The Selby family is a prominent and prolific family in the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national id ...

gentry Gentry (from Old French ''genterie'', from ''gentil'', "high-born, noble") are "well-born, genteel and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past. Word similar to gentle imple and decentfamilies ''Gentry'', in its widest c ...

that originated in

Selby Selby is a market town and civil parish in the Selby District of North Yorkshire, England, south of York on the River Ouse, with a population at the 2011 census of 14,731. The town was historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire until ...

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...

, but largely settled in

Northumberland Northumberland () is a ceremonial counties of England, county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in the county include Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Hadrian's Wall and Hexham Ab ...

and County Durham. At various points through history, the family owned Biddlestone Hall and

Twizell Castle Twizell Castle (also spelt Twizel) 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 ...

in Northumberland in addition to the manor houses

Ightham Mote Ightham Mote (), Ightham, Kent is a medieval moated manor house. The architectural writer John Newman describes it as "the most complete small medieval manor house in the county". Ightham Mote and its gardens are owned by the National Trust and ...

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

and at Beal,

. The family had two

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

cies; the

and the Selby-Bigge but both are now extinct. The following are some of the more important branches of the family, several of which are interconnected by marriage between cousins:

Selby of Biddlestone

Biddlestone is a small village in the parish of

Alwinton Alwinton (previously named "Allenton" and sometimes still referred to as this) is a village and former parish in Northumberland, England. Alwinton is named after the nearby River Alwin, and means farm on the River Alwin. Alwinton lies at the h ...

, Northumberland, on the fringe of the

Northumberland National Park Northumberland National Park is the northernmost national park in England. It covers an area of more than between the Scottish border in the north to just south of Hadrian's Wall, and it is one of least visited of the National Parks. The 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 Peel towers (also spelt pele) are small fortified keeps or tower houses, built along the English and Scottish borders in the Scottish Marches and North of England, mainly between the mid-14th century and about 1600. They were free-stan ...

with a

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 Engla ...

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 Jacobite means follower of Jacob or James. Jacobite may refer to: Religion * Jacobites, followers of Saint Jacob Baradaeus (died 578). Churches in the Jacobite tradition and sometimes called Jacobite include: ** Syriac Orthodox Church, sometimes ...

sympathies. Ephraim Selby was involved in an uprising at

Rothbury Rothbury is a market town and civil parish in Northumberland, England, on the River Coquet. It is northwest of Morpeth and of Newcastle upon Tyne. At the 2001 Census, it had a population of 2,107. Rothbury emerged as an important town bec ...

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 The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for the management of publicly owned forests and the regulation of both public and private forestry in England. The Forestry Commission was previously also respo ...

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 Newcastle The Brandlings of Newcastle were a wealthy family of merchants and land and coal owners in Newcastle upon Tyne and Northumberland. Tudor and Stuart periods Sir John Brandling, who was knighted at Blackheath in 1497 and married Elizabeth Helye o ...

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

. 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 This is a list of the High Sheriffs of the English county of Northumberland Northumberland () is a ceremonial counties of England, county in Northern England, one of two counties in England which border with Scotland. Notable landmarks in t ...

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 A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house ...

for Northumberland in 1614 but his election was rejected by the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

as by then he had lost his residential and property owning qualification in Northumberland. He was appointed

High Sheriff of Durham This is a list of the High Sheriffs of County Durham, England. In most counties the High Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. In the Palatinate of Durham the officeholder was appointed by and was accountable to the Bishop of ...

in 1624. George Selby (b. 1627) became the first of the Selby baronets in 1664 but the baronetcy was short-lived. It became extinct when both the first and second baronets died in the month of September 1688.

Selby of Twizell Castle

at Branxton, Northumberland 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

from Heron in 1520 and that estate was developed in preference to Branxton. John Selby was Gentleman Porter of

Berwick Castle Berwick Castle is a ruined castle in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England. History The castle was commissioned by the Scottish King David I in the 1120s. It was taken by the English forces under the terms of the Treaty of Falaise in 11 ...

as was his son John who was knighted by

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". Eli ...

in 1582. Sir John Selby died in 1595 and an inventory was made of his goods at Twizell and elsewhere.William Greenwell, ''Wills and Inventories from the Registry at Durham'', vol. 2 (Surtees Society, London, 1860), pp. 256-8
Sir John's son, Sir William Selby (d. 1612) was also Gentleman Porter of Berwick and

for that city in 1592, 1597, and 1601. Sir William inherited the Twizell estate on the death of his father in 1595 and also purchased the estate of

, in

in 1592. His estates went to his nephew William Selby (died 1638), and on his death his northern estate passed to his brother Sir Ralph Selby (d. 1646). 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

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 The high sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown (prior to 1974 the office previously known as sheriff)."Sheriffs appointed for a county or Greater London shall be known as high sheriffs, and any reference in any enactment or instrum ...

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 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 Court Gully upon his retirement as Speaker of the House of Commons. He was the son of the ph ...

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, 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 link road between the A1 and Lindisfarne. The East Coast Main Line runs to the west of the village but the station ...

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 FRSE FLS (23 July 1788 – 27 March 1867) was an English ornithologist, botanist and natural history artist. Life Selby was born in Bondgate Street in Alnwick in Northumberland, the eldest son of George Selby of Beal ...

(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 (28 October 1773 – 8 December 1849) was an English merchant and banker in Newcastle on Tyne. Life The son of Thomas Charles Bigge, he was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford (M.A. 1795). He then stud ...

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.

Selby of Holy Island and Swansfield

Richard Selby (d 1690) of Beal, purchased property on Holy Island 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 Alnwick ( ) is a market town in Northumberland, England, of which it is the traditional county town. The population at the 2011 Census was 8,116. The town is on the south bank of the River Aln, south of Berwick-upon-Tweed and the Scottish bo ...

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 The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

. A later Prideaux Selby of Swansfield, a barrister, High Sheriff and Deputy Lieutenant of Northumberland, was also of Pawston.

Selby of Pawston

Gerard Selby of Branxton, Northumberland purchased the neighbouring village of Pawston, Northumberland ( sometimes referred to as Paston) and built there a

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

Notable people in history

* Charles August Selby (1755–1823), English-Danish merchant and landowner * George Selby (1557–1625), English politician * Prideaux Selby (1747–1813), English soldier and political figure in Upper Canada *

(1788–1867), English ornithologist, botanist and artist and landowner *

Robert of Selby Robert of Selby (or Salebia) (died 1152) was an Englishman, a courtier of Roger II and chancellor of the Kingdom of Sicily. It is likely that his name indicates that he was from Selby in Yorkshire. He probably journeyed to Sicily about 1130. In his ...

(died 1152), Englishman, courtier of Roger II of Sicily and chancellor of the Kingdom of Sicily * William Selby (died 1638), MP for Northumberland * William Selby (1738–1798), British-American composer, organist and choirmaster

References

* ''History of the Commoners of Great Britain and Ireland'' (1835) () Selby of Biddlestone
Biddlestone Chapel

* ''The History and Antiquities of North Durham'' Rev James Raine MA (1852) Selby of Twizell pp313–316 Selby of Beal p203 and 338 *{{Rayment, date=February 2012 Selby of Whitehouse and Selby Bigge Baronets

English families English gentry families People from Selby