Son of Johann Christen Schell and Elizabeth Maria Petry. He was born in the town of Palatine, Tyrone County [Herkimer], New York.

Christian married Elisabeth Seghner 6 APRIL 1794 in German Flats, Herkimer Co, New York. She was a daughter of Paul Seghner and Elisabeth Esyaman.

John Christian Schell's account of one scene witnessed at Schell's Bush as told to John A Rasbach. "The family had gone from the fot to their cabin to thresh wheat. Two of the boys had gone to a neighbor's to borrow a fan to winnow the wheat. On the way they discovered 66 Indians and Tories; they had a dog with them; he left the boys and went home raging terribly. The family took the hint and went to work and barricaded the house the best they could. They had scarcely finished, when the attack was made. They only had two guns inside, but they managed to defend themselves. Finally, the besiegers succeeded in boring a hole through the door, the old lady stood inside with the axe in her hand, and every barrel that came in she struck it and spoiled it for further use, the two boys firing and wounding and killing many of the besiegers. The old man went upstairs and for several hours prayed very earnestly, then rose to his feet and called with all his might saying, 'Capt. Frank, go round on the upper side, Capt. Small go below.' The wind was whistling and the trees made a rushing noise. The Indians were frightened, supposing that he saw help coming from the fort, and hastened away. All became still, the old man went down, opened the door and went out among the dead and wounded. He and the boys carried in the wounded; and set bread and milk by their side and returned to the fort just in time to save themselves before the Indians returned. An account was given to the British authorities, who as a just recognition of the humanity of the Schell family, presented them with a homestead in Canada, on which Chrisjohn lived with he last visited Schell's Bush, the old spot where the previous scene was enacted." Retold by Rev. Wm. Johns

Application for pension, age 79, service in the Revolutionary War:

