John Sellers (1728 – February 2, 1804) was an American scientist, politician and surveyor from Pennsylvania. He served in the

Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly The Province of Pennsylvania, also known as the Pennsylvania Colony, was a British North American colony founded by William Penn, who received the land through a grant from Charles II of England in 1681. The name Pennsylvania was derived from ...

, then a

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one. Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly ...

legislature, representing

Chester County Chester County may refer to: * Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States ** Chester County Council, boy scout council in Pennsylvania. * Chester County, South Carolina, United States * Chester County, Tennessee, United States * Cheshire ...

from 1767 to 1771. He became a member of the

Pennsylvania State Senate The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four-year terms, stagger ...

after its creation, representing

Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...

and Philadelphia counties and the city of

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

from 1790 to 1794. He was a founding member of the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...

and observed the

Transit of Venus A transit of Venus takes place when Venus passes directly between the Sun and the Earth (or any other superior planet), becoming visible against (and hence obscuring a small portion of) the solar disk. During a transit, Venus is visible as ...

in 1769.

Early life

John Sellers was born on September (or November) 19, 1728, at Sellers Hall in

Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania Upper Darby Township, often shortened to Upper Darby, is a Home Rule Municipality (Pennsylvania), home rule Township (Pennsylvania), township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the township had a total popul ...

, to Sarah (née Smith) and Samuel Sellers. His grandfather Samuel Sellers worked as a weaver and emigrated from

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...

Career

Surveying career

Sellers worked as a weaver. He was appointed surveyor by the governor to run a line from Schuylkill to Lancaster to prepare for the Strasburg Road. He was appointed as road commissioner of the Strasburg Road. He was appointed as a surveying engineer of the Union Canal. He was also involved in the Schuylkill-Susquehanna canal study of 1783 and the boundary commission for the newly created Delaware County in 1789.

American Philosophical Society

Sellers was one of the original members of the

. He joined the organization in 1768. Sellers and

David Rittenhouse David Rittenhouse (April 8, 1732 – June 26, 1796) was an American astronomer, inventor, clockmaker, mathematician, surveyor, scientific instrument craftsman, and public official. Rittenhouse was a member of the American Philosophical Society an ...

and others were members of the society's committee that observed the

in 1769 and reported their observations for the benefit of science.

Political career

Sellers was a

Federalist The term ''federalist'' describes several political beliefs around the world. It may also refer to the concept of parties, whose members or supporters call themselves ''Federalists''. History Europe federation In Europe, proponents of deep ...

. He was a member of the

(later the

Pennsylvania House of Representatives The Pennsylvania House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. There are 203 members, elected for two-year terms from single member districts. It ...

), representing

, from 1767 to 1771. He was appointed one of the Boston Port Bill Committee and was a deputy in the first Provincial Conference of Representatives at Philadelphia on July 14, 1774. These activities on behalf of the Revolution and particularly Sellers' role in signing the Continental currency led to his disownment by the Society of Friends. He was a member of the constitutional convention of 1789, representing

. He served in the first session of the

Pennsylvania Senate The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mi ...

. He represented Delaware and

counties and Philadelphia from 1790 to 1794. He was appointed by Governor

Thomas Mifflin Thomas Mifflin (January 10, 1744January 20, 1800) was an American merchant, soldier, and politician from Pennsylvania, who is regarded as a Founding Father of the United States for his roles during and after the American Revolution. Mifflin sig ...

as associate judge of the Delaware County Court, but declined the appointment.

Personal life

Sellers grandson James Sellers was an inventor and had a wire weaving business. His great-great grandson James C. Sellers was a Philadelphia lawyer. Sellers died on February 2, 1804, in Upper Darby. He was interred at Darby Friends Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sellers, John 1728 births 1804 deaths People from Chester County, Pennsylvania People from Delaware County, Pennsylvania American weavers American surveyors Members of the American Philosophical Society Members of the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly Pennsylvania state senators Pennsylvania Federalists 18th-century American engineers 18th-century American scientists Surveyors from the Thirteen Colonies 18th-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly