Our Maryland Heritage, Book 29: Selby Families

The Selby name is an ancient one, begins book twenty-nine by William Hurley, the prolific author and researcher who once again explores the origins of another Maryland family. After a brief review of early English connections he begins his familiar trek through the resources of the Montgomery County Historical Society and others to locate the familial threads that connect living Selbys to early immigrants and settlers. Beginning with William Selby, an indentured servant seeking his fortune in the New World, who appears to be the ancestor of the Selby families found today in Montgomery and Frederick Counties, Mr. Hurley follows four generations of descendants, through William Selby Jr., Thomas Selby, Richard Thomas Selby and Allen Selby. The remaining chapters are devoted to reporting information found in records in Montgomery and other counties relative to Selby family members who have not been previously discussed. Numerous surnames emerge within this research including: Sollers, Hucker, Magruder, Bowie, Clagett, Pickett, Duvall, Offutt, Ricketts, and Grimes. Thanks to the author’s diligence and expertise, family researchers have immediate access to information about various Selbys and connected families that would otherwise take days or months to accumulate. His experience and insight are apparent in his careful interpretation and straightforward presentation of the data, and despite his personal warning about the pitfalls of this kind of investigation, you can depend on Mr. Hurley to provide only the most credible explanations based on solid research. A bibliography and a full name index are included.