"That when he was first called into service, he lived in the Town of Herkimer in Herkimer County, then County of Tryon. That he lived there until sometime in the year of 1797 or 98, when he removed into the Town of German Flatts in Herkimer County where he remained about one year, when he removed into Canada about a year & a half & then moved to the Township of Markham in Upper Canada & remained there until about 5 years since when he moved into the adjoining town of Vaughn in said Upper Canada, where he now lives & has ever since lived. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers and served as herein stated: That he first Enlisted in said Herkimer County, then Tryon County, into a Company of Rangers commanded by Captain Mark Damuth, where of a Mr. Gordon was the Lieutenant & one Nicholas VanAlstine the Ensign, in the fore part of the year 1775. That he served in said Company of Rangers until some time Early in the summer of 1776 or in the spring when he was discharged. That during the first two or three months of said service he was engaged with others in said Company in Scouting. That during the winter he was for the most part Engaged in taking care of Lieutenant Gordon's horse, when a part of this Declarant's said Company in which part he was, was ordered & marched to Ticonderoga, where for the space of two or three weeks he was engaged with said part of the Company in assisting to build a Bridge across Lake Champlain, from Fort Ticonderoga, at the end of which time they returned home & he was discharged as above. That he remained at home until about the 26th of June in 1777, when he again Enlisted at Ft.Herkimer in said County of Herkimer, then Tryon County, in a Company of Continental Soldiers, commanded by Captain Thomas DeWitt, of which a Mr. MacKie or Magee was the Lieutenant, and a Mr. Spore or Spoar the Ensign, & by whom deponent was enlisted, belonging to the Regiment commanded by Colonel Peter Gansevoort, for the space of three years. That being Enlisted the Company stayed at Fort Dayton two or three weeks before then ordered to Ft. Stanwix, which Fort not being then completed, they assisted in completing. That he remained in the last mentiond Fort until sometime in the fall of 1778. That during the whole of that time he was engaged in actual duty, doing all those things that were required of other soldiers in the Fort. That during the time he was in said Ft, Stanwix in the summer of 1777, the Fort was besieged by the Tories, Indians, Canadian British, who were commanded by Colonel St. Leger, he was on service in said Fort about a year & a half. That in the fall of 1778, he this declarant, with the Company & Regiment to which he belonged, being so orderd, marched to Schenectada, where they remained in the Barracks there, for a short time a month or so, after which they marched to Albany where they remained during the winter & until sometime in April of the next year 1779, when an Expedition having been projected against the Onondaga Indians, a part of the Regiment to which he belonged, and in which part he was, together with some other forces, was under the following named officers and served as ordered, marched to the County of the Onondaga Indians under Colonel Van Schaick & Lieut.-Col. Willett (or Millett), where they killed thirty or forty of the Indians & took some prisoners. That they with their Indian Prisoners then returned to Albany & lodged them in the jail there. That a few days thereafter, they again marched under Genl. Clinton, to Fort Plain, & thence to Tioga Point on the Susquehannah River to join Genl. Sullivans army. That having remained there a few days, and Genl. Sullivan & Genl. Clinton having joined their forces, they started on an Expedition against the Seneca Indians & proceded as far as New Town Hill in Tioga County, where the Indians had collected their forces. Genl. Sullivan having attacked & totally routed the Indians, they proceded to their Castle at Genesee where they ...?... the Indians. That after having destroyed & laid waste the Country of the Senecas, they returned to Tioga Point, & thence marched to Wyoming, where they remained a few days, they thence marched across the Blue Mountains to Easton in Pennsylvania, at which place they rested a few days, thence they crossed the Delaware & marched to Morristown Plains at headquarters, in New Jersey, where they went into winter quarters, & where they remained until sometime in the Spring or Early in the summer of 1780. During this winter, the winter of 1780, he went out with Lord Stirling when he attempted to surprise a party of British on Staten Island & was one of a party who took five of them Prisoners. He recollects the arrest of Lord Stirling by Genl. Sullivan. That sometime in the spring or early in the summer, a report having reached headquarters that the Indians & Tories were committing devastations in the Valley of the Mohawk, the Regiment which he, this declarant, belonged, together with two others, was ordered out & proceded to Albany, thence to Schenectda & thence through the Valley of the Mohawk, to Ft. Stanwix, against them, where not having found them, they halted & then returned. On their return, at Ft. Herkimer in said County of Herkimer, the time for which this declareant had enlisted having expired about a month and an half previous thereto, he this declarant, was permitted by Colonel Gansevoort to go home. That he did not thereafter enlist again, nor was he in the service again, except in the summer of the year 1781when Major Ross & Capt. Butler with a party of Tories & Indians having been committing depredations along the Mohawk, he went with others in his neighborhood, the militia being called out, under Col. Willett in pursuit of Major Ross & Captain Butler & their party, whom they pursued across West Canada Creek where Captain Butler was shot by one of the Oneida Indians who accompanied Col. Willett, to the Black River. They then gave up the pursuit & returned home. This declarant says that during this time he was out for a space of four or five days in character of Pilot to Col. Willett. That in the excursion deponent took prisoner a Lieutenant in the British service with the aid of a young Indian. That at the time of his enlistment as above stated by Ensign Spoor he understood after his time was out that his enlistment had been entered for during the war instead of three years which was the true time he enlisted for. That at the end of said three years he applied for his discharge but it was refused by the general on the ground that it was entered for the war & he was ordered back to quarters, that he returned & continued in the Service a month & a half longer when Col. Gansevoort permitted him to go as above stated. That at the time he enlisted he could not talk or understand English except some short words such as yes & no.............
signed by signature: Christian Schel
attested: 28 February 1837.........."

Known children of Christian Schell and Elisabeth Seghner:
Henry Schell 18 Jun 1794
Andrew Schell
Benjamin Schell
Mary Schell
Paul Schell
Elizabeth Schell
Lena Schell
Anna Schell
Source - "The Mohawk Valley Petries and Allied Families by Hazel Patrick

Possibly in this cemetery.