BENNETT SELLERS: b. ~1796-1770+
Bennett Sellers was born in Nash Co., NC and is believed to be the brother of Gurley, Emanuel, Jordan, etc. Bennett is recorded in the 1820 and 1830 Nash Co. NC census. Some have assumed these to be two different Bennetts since there is a male and female in the 1820 over 45. This is certainly possible however there is no record of a Bennett in earlier censuses, etc. I believe our Bennett is the male in the 16-26 bracket in the 1820 census and is head of household. The male & female >45 are likely his parents and the children listed are his siblings. See my information on Wright Sellers under the FAMILY button above.
His age reported in the various censuses place his birth year as wide as 1787 to 1804. However, using some judgement, I am discarding the age in 1850 when he perhaps 'flippantly' named himself "Long Sellers". I think he might have been more conscientious in his first census in 1820 and perhaps in his last so I am estimating his birth year at 1796 which fits with Emanuel's birth in 1795. Here are looks at his census info:
My extrapolation from the above censuses leads me to this approximation of their children and birth years:
Mary (May): 1822
Unknown Male: 1825
Unknown Male: 1826
Unknown Female: 1828
Unknown Female: 1830
Rufus (Rufin): 1832 missing in 1840 census
Jincy?: 1834
Emma (Imma/Irena): 1837
Elizabeth: 1840 (ages later distorted)
Bennett married Winny Elizabeth Rogers in Nash Co. NC. She was the sister of Fanny Rogers who married Emanuel Sellers. Winny was born about 1801 by my estimates. Her father was John Rogers, mother's name unknow. I don't know where I got that info. I find a John Rogers in Spartanburg in 1830-1850 who could possibly fit in as her father and believe it identifies the wife as Rebecca. This is total conjecture on my part.
As noted in my discussion on Emanuel, they left NC at about the same time as Gurley and headed to SC where they settled in Spartanburg County and raised families near each other. Emanuel moved to AL between 1860 and 1863 but Bennett remained in Spartanburg. The date of his death or burial information is unknown at this time and he last appears in the 1870 census. I have not found him in 1880.
