Selby family
Encyclopedia
The Selby family was a prolific and widespread English
family that originated in Selby
, Yorkshire
, but largely settled in Northumberland
.
The following are some of the more important branches of the family, several of which are interconnected by marriage between cousins:
is a small village in the parish of Alwinton
, Northumberland, on the fringe of the Northumberland National Park
.
The Selbys were granted the manor of Biddlestone in 1272. In 1346 Sir Walter Selby of Biddlestone, Royal Constable and Governor of the castle at Liddel Mote was captured by the Scots whilst defending the castle and he and two sons were executed.
A fortified manor house was recorded at Biddlestone in 1415 and a survey in 1541 disclosed a pele tower with a barmkin
in good repair in the ownership of Percival Selby. In 1715 the house was described as in the ownership of Thomas Selby and comprised a cruciform four winged structure with a central battlemented tower.
The family were Catholics with Jacobite
sympathies. Ephraim Selby was involved in an uprising at Rothbury
in 1715.
In 1796 a later Thomas Selby replaced the old house with a much grander structure which became known as Biddlestone Hall.The new house was remodelled by architect John Dobson
in 1820 to incorporate a private Catholic chapel.
The Biddlestone estate was sold by Walter Selby to the Forestry Commission
in 1914 and the Hall was demolished in 1957. The chapel however was preserved and still stands as a Grade II* listed building. The arms of the Selby family, (Barry of eight ,or and sable), are depicted in stained glass in the chapel.
family. Other marriages to Anderson and Fenwick further established the standing of the Selbys.
George Selby (1506–1552) married Margaret Anderson. He was a Merchant Adventurer in Newcastle and a memorial to him stands in St Nicholas Church, Newcastle
.
Marriages between members of the different branches of the Selby family were not uncommon. In 1602 George Selby of Newcastle married Margaret Selby of Twizell Castle
. In 1600 he became Mayor of Newcastle, an honour he received on three further occasions. He was knighted in 1606, was High Sheriff of Northumberland
in 1608 and Deputy Lieutenant
of the county in 1611.
Shortly thereafter he acquired an estate at Whitehouse, Ryton
, County Durham
. He was elected Member of Parliament
for Northumberland in 1614 but his election was rejected by the House of Commons
as by then he had lost his residential and property owning qualification in Northumberland. He was appointed High Sheriff of Durham in 1624.
George Selby (b. 1627) became the first of the Selby Baronets
in 1664 but the baronetcy was shortlived. It became extinct when both the first and second baronets died in the month of September 1688.
then in the county of Islandshire
, owned by William Selby was destroyed by the Scots in 1496 and was rebuilt by his son John (d 1565). It did not remain the main family home as William had purchased Twizell Castle
from Heron in 1520 and that estate was developed in preference to Branxton.
John was Gentleman Porter of Berwick Castle
as was his son John who was knighted by Elizabeth I in 1582. His grandson Sir William Selby (d1637) was also Gentleman Porter of Berwick and Member of Parliament
for that city in 1592,1597 and 1601. Sir William inherited the Twizell estate on the death of his father in 1595 and also the estate of his uncle Sir William Selby of Ightham Mote
, Kent
in 1611. On his death his northern estate passed to his brother Sir Ralph Selby (d1646).
Sir Ralph's granddaughter married a Selby cousin from Cornhill and Twizell remained with that junior branch until sold in 1685 to Sir Francis Blake
in 1591 and on his death in 1611 bequeathed it to his nephew, also Sir William Selby (d. 1637) of Twizell Castle.
In 1644 the estate came into the ownership of a nephew, George Selby of London, who was appointed High Sheriff of Kent
in 1648.
In the 18th century the estate passed via the female line when Dorothy Selby married John Browne. On the death of the 9th Viscount Montague in 1797 the Browne successors and descendant Thomas Selby of Ightham made an unsuccessful claim to the Viscountcy.
