See their family record.

Lived all his life on farm where he was born on November 4, 1834. Member of Society of Friends. Signed Quaker Friendship Quilt along with his father Joshua, his sister Phebe, and two of his brothers, Isaac and Henry. Beside his signature is "Pleasant Hill", the name of his father's farm. Quilt, believed to have been made around 1850, now in possession of Loudoun Museum, Leesburg, Virginia. A letter, copied exactly as written, from Samuel to his brother Isaac, who had been visiting in Iowa, follows:

		"Pleasant Hill 11th mo 23rd 1853
Isaac S. Russell.
	Dear brother:-

This is fourth day night fifteen minutes before seven Ever since thee left home I have been thinking about writing to thee but it seemed that I could not get about it for I had not time in the daytime and at night I felt too tired to do much of the kind I don't feel much like it now, but I concluded I would do it any how Sister [Phebe - JRJ] said she wanted to write to thee but she is not well enough to write She has been quite poorly all day.
     Thy letter of this day week came to hand yesterday, and I was glad to hear that thee was about to turn thy steps homeward, but I suppose thee thinks thee will try and see all thee can while thee is out, for thee will not be likely to get such a chance again directly We have been getting along with our work tolerably well so far, but having very little help, father and I have done the most of it We have got all the corn in and apart of the fodder. We would have had it all done but the day we were going to finish it, was a rainy one, so it is still out, and like to be for a while I have been plowing every [the "y" was struck out - JRJ] since seventhday in the field behind the barn, with the exception of this afternoon, I plowed in the meadow
     Our Winter Wood is to cut yet, but if we only had a good hand we could get along pretty well, but I suppose if we can't get any help we can do without it, that is one consolation. I can do the most of our work myself, or all if it, if I can have time enough.
     I would like to see our wheat threshed so as to catch the present high price; it being something like $1.30 which is high Grandmother [Sarah Roberts Russell, Joshua's mother - JRJ] has been very poorly lately. This night week, she was taken with a very severe pain in her right side and I think she was as bad as I ever saw her, if not worse. She is better now, but not clear of it yet.
     Tell aunt Anna [Elliott, Joshua's sister - JRJ] that I will write to her after a while if I can get at it. I don't write much A little bit ago father told me to fill up this page and he would write some, and it is about full now. I will stop

Thy brother Samuel"

An entry in Isaac S. Russell's diary, dated December 6, 1858, states, "Samuel commenced teaching school in New Market." Married Deborah S. Stabler on November 22, 1864. According to letter of June 8, 1958 from Gertrude Sullivan Russell to Anne Boyd Russell, "Aunt Sue [Susanna Wared Farquhar, sister of Annie Elizabeth Farquhar - JRJ] was courted by Uncle Samuel Russell but refused. Another suitor being preferred, who didn't respond, then when she tried to recapture Uncle Samuel -- he was already engaged to Aunt Debbie." In 1869 Maryland census his occupation listed as farmer. From Isaac Russell's diary on January 9, 1865, "Lucie and I went out to Father's, or, as it is now called, to Samuel's..." In 1870 Maryland census he was listed, with his wife and two daughters, Ellen and Eliza, in the household of his father Joshua; his occupation was farmer, and the value of his personal property was $3000. From Atlas of Frederick County, Maryland..., published in 1873, comes the following information: Date of settlement-1862; Acres- 179; Specialties-Wheat, Corn, Oats, Hay, Produce, Stock Raiser. From The News, Frederick, Maryland, July 19, 1902: "Mr. Samuel M. Russell fell from a tree whilst constructing a trolley to his mail box on the public road between New Market and New London, and broke his thigh bone. From latest reports he is doing as well as could be expected from such a fracture." Died October 19, 1902 and buried in the Bush Creek Quaker Cemetery in Monrovia, Maryland. From The Daily News, Frederick, Maryland, December 8, 1902, came this short article entitled A Good Sale: "William Mercer, auctioneer, yesterday sold for Nicholas Albaugh, administrator of the estate of the late Samuel M. Russell on the Russell farm, near New Market, a large lot of personal property. The sale, which was advertised in THE NEWS, was attended by a large crowd and good prices were realized. Horses sold as high as $140 and cows $40 each. Hogs sold for 7½ cents per pound and pigs at $3 each."