LOWER-DELMARVA-ROOTS-L Archives

From: "Howard Blair" <>
Subject: [LDR] Selbys
Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2000 17:04:51 -0400

Here is a letter sent to me about SELBY..sent by Marion
Griggs.................

Dear Mr. Blair:
The following information from Family Histories of Middlesex
Co.,Va.,compiled and edited by Jessie M. DeBusk and others,copyrighted 1982
by Ralph Wormeley Branch,APVA,printed by Walsworth Pub.Co.,Salem,WVa.may
interest you.
Al Selby wrote an article on his family in which he stated that the earliest
known record of the Selby family which later lived in Middlesex Co. was
1762. Justice William Selby of Accomac Co.,Md. was the agent for King George
III of England in a land transaction in Urbanna,Va.King George conveyeyed a
one-half acre lot in the town of Urbanna to Christopher Robinson and John
Gordon of Middlesex Co.Va. on October 11, 1762.

Al further states that three Selby bros.,William,John and James,came to the
colonies before the Rev.War and settled in Virginia and Maryland. The
Middlesex Co. Selbys descend from James. James Parker Selby,ggs of James
the Immigrant was b.1814 and
married Rebecca McNamee with he got three children: John Wilson Selby, who
became an officer in the Northern Army during the Civil War and died in
action;Robert Henry Selby,who was the first of that family to own land in
Middlesex Co., and dau.,Mary Emma Selby.

His first wife having died,James Parker Selby m. Wilhelmina Covington in
1846. I believe that she was the same Wilmina (Wilhelmina) Selby recorded
at Dwelling # 15,Fam.# 17 in the l900 census of Pinetop Magisterial
Dist.,Middlesex Co.,Va. In that record she was 74 yo,b.August
1825,widow,mother,had 11 child.10 living,b.DEL father born DEL,mother
b.DEL,could read,write and speak English. She was living with Fred.
P.Selby,head of family,her son,White,Male,b.Apr.1888,age 42 b.MD, both
par.b.DEL,farmer,could read,write,and speak English,owned his
farm,mortgage-free. Also living with them was, Doctor
Johnson,servant,Black,Male,b.VA,both par.b.VA,occupied as farm laborer, did
not read or write. (It is recorded that he also did not speak English. If I
am not mistaken,Wilhelmina and other Selbys are buried at Clarksbury
Methodist Church. I think the church now uses Hardyville,Va. as its
address.

Also in the Fed. Census of 1900 in Pinetop District,Middlesex Co.,Va was
Charles E. Selby.
Dwel.#8,Fam.#9,Charles E. Selby,head,White,Male,b.Aug.1849,age 50,Married 20
yrs. b.MD,parents b.DEL,farmer,can read,write and speak English,owns
Farm,mortgage free. Effie M.Selby,wife, White,Female,b. Aug.1863,age
36,Mar.20yrs. three child,three child living, b. MD,parents b. MD,can
read,write, and speak English,no occupation listed. Tunis C. Selby,son,
white, Male,b. Oct. 1886,age 13,single,b. VA,parents b. MD, attended school
9 mos.that year,can read,write,speak English. Charles M.(Mace)mg
Selby,son,White,Male,b.Mar.1893,age 7,single,b.VA,parents b. MD, attended
school 4mos. can read. Maude A.,dau, White,Female,b. May 1884,age
16,single,b. VA,parents b.MD,attended school 9 mos.,can read,write and speak
English.

At Dwelling # 7,Fam.# 8 William J. Kennard was listed.(Kennard also had MD
ancestry) At Dwell.# 9,Fam.# 10, James H. Jackson was listed. These
Kennards lived across the road from Clarksbury Church in 1900,I believe.
During my own years in Middlesex Co.,Charlie Mace lived between Hardyville
P.O.and Wilton P.O. at or across the road from Chick Cove Farm. (Chick Cove
ceased doing business as a hatchery many years ago. For awhile, a
restaurant was operated in the main house. Now, the former farm has become
a housing development;but, still uses the name "Chick Cove".

Al says that James Parker Selby and Wilhelmina lived in the Moore House in
Yorktown. Two of their children, Ella Wilhelmina and Mary Adalene were born
there. According to Al, James and Wilhelmina had 14 children: John
Franklin Selby,who was a Confederate soldier during the Civil War;Charles
Edward;George Parker;Frederick Powers;William Jennings;Walter Owen;Oliver
Lee;Sara Catherine,Lydia Ann,Ella Wilhelmina,and Adalene Virginia. Robert
Henry Selby,another son, bought 200 a.land inMiddlesex Co.Va. from William
Conrad in 1869. He, like his bro. Charles Edward, was in the sawmill
business. In 1876,Robert Henry sold this farm to Charles Edward who called
it "Glen Cove". I have included information about Charles Edward Selby in
the census data above.

Charles Mace Selby,son of Charles Edward, was b. on Chick Cove or Glen Cove
Farm. He served as Deputy Sheriff of Middlesex Co. from 1944-1952 and
Sheriff of Middlesex Co. from 1952-1963. He d. in office. He m. Ruth
Haynes,d.of Dr. Haynes of Mathews Co.,Va. They had three child: Charles
Mace,Jr.,d.early childhood;Bernard Haynes, who m. Mary Ruth (I think her
m.name was Johnson or Johnston),and Charles Warren. Warren was living in
Georgia when Al wrote this article. His widowed mother was living with him.
Bernard and wife were living in Hardyville. Their only child,Charles Albert
m. Lydia_______ and for a time operated The Village Craftsman in
Hardyville. If I remember correctly, Al and Lydia div. sometime in the
1980's. They had a son named Forrest.

You may wonder about my interest in this family. My g.fat.was Anstey
Beverley Creighton who was b. Edenton,NC bet. 1867-1870.
By 1880, the fam. had ret.to Balto.,MD and he was recorded in the 1880
Census with fat.William Creighton,mother,Susan Creighton and sis. Lula
Creighton. Sometime after that, they moved to Middlesex Co.,Va. and lived
on or in the vicinity of Glen Cove (Chick Cove) Farm, which at that time was
owned by Charles Edward Selby. Like the Selbys,my ggf was a member of
Clarksbury Methodist Church. He joined them in 1883 by presentation of
certificate in August, 1883. Sometime later, he died. Though Rev. Colonna
did not record the date in his enrollment book, he did comment that
Wm.Creighton had died and that he was "...a good man in every way." My
sister recalls being told that Mr. Selby allowed our widowed g.mother (Susan
TRAVERS Creighton) and the two children to remain in their house on Glen
Cove Farm rent-free. I suspect that there was some degree of kinship
between Mrs. Selby and our g.grandmother. Susan's mother's maidensurname
was Isabella Jones,dau. of James,g.dau. of Thomas Jones of Dor.Co.Md.
Isabella inherited portions her grandfather's land called "Mace's Purchase"
and "Tootle's Venture". Certainly, there was a long-standing friendship
between our family and the Selbys.

Incidentally, I recall that during 1950's a young woman lived with Charlie
Mace and his wife. She called herself Sarah Lee Selby.
I don't recall what her precise to the Selby's was. She may have been a
foster dau. or perhaps an orphaned niece or cousin.
Al Selby doesn't mention her at all in his report.

I hope this will help advance your research.
Marion Creighton Griggs

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• [LDR] Selbys by "Howard Blair" <>