The marriage of Lewis Marianne Selby of Beal into the Bigge family in 1833 led to the creation of Selby-Bigge ( see Selby-Bigge Baronets
) and the estate remained in the family until sold in 1889 to Sir T C Fergusson.
In 1865 Elizabeth Selby of Ightham (1839–1906) married William Court Gully who upon accession to the Peerage took the title Viscount Selby
.
in 1588 and land at neighbouring Lowlin in 1629. His brother William married Agnes Selby of Twizell Castle.
The Selbys moved from Beal when George Selby (1724–1804) bought Twizell House,( not to be confused with Twizell Castle), Addestone, near Bambrough. His son Prideaux John Selby
(1789–1867), was an eminent naturalist who improved the Twizell property and sold the Beal estate in 1850. His daughter Lewis Marianne married Charles Bigge (1803–1846) son of Charles William Bigge
in 1833. After his death she remarried Robert Luard at Ightham Mote in 1850.
For later descendants see Selby-Bigge Baronets
.
Twizell House was demolished in 1969.
in the 17th century. His grandson son George married a daughter of Prideaux Selby of Beal. A great grandson, also named Prideaux Selby
(1747–1813) became a colonial administrator in Canada, Another great grandson Henry Collingwood Selby (d 1839) bought an estate at Swansfield, near Alnwick
where he built Swansfield House to a design by architect John Dobson
in 1823. The house was demolished in 1975. Selby also commissioned the Camphill Column
, possibly as a reaction to locals thought to be supportive of the French Revolution
.
A later Prideaux Selby of Swansfield , a barrister, High Sheriff
and Deputy Lieutenant
of Northumberland, was also of Pawston.
purchased the neighbouring village of Pawston, Northumberland ( sometimes referred to as Paston) and built there a pele tower of which he was in occupation in 1541. The property was replaced with a manor house known as Pawston Hall in the 18th century.
The Selbys prospered there for over three hundred years.
By 1860 ownership of the estate had passed to the Beal/Holy Island branch of the family whose Prideaux Selby (1810–1872) had married in 1840 Sir Thomas Beauchamp-Proctor
. On his death the estate passed to his son Beauchamp Proctor Selby .
Pawston Hall was later demolished
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
family that originated in Selby
Selby
Selby is a town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. Situated south of the city of York, along the course of the River Ouse, Selby is the largest and, with a population of 13,012, most populous settlement of the wider Selby local government district.Historically a part of the West Riding...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, but largely settled in Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
.
The following are some of the more important branches of the family, several of which are interconnected by marriage between cousins:
Selby of Biddlestone
BiddlestoneBiddlestone
Biddlestone is a village in Northumberland, England. It is about to the west of Alnwick.- Governance :Biddlestone is in the parliamentary constituency of Berwick-upon-Tweed.- Landmarks :...
is a small village in the parish of Alwinton
Alwinton
Alwinton is a village and parish in Northumberland, England. It is about to the west of Alnwick....
, Northumberland, on the fringe of the Northumberland National Park
Northumberland National Park
Northumberland National Park is the northernmost national park in England. It covers an area of more than 1030 km² between the Scottish Border in the north to just south of Hadrian's Wall. It is one of the least populated and least visited of the National Parks...
.
The Selbys were granted the manor of Biddlestone in 1272. In 1346 Sir Walter Selby of Biddlestone, Royal Constable and Governor of the castle at Liddel Mote was captured by the Scots whilst defending the castle and he and two sons were executed.
A fortified manor house was recorded at Biddlestone in 1415 and a survey in 1541 disclosed a pele tower with a barmkin
Barmkin
Barmkin, also spelled barmekin or barnekin, is a Scots word which refers to a form of medieval and later defensive enclosure, typically found around smaller castles, tower houses, pele towers, and bastle houses in Scotland, and the north of England. It has been suggested that etymologically the...
in good repair in the ownership of Percival Selby. In 1715 the house was described as in the ownership of Thomas Selby and comprised a cruciform four winged structure with a central battlemented tower.
