Louis Duermyer was a 4th great grandson of Frederick Ashbaugh and Sophia Sells. Sophia was a daughter of Anthony and Catherine Sells of York and Bedford/Huntingdon Counties, PA.
Louis began his genealogical research quite early in his life, and by 1939 he self published a booklet titled "Ashbaugh Index", and placed copies of this work in over 100 libraries, including the Ohio State Library; Utah Genealogical Society (=Salt Lake LDS Library); and the Library of Congress. He and his mother did the LDS temple work for all of his Ashbaugh and Sells ancestors, resulting in their listings in the International Genealogical Index of the LDS Church.
Louis was the first person to discover and accurately document the family of Anthony and Catherine Sells, who moved from York County, PA to Standing Stone, then an Indian Village in then Bedford but soon to become Huntingdon County, PA. The records Louis found there included Anthony's 1792 will which clearly identifies all of Anthony's seven surviving children. Sophia, who married Frederick Ashbaugh was probably the youngest of Anthony's children. Louis found tax and land records that showed some of the Ashbaugh families living next to the Sells families in Hopewell township, and in the town of Huntingdon. But he was never able to locate the cemeteries or any church records for them in this area.
In March 1963 Louis wrote a three page account of the family of emigrant Johann Heinrich Eshbach (aka Henry Ashbaugh). A copy of this article is below.
In February 1962, he updated his records with "An Outline of research Problems on the Family of Frederick Ashbaugh (2nd Generation)." This is an eight-page article.
By May 1990, Louis was in failing health, cancer was taking its toll, he had moved to a smaller house in Staten Island, and given most of his records and books to various libraries. This was the last letter we received from him, and according to the Social Security Index listings, he had died by March 1993. He was a wonderfully through researcher, and took much pride in his work. His contributions to both the Sells and Ashbaugh clans were numerous, and are greatly missed.
Ashbaugh Research Guide
An Interim Study of the Family of
Johann Heinrich Eshbach (Henry Ashbaugh)
1706-1789
by Louis Duermyer, Staten Island, New York, March 1963
"In the Late Summer of 1738, the Winter Galley, a small sailing ship, came out of Rotterdam and arrived at the Port of Philadelphia on September 5th. Among the passengers was "Johann Heinrich Eschbach". He was inscribed on the captain's list of "Palatines and others" imported on the vessel. On the same day, he took the oath of allegiance to the British King, which was demanded of all non-British coming to the Colonies.
"By about 1747 to 1748 he had established a farmstead in an area under dispute between Pennsylvania and Maryland. Probably his first land titles were granted under Maryland authority, for the owner of the entire tract comprising his lands, his son Andrew's lands, and the Sells family's lands, had come on an original grant under Maryland colonial officials; the Sells lands were definitely recorded in Maryland.
"The actual location of the farmstead was in present Mount Joy township, Adams Co., PA; but was earlier under York County, at the time Johann Heinrich made his home there. The Maryland claims were originally as "Baltimore County" and then "Frederick County".
"In 1751, the Sells family, relatives of the Ashbaughs, had secured their titles to adjoining lands, and Heinrich and his son Andrew went to the courts as early as 1765 for a "caveat" or warning order, to protect title to the Ashbaugh improvements.
"Heinrich is mentioned as "Henry Ashbaugh" in the "Historical Collections of Pennsylvania", and is said to have been one of the first settlers -around 1766 to 1776 - of Huntingdon, PA, where he purchased a town lot in 1786. Huntingdon was then in Bedford County, and is now in Huntingdon County.
"Slightly preceding him in his move were his sons Frederick and John, each of whom became land owners in or near the town (of Huntingdon). The son Andrew remained behind in Mount Joy with his large family. Frederick apparently did not remain long in Huntingdon, and by 1779 bought a pottery-site in Hagerstown, Maryland. But at Henry's death in 1789, his son John and family, and his daughters Sarah Smith and Margaret Sells, as well as his widow, Maria Elisabetha Eschbach, still lived in Huntingdon Borough or County.
"Heinrich undoubtedly followed the potter's art, for all of his sons knew the craft and passed it along through several early generations. Of course, he was also a farmer at the Adams County farm.
"We have only bare clues as to the family name of Heinrich's wife, Maria Elisabetha. Was she a Merck? Several of the grandchildren had as sponsors at the time of their baptisms, members of the Merck family. Since this honor generally only went to uncles, aunts, or grandparents, we would normally assume there was a family connection. Or was she perhaps a Sells? One early letter suggested this connection, stating that a family tradition in the Sells family stated the Sells and Ashbaughs had intermarried in Europe before the American immigration.
"Heinrich was inscribed on the 1738 ship list as "age 32", fixing his birth at about 1706, presumably in the Palatinate. He died about March 1789; we have not been able to find either a church record of burial, or a gravestone. It is possible he was buried on the son John's farm, on Warrior Ridge, just outside Huntingdon.
"Heinrich's will confirms the relationship of all the children named below, except the legendary "Hannah Ashbaugh Sells".
"The widow, Maria Elisabetha Eshbach, died in Huntingdon sometime in the year 1792. Her gravestone and burial record have not been found.
