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surveying, and a schooner). LAND: 1,822 acres in
Worcester County and Accomack County, Vir-
ginia.
SELBY, PARKER (?-1773). BORN: at "Bantry,"
his father's plantation in Mattapony Hundred,
Worcester County. NATIVE: fourth generation.
RESIDED: at "Robinson's Inheritance," Worces-
ter County. FAMILY BACKGROUND. FATHER: Parker
Selby (?-ca. 1746/47). STEPFATHER: Daniel Selby
(?-1770). MOTHER: Mary Watts (?-1776).
BROTHERS: John Selby (?-1790); Col. William
(?-1793) of Accomack County, Virginia; Za-
dock; James; and Micajah, alias William II (?-
1766). SISTER: Tabitha Bailey (?-1752). MARRIED
Mary. CHILDREN. SONS: Parker (?-1789), who
married his cousin Anne (Nancy) (?-1796),
daughter of John Selby (?-1790); Samuel; David
(?-1788); and John. DAUGHTERS: Sarah, who
married first, John Selby (?-1754), second, by
1758, Samuel Atkinson (?-1767), and third, by
1770, William Drummond (?-1776), of Acco-
mack County, Virginia; Mary; Leah, who mar-
ried (first name unknown) Smock; and Ann. PRI-
VATE CAREER. EDUCATION: literate. RELIGIOUS
AFFILIATION: Protestant. SOCIAL STATUS AND AC-
TIVITIES: Gent., by 1767; Esq., by death. OC-
CUPATIONAL PROFILE: planter, by 1755. PUBLIC
CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE: Lower House,
Worcester County, 1759-1761 (elected to the 2nd
Convention of the 1758-1761 Assembly), 1762-
1763 (Arms and Ammunition 1), 1765-1766
(Grievances 2,3), 1768-1770 (Public Offices 2,
3; Grievances 3; elected sheriff of Worcester
County during the 3rd session of the 1768-1770
Assembly). LOCAL OFFICES: trustee for the poor,
Worcester County, appointed 1768; sheriff,
Worcester County, 1770-1773. MILITARY SERV-
ICE: captain, by 1762. STANDS ON PUBLIC/PRIVATE
ISSUES: sponsored a bill for the relief of insolvent
debtors in 1765 and 1766, which failed to pass
both years. WEALTH DURING LIFETIME. LAND AT
FIRST ELECTION: 350 acres in Worcester County
(250 acres from his father; 100 acres the remain-
der of 350 acres acquired by purchase). SIGNIFI-
CANT CHANGES IN LAND BETWEEN FIRST ELEC-
TION AND DEATH: purchased 1,376 acres, patented
36 acres, and sold 125 acres, 1759-1772, all in
Worcester County. WEALTH AT DEATH. DIED: be-
tween February 20 and March 4, 1773; will pro-
bated June 8, 1773, in Worcester County. PER-
SONAL PROPERTY. TEV, at least £869.7.10 current
money (including 13 slaves). LAND: ca. 1,600 acres
in Worcester County.
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SELBY, WILLIAM, OF JOHN (identity ques-
tionable). PUBLIC CAREER. LEGISLATIVE SERVICE:
Lower House, Worcester County, 1779-1780
(elected, but attended only the 3rd session from
June 8 until June 17, 1780, when he was granted
a leave of absence). IDENTIFICATION PROBLEMS.
There was insufficient information to positively
identify William Selby, of John. A man by that
name owned 350 acres of "Pharsalia" in Matta-
pony Hundred, Worcester County, in 1783, but
the original tract encompassed 2,400 acres, which
makes it difficult to trace the history of owner-
ship. There was no probate in Worcester County
nor in neighboring Accomack County, Virginia,
for William Selby, of John. John Selby (?-1790)
of Mattapony Hundred, Worcester County, had
a son William, but John's will treats this son as
if he were incapable of handling his share of the
estate, instead creating a trust for him. The will
does address the possibility that William might
have children at some future date, however, and
there is no hint of his specific problem, which
would help determine if he had had the capacity
to hold elective office. There were at least two
conveyances of land owned by this William Selby.
In one, he and Zadock Selby jointly executed a
deed for the sale of property, and in the other
the deed was executed by his trustees as named
in his father's will. This William Selby was a great-
great grandson of Daniel Selby, the Elder (?-
1696) and wife Mary Parker, who immigrated to
Maryland from Accomack County, Virginia, by
1675. A William Selby, Jr., possibly the son of
Col. William Selby (?-1793) of Accomack County,
Virginia, was commissioned sheriff for Worcester
County in 1777, but in a letter dated December
17, 1777, he declined to serve. William Atkinson
Selby (1757-?), son of John Selby of Nassawa-
dux, Pocomoke Hundred, Worcester County, was
indicted by the Worcester County Court in June
1779 for "going to the enemy." He was a great-
great grandson of Thomas Selby (?-1702), who
immigrated to Maryland from Accomack County,
Virginia, by 1674. His grandfather was John Selby,
son of Thomas (?-1758), and his wife Margaret
Scholfield. His mother was Mary Atkinson,
daughter of Angelo Atkinson (?-1766) of
Worcester County.
SEMMES, THOMAS (?-1827). BORN: probably
in Charles County, of age by 1755; possibly
youngest son. NATIVE: fourth generation. RE-
SIDED: in Lower Hundred, Durham Parish, Charles
County; Wilkes County, Georgia, after 1789.
721
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