The family were Catholics with Jacobite
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
sympathies. Ephraim Selby was involved in an uprising at Rothbury
Rothbury
Rothbury is a town and civil parish in Northumberland, England. It is located on the River Coquet, northwest of Morpeth and north-northwest of Newcastle upon Tyne...
in 1715.
In 1796 a later Thomas Selby replaced the old house with a much grander structure which became known as Biddlestone Hall.The new house was remodelled by architect John Dobson
John Dobson (architect)
John Dobson was a 19th-century English architect in the neoclassical tradition. He became the most noted architect in the North of England. Churches and houses by him dot the North East - Nunnykirk Hall, Meldon Park, Mitford Hall, Lilburn Tower, St John the Baptist Church in Otterburn,...
in 1820 to incorporate a private Catholic chapel.
The Biddlestone estate was sold by Walter Selby to the Forestry Commission
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for forestry in Great Britain. Its mission is to protect and expand Britain's forests and woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment....
in 1914 and the Hall was demolished in 1957. The chapel however was preserved and still stands as a Grade II* listed building. The arms of the Selby family, (Barry of eight ,or and sable), are depicted in stained glass in the chapel.
Selby of Newcastle and Whitehouse
Anthony Selby of Selby, Yorkshire moved to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland and his son Walter (b. 1444) married into the prominent Brandling of NewcastleBrandling of Newcastle
The Brandlings of Newcastle were a wealthy family of merchants and land and coal owners in Newcastle upon Tyne and Northumberland.-Early Brandlings:...
family. Other marriages to Anderson and Fenwick further established the standing of the Selbys.
George Selby (1506–1552) married Margaret Anderson. He was a Merchant Adventurer in Newcastle and a memorial to him stands in St Nicholas Church, Newcastle
Newcastle Cathedral
St Nicholas's Cathedral is a Church of England cathedral in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Its full title is The Cathedral Church of St Nicholas Newcastle upon Tyne...
.
Marriages between members of the different branches of the Selby family were not uncommon. In 1602 George Selby of Newcastle married Margaret Selby of Twizell Castle
Twizell Castle
Twizell Castle is a Grade II* listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument which stands on a bend of the River Till at Tillmouth Park, Northumberland, northern England. Below it, the medieval Twizell bridge spans the river. It is located south-west of Berwick Upon Tweed. The site is visible...
. In 1600 he became Mayor of Newcastle, an honour he received on three further occasions. He was knighted in 1606, was High Sheriff of Northumberland
High Sheriff of Northumberland
This is a list of the High Sheriffs of the English county of Northumberland.The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post...
in 1608 and Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of the county in 1611.
Shortly thereafter he acquired an estate at Whitehouse, Ryton
Ryton, Tyne and Wear
Ryton is a semi-rural small town near the western border of Tyne and Wear, England. Once an independent town in County Durham it became incorporated into the metropolitan county of Tyne and Wear and the Metropolitan Borough of Gateshead in 1974. It has a population of 15,742.- Location :Ryton lies...
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
. He was elected Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Northumberland in 1614 but his election was rejected by the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
as by then he had lost his residential and property owning qualification in Northumberland. He was appointed High Sheriff of Durham in 1624.
George Selby (b. 1627) became the first of the Selby Baronets
Selby Baronets
The Selby Baronetcy, of Whitehouse in the County of Durham, was a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created on 3 March 1664 for George Selby, of Whitehouse, Ryton, County Durham...
in 1664 but the baronetcy was shortlived. It became extinct when both the first and second baronets died in the month of September 1688.
Selby of Twizell Castle
A pele tower at Branxton, NorthumberlandBranxton, Northumberland
Branxton is a village and civil parish in northern Northumberland, England. It lies about from the England-Scotland border and about from the Scottish border town of Coldstream, just off the A697 Newcastle-Edinburgh road...
then in the county of Islandshire
Islandshire
Islandshire was an area of Northumberland, England, comprising Lindisfarne or Holy Island, plus five parishes on the mainland.It is historically associated with the Bishop of Durham, and was administratively an exclave of County Palatinate of Durham...
