For the story of Hezekiah Sellards one of necessity must rely upon the historical writings of Eastern Kentucky's foremost historians; William Elsey Connelley, William Ely, Henry P. Scalf and the Sellards family historian Dr. Elias Howard Sellards for the traditional story. This area is indeed fortunate to have men of their caliber whose love for the valley and its families was such they took the time and effort to record its past.

Despite his prominence and prowess, Hezekiah, a foremost woodsman and frontiersman, seems to have eluded the records of the areas in which he sojourned. So much so, that if it were not for his host of descendants and the prevalent usage of his given name in the different family branches, one could almost feel he was the figment of a writer's imagination.

Tradition is strongly entrenched in this recorded past and throughout the family that the family migrated from Scotland to Ireland, probably in the vicinity of Ulster. A Scotch Irishman and a victim of political and religious persecution, Hezekiah left his native Ireland for the free shores of America in 1732. For a time he settled in Pennsylvania and then moved into the headwaters of the beautiful and charming Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

A staunch Presbyterian and lay leader of that church, he often performed the preaching for the gatherings when the minister was not available. His deep seated religious beliefs were deeply inbred in his offspring, intoning the fatherly love and philosophy of bringing up your children in the way they should go. Being a man of learning, he believed in education and made sure his children were instructed in common elementary schooling.

Being of pioneer spirit, a capable woodsman and able hunter he, like most of the pioneers, did not like crowded living. So much so, it is reported he lived twenty miles from his nearest neighbor.

Just why Hezekiah decided to leave the Shenandoah is not known. Maybe the area was becoming too populated or stable for his pioneer spirit. Many were migrating down the valley and westward at this period of time. Their stories of the frontier opportunities of abundant game, land and adventure were no doubt enticing. It might have been the appeal of a slightly warmer climate or a combination of these which prompted his move to the wilderness area of Walkers Creek in southwestern Virginia.

The date of migration is uncertain, though one writer has stated the move was before 1760. With the absence of roads and only simple blazed trails, they loaded their meager belongings on horseback for the trek, an arduous journey then of some 125 or more miles. The men, women and children of this party, led by Hezekiah, walked along as they drove their stock before them. They probably traveled southwesterly across the James and then the New or Kanawha River to settle in the vicinity of the frontier outpost of Walker's Station, situated in what was then Augusta County, but now southeastern Bland County, Virginia.

Here on Walker's Creek, a tributary of the New River, in the shadow of Walker's Mountain, Hezekiah built a cabin, prospered and rose to prominence as leader of the fort's colony of backwoods people. Here also he drops from the pages of history. In his day and place our pioneer ancestor was a man of considerable property and industry, being characterized as economical and thrifty.

In brief this is the traditional story of Hezekiah Sellards as recorded. Now let us look at this traditional story in retrospect. The story affords us some insight into his character, abilities and the probability of the areas in which he lived. Also we can picture some of the hardships he must have faced as he moved from a more settled area to one of high Indian hostility. In one sense it is almost like setting the plot for a melodrama or setting the stage for the probability of the Indian massacre which occurred in his daughter's family.

If Hezekiah did immigrate in 1732 from Ireland, then he would have been part of the large movement of 1730-1777 as described by John Fiske. During this period over half of the population of Ulster came to this country locating in the area of New England west to Pennsylvania, with the majority settling in Pennsylvania.

Hezekiah's grandson, Adam Brevard Wiley, related to William Connelley that the family first settled in Pennsylvania. As further evidence is the statement of another grandson, Judge Archibald Borders, to the 1880 Lawrence County, Kentucky census taker, that his mother, Catherine Sellards Borders, was born in Pennsylvania and his father, John Borders, was born in Prussia.

The Pennsylvania archives do reveal one Jacob Sullards, whose descendants used the Sellards name, living in the state of Connecticut in 1790 and probably coming to America about 1750. Among his children are two Revolutionary war sons Joseph and James. Joseph, born about 1756, served in Throop's Company from Lebanon, Connecticut. James was born near Norwich, Connecticut and died in Canton, Pennsylvania, September 5, 1824. He served in Captain Mather's Company and after service became a farmer in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, migrated to Tioga County, Pennsylvania and finally located in Canton Township in 1812. Whether there is any relationship between this family and ours is not known.

A check of the national archives does not reveal a Revolutionary war record for Hezekiah. He may have been past service age or his duties on the frontier may have been too important to move him from this position.

The names Sellar, Sellars, Seller and Sellers are not uncommon names in Scotland and England. Sollar, Sellar and Sellers are found in early Virginia and Pennsylvania records. Today one only has to pick up a phone book of any major US city and quickly you will spot the names of Sellar and Seller. Genealogically as names emerge and change, there is the strong possibility of relationship between the Sellards family and these families.

Mr. Henry P. Scalf has talked about the intensive search Dr. Elias Howard Sellards made of ship passenger lists seeking to find his ancestor listed, but without success.

Some feel Hezekiah Sellards' father was Peter John Sellards, Jr., the son of the Irish political refugee, Peter John Sellards, who came to America around 1700.

Historically, seldom did the immigrant to these shores adapt to the frontier environment to become the accomplished woodsman and frontiersman and especially adept in frontier leadership accredited to Hezekiah. Usually this ability developed in the second and third generations. It was the latter generations who were ever moving farther back from the coastal or more populated area. It seems this extra generation was generally necessary to achieve the essential skills to face the rigors and life style called for on the frontier.

If Hezekiah did arrive in 1732, and if he was near adulthood, then he would have been in his late fifties when his daughter, Catherine was born (ca 1764) and in his sixties at the birth of his 15 year old son who was killed in the Wiley massacre, October 1, 1789. Thus Hezekiah either married a young wife late in life or the five know children were children of a second marriage.

No one has ever been able to locate a marriage record or the name of his wife or wives. Nor have they been recorded by the historians.

There has been much speculation his wife was a Cherokee Indian. This might have been a cause to live apart, but this is questioned for the following reasons. At the time of the Wiley massacre Jenny would have been familiar enough with the native tongue to have communicated with the attacking Indians to probably save her children from their fate. Second, the Cherokee would not have taken her captive and subjected themselves to chase. Third, the facial contour of Cherokee faces do not appear to show in Connelley's description of Jenny. Lastly and most important is the prominence and acceptance of Hezekiah's children in the Appalachian area beset by hostile attacks and hatred of the Indians. Mixed blood would not have been so readily acceptable to these people and it is very doubtful they would have prospered to the extent they did in an unfavorable environment.

Dr. Sellards differs with William Connelley on the name of Jenny's son, Adam. Connelley clearly states the name to Adam Prevard, often called Adam P. Sellards is convinced Prevard is incorrect and a mispronunciation of the family name Brevard. Some of the census and marriage records listing Adam's name use the middle initial "B" rather than "P". According to Connelley Adam carried an ancestral family name on which Sellards concurs. Further Dr. Sellards feels that Hezekiah may have married the sister of Adam Brevard, a son of John Brevard, b 1716 in Maryland, later settling in North Carolina and grandson of Jean Brevard, a French Huguenot, who fled from France to Ulster. From Ulster, Jean Brevard became an imigrant settler in Maryland.