daughters, and his grandfather, Benjamin Sell, now age 81 years of age!
Second, Tabitha Deeds, listed as age 28 in 1880, is the Tabitha Sell, age 8 in 1860, daughter of Benjamin and Delila Sell. (see the 1860 Census record for this family recorded on Celle CD#2, History Volume 4, pages 192 and 193.) Note that the 1860 Census lists Tabitha as born in Ohio, and the 1880 Census says she was born in West Virginia! (Perhaps she was born in Ohio County, West Virginia, as the family moved from PA to Ohio??) Note also that she named her first daughter Delila!
Wanted: Descendants of John Humphrey and Henrietta Sell!
Portlock records indicate that one daughter was Edna Belle Sell Stithem. We believe that the "Delie" and "Birtha" in the photo (above) were also daughters of John and Henrietta Sell.
Does anyone have additional records on this family like maybe a 1900 census record (probably in Kansas) for this John Sell family? Or any other Missouri or Kansas records of this family?
Also Wanted: death record, probate, obituary for Benjamin Sell, perhaps in Mitchell County, Kansas after 1895. We still do not know the names of his parents, or where in PA he was born.
Please forward all contributions to:
Choppin.Carolyn@usa.net
