Born ABT 1732
Father: ?
Mother: ?
Notes: <> The SELWYNS were a Gloucestershire family usually said to have descended from an old Sussex stock of the name. Certainly there were SELWINs (earlier spelling) in the Western counties in very early times. One was said to have been Abbot of Malmesbury before surnames were adopted. The first SELWIN who emerges into prominence is Joseph SELWIN, a member of the Honourable Society of Lincolns Inn in the reign of Elizabeth I. He was admitted on 19 Nov 1583, was called to the Bar in 1591. Elected a Bencher of the Inn in 1609, and Treasurer in 1619-20. His name and arms appear on the West window of Lincolns Inn Chapel. It was in his lifetime that Matson House came into possession of the family in 1597. Matson is a village situated on the spur of the Cotswold Hills, about 2 miles from Gloucester. The manor belonged to the Abbey and Chapter of Gloucester. Llanthory Priory granted it under the name of "Mattesdon Manor" to the burgesses of Gloucester in 1576, from whom through several hands it came into the possession of Jasper SELWIN. A fine old Tudor Mansion with red tiled roof and many gables, it has been added to from time to time, and in the churchyard behind, many SELWINs are buried. Jasper SELWIN m. Margaret, dau. of Thomas ROBBINS, owner of the manor adjoining Matson. He had one son, William (1624-79) who entered Lincolns Inn and is described as "a son of Jasper SELWIN of Matesdon (also Matson) Gloucestershire, arm bencher". In 1667 the name SELWYN assumed permanently its modern spelling and the son and heir, William, was admitted to the Inn. Thereafter the SELWYNs forsook the profession of Law, and became county gentlemen, soldiers and administrators. General William SELWYN (d. 1701) m. Albinia BETTISON. Their third son, Henry, (d. 1739) m. Ruth COMPTON. Their son William SELWYN, K.C. carried on the legal tradition and was Master of the Bench of Lincolns Inn towards the close of the 18th century, died in 1817 and was buried at Chislehurst. He m. Frances DOD and had two sons, George and William, both of whom were Lincolns Inn men, though one of them was afterwards ordained. The second son, William was the father of three distinguished sons: 1. William SELWYN, Canon of Ely Cathedral, m. Julia COOKE. No family. 2. George Augustus, Bishop of New Zealand and afterwards of Lichfield, where he was buried. Married Harriet, dau. of Sir John RICHARDSON, and had one son, Richardson SELWYN (1844-1898) who became Bishop of Melanisia. 3. Charles Jasper SELWYN, Lord Justice of Appeal. An earlier Charles Jasper (d. 1704) was a brother of William SELWYN, K.C. This Charles m. Elizabeth AXETER. Their second son, Congreve, was M.P. for Ludgershall and he had a son William (A) who had a son (B) who immigrated to South Africa with his uncle, Major Charles Jasper SELWYN (3rd), who was in the Royal Engineers serving at the Cape. a. Settler William SELWYN m. Lucretia, dau. of Settler Joseph OLDHAM of BAILIE's party on the ship Chapman. b1. Emily lived to be 95 b2. William Congreve (1851-81) m. Ann FREEMAN and had one son who died without issue and two daughters. The eldest, Mary m. Henry HEWITT and their eldest daughter Miss Evelyn SELWYN-HEWITT supplied the above information. Major Charles Jasper SELWYN of the Royal Engineers came to the Cape before 1820. The military road known as Queens Road which ran from Grahamstown linking the chain of forts along the frontier between the Colony and Kaffirland was built by Major SELWYN's construction gangs, superintended by Andrew Geddes BAIN. In 1834-5 Fort Selwyn (named after the Major) was built on the hill above Grahamstown, and in prince Alfred's Street, Major SELWYN built Selwyn Castle in neo-Gothic style, but did not occupy it long. >From 1836 until 1848 Selwyn Castle was leased by the Government as a residence for the Lt-Governor, Andries STOCKENSTROOM who entertained many of the Kaffir chiefs there. It was also there that Piet RETIEF visited STOCKENSTROOM when he tried to persuade him to change the impracticable Glenelg policy. Dick KING, after his famous ten day ride from Durban arrived there, muddy and exhausted to seek help for the beleaguered British garrison. Best wishes Becky Port Elizabeth, South Africa Researching: HENWICK; HILL; HORN(E); MEREDITH; DEYZEL; LARSEN; WILSON; LYNAR; HENNING; STERLEY; THECK; BEST; BRAUN, GREENER; GLANVILLE.