Do you ever send a request to a courthouse for documents thinking you know how all of those documents fit into your research? And once the documents arrive, you discover that one set is for a family unit not in your file? Well, that’s the case with some Sellers marriage bonds that I requested from Garrard County, Kentucky.

While I don’t have the Sellers surname in my pedigree, two Sellers brothers married two daughters of Rebekah Crawford in Lincoln County, Kentucky. Several members of the Sellers family migrate to Preble County, Ohio where two of my James Crawford lines resided. Thus, I’m working on documenting the family of Nathaniel Sellers.

Thus, I requested copies of four marriage bonds thinking that I knew how each fit into the larger Sellers family.

Unfortunately, I don’t know how the John Sellers who married Nancy Alverson fits. And I’m not alone. The FamilySearch tree does not show parents for John Sellers. A brief search of Ancestry trees also did not turn up the identity of his parents. Thus, I don’t know how John fits into the other families that resided in Garrard County, Kentucky.

Sellers, John — Nancy Alverson — Box 5 Bond 1072 – 1817

1072
John Sellers
To
Marriage Bond
Commonwealth
$7.25 cents pd
31 March 1817
31 Mar
Mar 31 1817
Box 5

back

Know all my by these presents that we
John Sellers & Benjamin Alverson are held
and bound unto the Commonwealth of
Kentucky in the penal sum of $50
current money the payment of
which will and truely to be made we
bind ourselves and heirs & jointly &
severally firmly by these presents sealed
and dated this 31 day of March 1817
The condition of the above obligation
is such that whereas there is a license
about to issued from the clerk’s office
of Garrard County for a marriage
intended between the above bound
Sellers & Nancy Alverson now should
there e no lawful cause to obstruct
sd marriage then the above obligation
to be void [however] to remain
in full force & virtue
John Sellers (seal)
Benj Alverson (seal
Witness: Alice Jennings

Kentucky. Garrard County. Marriage Bonds and Licenses, Box 5, No. 1072, Sellers-Alverson, 1817; Garrard County Courthouse, Lancaster.

The 1799 bond for Samuel Sellers and Sally Ellis is for the son of Nathaniel Sellers.

Sellers, Samuel — Sally Ellis — Box 1 Bond 80 — 1799

No 80
S Sellers
to M Bond
Governor
20 Mary 179[9]
Mar 20 179[9]

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Know all mey by these presents that we Saml
Sellers and William Ellis do promise to pay or
cause to be paid unto his excellency James Garrard
Governor of Kentucky the sum of Fifty pounds curnt
money the pat of which well and truly to be paid
unto the sd Garrard & his [assessors] we bind our selves
o each of our heirs jointly & severally formly by these
presents seald and dated the 20 March 1799
The condition of the above obligation is such
that whereas the above bound Saml Sellers has obtained
a license to marry Sally Ellis now should their
be no lawful cause to obstruct sd marriage
then the above obligation shall be void [etre] to
remain in full force
Saml Sellers (seal)
Wm Ellis (Seal)

page 2
March the 20
[These] one to certify that I am Willing that
Samuel Sellers shall marry my daughter
Sally from under my hand
Joseph Ellis (seal)
William Ellis
James Sellers

Kentucky. Garrard County. Marriage Bonds and Licenses, Box 1, no. 80, Sellers-Ellis, 1799; Garrard County Courthouse, Lancaster.

The 1817 bond for the marriage of John F. Sellers and Rebecca Sellers identifies Rebecca as the daughter of James Sellers which would make her a granddaughter of Nathaniel Sellers.

Sellers, John F — Rebecca Sellers — Box 5 bond 1080 — 1817

J Sellers 1080
to Marriage bond
[B]am[th]
E 24 July 17
7/[1] [Pd]
July 24 1817
Geo DRooney

Back
Know all men by these presents that we
John F. Sellers and C Sellers are
held and firmly bound unto the [Gov?]
of Kentucky in the sum of L 50 current
money the payment of which will and
truly to be made we bond ourselves our
heirs & family and [assuredly] [?ing]
by these presents seald and dated the
24 day of July 1817
The Condition
fo the above obligation is such that
whereas there is a license
3 [?ant] to
issue for a marriage intended between
the above bound John Sellers & Rebeccah Sellers
now should there be
no lawful cause to obstruct said
marriage then the above obligation
to be void & otherwise to remain in
full for and virtue
Jno F Sellers
John C Sellers (seal)

page 2 (front)
Clerk of
Garrard Court
To the clerk of Garrard
County Court
Kentucky

Back
July 24th 1817
Sir you will issue a
license for a marriage of my daughter
Rebecka Selelrs & John Sellers & oblige
yours James Sellers
Test
Randolph Hall

To the Clerk of Garrard Court

Kentucky. Garrard County. Marriage Bonds and Licenses, Box 5, no. 1080, Sellers – Sellers, 1817; Garrard County Courthouse, Lancaster.

The last bond I obtained is for John Sellers and Fanny Brown. John is Rebecca’s brother, son of James and grandson of Nathaniel Sellers.

Sellers John – Fanny Brown – Box 6 bond 1363 dated 1821

Jno Sellers 1636
To M
B
Commonth
7/[6] paid
28 Feb 1821
Feb 28 1821

Back
Know all men by these presents that we John Sellers
and Thomas Brown are held and firmly bound unto
the Commonwealth of Kentucky in the penal sum of
L 50 current money the payment of which [will]
truly to be made we bind ourselves our heirs &
jointly and severally firmly by these presents sealed &
dated this 28th day of February 1821
The condition of the above obligation is
such that whereas there is a license about to [fine]
from the clerk’s office of Garrard for a marriage
intended between that above bound John Sellers and
Fanny Brown now should there be no lawful
cause to obstruct said marriage then to above
obligation to be void else to remain in full force
& virtue
John Sellers (seal)
Thos Brown (seal
Witness
Jas Hughes Letcher D.C.

Page 2

To the clerk of Garrard Court
Sir you will issue a licens for a marriage
between John Sellers & my daughter Fanny
Brown & oblige yours — William Brown

February 28th 1821
Polly x Brown
Thos Brown

Kentucky. Garrard County. Marriage Bonds and Licenses, Box 6, 1363, Sellers-Brown, 1821; Garrard County Courthouse, Lancaster.