MATTHEW A. SEELYE, farmer, P. O. Franklin Corners, was born in Warren County, N. Y., December 31, 1832; son of William (born November 22, 1799) and Irene (Holcomb) Seelye, the latter a daughter of Asa and Lucinda (Miller) Holcomb, born in 1800. They had a family of seven children, of whom Caroline, William E. and Matthew A. are now living. William Seelye, the elder, is by trade a blacksmith. He migrated to Crawford County, this State, in 1832, where he still resides. He followed his trade in conjunction with farming until recent years. His wife is deceased. He is a son of Justus Seelye, who married Betsy Fuller, both natives of New York State. Out of their family of fifteen, only Ebenezer, William and Ansell survive. Justus Seely’s father lived until he was ninety-six years old. Our subject married Electra, daughter of Justus and Amelia (Morris) Ross, the former of Scotch descent. By this marriage there were two children — Cora May and George Rudolph, both deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Seelye have since adopted Franklin Thomas and Nellie Grant. Our subject is a wagon-maker by trade, but has chosen farming as his future avocation. He was a soldier in the late rebellion; enlisted in Company H, One Hundred and Forty-fifth Pennsylvania volunteer Infantry, August 19, 1862. His regiment formed a part of the Second Corps, which was under the command of Gen. Meade at the battle of Antietam; subsequently participating in the battle of Gettysburg. Private Seelye was on detached duty, and was seriously disabled by an accident at the battle of Culpepper, Va. He was taken to Warrenton, from there sent to Washington, where he entered Campbell hospital; was eventually transferred to the Invalid Corps, where he filled the arduous office of Wardmaster until his discharge from service at the close of the war. He now farms fifty acres of fine land, within a half mile of Franklin Centre. In politics, Mr. Seelye is a Republican.

Page 50, Samuel P. Bates, History of Erie County, Pennsylvania, (Warner, Beers & Co.: Chicago, 1884), Part VI, Township Biographies, Franklin Township.