, owned by William Selby was destroyed by the Scots in 1496 and was rebuilt by his son John (d 1565). It did not remain the main family home as William had purchased Twizell Castle
Twizell Castle
Twizell Castle is a Grade II* listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument which stands on a bend of the River Till at Tillmouth Park, Northumberland, northern England. Below it, the medieval Twizell bridge spans the river. It is located south-west of Berwick Upon Tweed. The site is visible...
from Heron in 1520 and that estate was developed in preference to Branxton.
John was Gentleman Porter of Berwick Castle
Berwick Castle
Berwick Castle is a ruined castle in Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England.The castle was founded in the 12th century by the Scottish King David I. In 1296-8, the English King Edward I had the castle rebuilt and the town fortified, before it was returned to Scotland...
as was his son John who was knighted by Elizabeth I in 1582. His grandson Sir William Selby (d1637) was also Gentleman Porter of Berwick and Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for that city in 1592,1597 and 1601. Sir William inherited the Twizell estate on the death of his father in 1595 and also the estate of his uncle Sir William Selby of Ightham Mote
Ightham Mote
Ightham Mote is a medieval moated manor house close to the village of Ightham, near Sevenoaks in Kent .The name "mote" derives from "moot", "meeting [place]", rather than referring to the body of water....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
in 1611. On his death his northern estate passed to his brother Sir Ralph Selby (d1646).
Sir Ralph's granddaughter married a Selby cousin from Cornhill and Twizell remained with that junior branch until sold in 1685 to Sir Francis Blake
Selby of Ightham Mote, Kent
Sir William Selby (d. 1611) of Twizell bought Ightham MoteIghtham Mote
Ightham Mote is a medieval moated manor house close to the village of Ightham, near Sevenoaks in Kent .The name "mote" derives from "moot", "meeting [place]", rather than referring to the body of water....
in 1591 and on his death in 1611 bequeathed it to his nephew, also Sir William Selby (d. 1637) of Twizell Castle.
In 1644 the estate came into the ownership of a nephew, George Selby of London, who was appointed High Sheriff of Kent
High Sheriff of Kent
The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere or are now defunct, so that its functions...
in 1648.
In the 18th century the estate passed via the female line when Dorothy Selby married John Browne. On the death of the 9th Viscount Montague in 1797 the Browne successors and descendant Thomas Selby of Ightham made an unsuccessful claim to the Viscountcy.
The marriage of Lewis Marianne Selby of Beal into the Bigge family in 1833 led to the creation of Selby-Bigge ( see Selby-Bigge Baronets
Selby-Bigge Baronets
The Selby-Bigge Baronetcy, of King's Sutton in the County of Northampton, was a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 14 February 1919 for the civil servant and author Sir Amherst Selby-Bigge. He was Permanent Secretary to the Board of Education from 1911 to 1925...
) and the estate remained in the family until sold in 1889 to Sir T C Fergusson.
In 1865 Elizabeth Selby of Ightham (1839–1906) married William Court Gully who upon accession to the Peerage took the title Viscount Selby
Viscount Selby
Viscount Selby, of the City of Carlisle, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1905 for the Liberal politician Sir William Gully upon his retirement as Speaker of the House of Commons. He was the son of the physician James Manby Gully. The title of the viscountcy...
.
Selby of Beal
Grindon Rigg, Northumberland was in the possession of Roger Selby in 1512 and John Selby in 1545. Oliver Selby, son of John, purchased half of the Manor of Beal, NorthumberlandBeal, Northumberland
Beal is a village in Northumberland, in England. It is situated a short distance inland from the North Sea coast, and lies on the road to Lindisfarne. The East Coast Main Line runs to the west of the village but the station was closed in the 1960s...
in 1588 and land at neighbouring Lowlin in 1629. His brother William married Agnes Selby of Twizell Castle.
