John Henry Sellman was born in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, on June 27, 1806, and died on July 11, 1851. He was the son of Anne Elizabeth Harwood (1768-1824) and Jonathan Sellman (1753-1810), an officer in the Maryland Militia during the Revolutionary War. John Henry was a physician and farmer who married his first cousin, Lucinda Margaret Harwood (I) (1812-1866) on November 8, 1836. Lucinda was the daughter of Benjamin Harwood (1783-1835) and Henrietta Maria Battee (1787-1819).
John Henry Sellman (I) and Lucinda Harwood had eight children: John Henry "Henry"(II)(1837-1892), Anne Elizabeth "Nannie" (1841-1879), Lucinda Margaret (1843-1891), twins Alice (1845-1920) and Lydia (1845-1924), Ellen (1847-1929), Francis "Frank" (b.1849), and Richard Battee (1851-1912). The family home, Clifton, in Davidsonville, Maryland, consisted of more than 200 acres planted with corn, wheat, and tobacco. Most of the crops were harvested and sent to Baltimore for sale to brokers. Following John Henry's death, his wife, Lucinda (I), took over management of Clifton. Her nephew, Frank H. Stockett (1821- ?) helped to manage the business accounts. Upon her death in 1866, her son, Henry, assumed control of the farm. Henry married Sophia Stockett (1839-1888), and they had five children. At his death in 1892, his daughter, Lucinda Margaret Sellman (II) (1866-1951), became responsible for the property. Many members of the family are buried in the cemetery at All Hallows' Parish Church (Episcopal) near Davidsonville, Maryland.
First cousins John Henry Sellman and Lucinda Harwood Sellman (I) were members of large and extended families long resident in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Intermarriage between the Harwood and Sellman families was common. Anne Elizabeth Harwood Sellman and Benjamin Harwood were the children of Richard Harwood (1738-1826), whose second wife was Lucinda "Lucy" Harwood Battee (1767-September 5, 1835), a cousin. Prior to her marriage to Richard in 1806, Lucy was married to John Battee (1767-1803) whose aunt, Elizabeth Battee, was married to Jonathan Sellman, John Henry's grandfather. At her death Lucy was living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of Richard's and Lucy's daughters was Lucretia Margaret (1807-1863) who married Edward Wellmore in 1834. Please see the family tree for more information.
From the guide to the Sellman Family papers, 1769-1938, majority 1850-1865 and 1886-1892 (University of Maryland Libraries)