"Children of this couple were:
(1)
John Ashbaugh (Code letter "B" in a history now in preparation.)
John Ashbaugh (Code letter "B" in a history now in preparation.)(2)Andrew Ashbaugh (Code letter "C" in the history.)
Andrew Ashbaugh (Code letter "C" in the history.)(3)Frederick Ashbaugh (Code letter "D".)
Frederick Ashbaugh (Code letter "D".)(4)Sarah Smith ("E") We do not at this time know the Christian name of her husband, but believe that the marriage probably took place in the Mount Joy vicinity. As speculation, one notes that the founder and proprietor of Huntingdon was a Rev. William Smith, D.D. of Philadelphia. The fact that the Sells relatives and the Ashbaughs were among the first dozen settlers of Huntingdon suggests the possibility of a family connection. I have thus far spent hundreds of hours in searching the York, Adams, and Huntingdon original source materials without enlightenment.
Sarah Smith ("E") We do not at this time know the Christian name of her husband, but believe that the marriage probably took place in the Mount Joy vicinity. As speculation, one notes that the founder and proprietor of Huntingdon was a Rev. William Smith, D.D. of Philadelphia. The fact that the Sells relatives and the Ashbaughs were among the first dozen settlers of Huntingdon suggests the possibility of a family connection. I have thus far spent hundreds of hours in searching the York, Adams, and Huntingdon original source materials without enlightenment.Sarah probably married by about 1770. However her actual age, etc., are entirely speculative. She lived as a widow at Huntingdon in 1800, with two female children under the age of 10.
(5) (Hypothetical) Hannah Sells ("F") One branch of the Sells family carries the tradition that their ancestor Solomon Sells married first Hannah Ashbaugh, and after her early death, married her younger sister, Margaret Ashbaugh. No contemporary record has been found to confirm or deny this.
The estate and land records which identify Margaret ("G") Ashbaugh as the wife of Solomon Sells are dated too late, in both the Ashbaugh and Sells proceedings, to shed any light on this possible additional daughter Hannah.
Until further data comes to light, all of Solomon Sells children will be attributed to the wife Margaret.
(6) Margaret Sells ("G") Identified through her father's will, dated 1781, and through court records of the land distribution of her husband's father, Anthony Sells. We presently estimate her birth date as between 1748 and 1752.
Solomon Sells, her husband, was the son of the Adams County miller, Anthony Sells. Solomon was an early settler of Huntingdon County, and by 1780 is found as "Supervisor of Highways" of Hopewell Township. He owned lands in the town of Huntingdon as well as a farm in Penn Township, on "Warrior Ridge", adjoining that farm of John Ashbaugh ("B").
In November 1792, after the death of his father Anthony, Solomon Sells went to North Carolina (he believed) to take up lands exchanged for the family's Mount joy properties by Henry Herkelrode. After the disputes over state boundaries were settled, involving the claims of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, the land was found to be in Washington County, Virginia. Margaret appeared with him here, in various land transfers.
Solomon Sells died in May 1816, when his personal property was the subject of estate administration in Washington County, Virginia.
Margaret apparently overlived her husband, for the distribution of real estate under the will did not take place until May 1832.
The children of Solomon Sells:
(G-1) John Sells (Married before 1795)
(G-2) Abraham Sells (of age by 1798)
(G-3) Henry Sells (of age by 1798)
(G-4) Frances "Fanny" Sells; married Mr. Carr.
(G-5) Andrew Sells; married Rebecca
(G-6) Peter Sells; born 20 January 1787; died 14 Feb. 1854;
married Hannah McDonald in 1809.(G-7) Benjamin Sells; married Lydia
(G-8) Jacob Sells; married Mary (Probably McDonald).
(G-9) Susan Sells; married Allen McDonald.
(G-10) --Hypothetical-- Margaret "Peggy" Sells. Named by a descendent, but not included in any of the contemporary records of the Solomon/Margaret family.
"Separate research studies, in temporary format, have been prepared for each of the sons, John Ashbaugh, Andrew Ashbaugh, and Frederick Ashbaugh."
Louis DuermyerStaten Island, New YorkMarch 9, 1963Notes: The will of Henry Ashbaugh can be read at http://ashbaugh.zionweb.org/will.shtml
Rev. John D. Ashbaugh is now Vice President of the Ashbaugh Family Organization, and maintains the Ashbaugh website. In a recent message to our Celle Clan President, Dick Sell, regarding the Hypothetical Hannah Ashbaugh Sells, John states the following:
"There is no proof within the will of Johann Heinrich Eshbach that this child existed. There is some legend which suggests that Solomon Sells may first have married Hannah and after her early death married Hannah's sister, Margaret. If Hannah died with no heirs prior to her father's death, there would be no need to mention her in his will. I believe the existence of Hannah remains in dispute."
Rev. John D. Ashbaugh.
My conclusion is that since we are pretty sure that at least four of Solomon's children were born before he married Margaret Ashbaugh, if Henry Ashbaugh were their grandfather, he would have named them in his will. Hence, this "legend" of Hannah Ashbaugh Sells is most likely false.
However, we will remain open to any proof or other disproof future researchers may find.
Carolyn ChoppinChoppin.Carolyn@usa.net