The Selbys moved from Beal when George Selby (1724–1804) bought Twizell House,( not to be confused with Twizell Castle), Addestone, near Bambrough. His son Prideaux John Selby
Prideaux John Selby
Prideaux John Selby was an English ornithologist, botanist and artist and landowner.Selby is best known for his Illustrations of British Ornithology , the first set of life-sized illustrations of British birds...
(1789–1867), was an eminent naturalist who improved the Twizell property and sold the Beal estate in 1850. His daughter Lewis Marianne married Charles Bigge (1803–1846) son of Charles William Bigge
Charles William Bigge
Charles William Bigge was an important merchant and banker in Newcastle on Tyne.He served as High Sheriff of Northumberland in 1802, a position previously held by...
in 1833. After his death she remarried Robert Luard at Ightham Mote in 1850.
For later descendants see Selby-Bigge Baronets
Selby-Bigge Baronets
The Selby-Bigge Baronetcy, of King's Sutton in the County of Northampton, was a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 14 February 1919 for the civil servant and author Sir Amherst Selby-Bigge. He was Permanent Secretary to the Board of Education from 1911 to 1925...
.
Twizell House was demolished in 1969.
Selby of Holy Island and Swansfield
Richard Selby (d 1690) of Beal, purchased property on Holy IslandLindisfarne
Lindisfarne is a tidal island off the north-east coast of England. It is also known as Holy Island and constitutes a civil parish in Northumberland...
in the 17th century. His grandson son George married a daughter of Prideaux Selby of Beal. A great grandson, also named Prideaux Selby
Prideaux Selby
Prideaux Selby was an English soldier and political figure in Upper Canada.He was born in Alnwick, Northumberland, England a son of the Holy Island branch of the Selby family...
(1747–1813) became a colonial administrator in Canada, Another great grandson Henry Collingwood Selby (d 1839) bought an estate at Swansfield, near Alnwick
Alnwick
Alnwick is a small market town in north Northumberland, England. The town's population was just over 8000 at the time of the 2001 census and Alnwick's district population was 31,029....
where he built Swansfield House to a design by architect John Dobson
John Dobson (architect)
John Dobson was a 19th-century English architect in the neoclassical tradition. He became the most noted architect in the North of England. Churches and houses by him dot the North East - Nunnykirk Hall, Meldon Park, Mitford Hall, Lilburn Tower, St John the Baptist Church in Otterburn,...
in 1823. The house was demolished in 1975. Selby also commissioned the Camphill Column
Camphill Column, Alnwick
The Camphill Column in Alnwick, Northumberland, is a stone column erected in 1814, celebrating a number of British victories over the French and others, and the restoration of peace to Europe. It carries inscriptions to Pitt, Wellington, Nelson and its progenitor, Henry Collingwood Selby...
, possibly as a reaction to locals thought to be supportive of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
.
A later Prideaux Selby of Swansfield , a barrister, High Sheriff
High Sheriff of Northumberland
This is a list of the High Sheriffs of the English county of Northumberland.The High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the High Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post...
and Deputy Lieutenant
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
of Northumberland, was also of Pawston.
Selby of Pawston
Gerard Selby of Branxton, NorthumberlandBranxton, Northumberland
Branxton is a village and civil parish in northern Northumberland, England. It lies about from the England-Scotland border and about from the Scottish border town of Coldstream, just off the A697 Newcastle-Edinburgh road...
purchased the neighbouring village of Pawston, Northumberland ( sometimes referred to as Paston) and built there a pele tower of which he was in occupation in 1541. The property was replaced with a manor house known as Pawston Hall in the 18th century.
The Selbys prospered there for over three hundred years.
By 1860 ownership of the estate had passed to the Beal/Holy Island branch of the family whose Prideaux Selby (1810–1872) had married in 1840 Sir Thomas Beauchamp-Proctor
Beaumont Baronets
There have been four Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Beaumont, all in the Baronetage of England. All four creations are now extinct....
. On his death the estate passed to his son Beauchamp Proctor Selby .
Pawston Hall was later demolished