Samuel Leonard Selby

b. March 16, 1811
d. November 3, 1882 at age 71

Mary Priscilla Susanna Demar

b. January 13, 1812
d. March 24, 1885 at age 73

 

Children

Elizabeth Angeline Selby
1/10/1833 - 7/28/1870

Anne E. Selby
1834 - before 1882

John A. Selby
1836 - before 1897
m. Mary Ellen (Mollie) Demar
1836-1897, 4 children
Mary Holly Selby (1864 - 1883)
Frances Selby Naylor (1866 - 1891)
Charles S. Selby (1869 - after 1920)
Elizabeth Angeline Selby Canter
(1872 - 1946)

Mary Elizabeth Selby
1840 - before 1882

Sarah Priscilla Selby Scott
1845 - after 1882
m. John Washington Scott, 11/3/1865
1 child

Virginia Matilda Selby
1848 - after 1882

William S. Selby
1852 - September 1933
m. Mary Pritchett, 2 children
Mary Frances Selby (1880-1880)
Harry Lodge Selby (1881-1947)

Matilda V. Selby???
1855 - before 1882

 

 

 

Woodville
The detail of Woodville on left side of the map shows the Selby Store and two village residences. The right side of the map shows the two Samuel Selby farms and the village residence adjacent to the Woodville Methodist Episcopal Church.
[1878 Hopkins Map]

  • Samuel (20) and Mary (20) were married January 25, 1832 in PGC. [Maryland Marriages]
  • In 1843 Samuel purchased 99 acres from father (Jesse) for $1,000. [PG LR JBB3.310]
  • In 1845 Samuel inherited $500 from father. [PG WB PC 282; MSA CR34,682]
  • The 1850 Federal Census for Aquasco District listed Samuel (39) as a planter and Mary P. (35) as keeping house with five children at home: Anne E. (16), John A. (14), Mary  E. (10), Sarah P. (8) and Virginia (2). Also part of the household were William Butler (20), Lewis Butler (18), Richard Butler (15), Maria Butler (11), Patrick Butler (4), and Mary Butler (2) who were listed as free blacks.
  • Samuel was a trustee of land for the church in October 1850.
  • On February 18, 1860 Samuel L. Selby purchased 12 acres of land adjacent to his property from Lloyd M. and Jane P. Scott for the sum of $270. [PG LR CSM3.456]
  • The 1860 Federal Census at Aquasco in the 8th Election District had Samuel (48) listed as a planter, wife Mary (47), and children Elizabeth (25), Sarah (16), M. Virginia (12), and William (9) at home. Nine black slaves are listed as belonging to Samuel L. Selby on the Slave Inhabitants census of the 8th Election District: females aged 30, 18, 14, 10, 3, and 1; males aged 9, 5, 3. They resided in one slave house.
  • Martenet's 1861 Map of Prince George's County shows "S. Salby" property on what is now Neck Road off Rt. 381. It also shows "Selby's Store" (one of four in Woodville) just south of the Woodville Methodist Church. A note on www.findagrave.com states that "Mr. (Samuel Leonard) Selby operated a General Store on Rt. 381 in Woodville."
  • On June 22, 1865 Caleb C. Magruder Jr., Trustee, sold land and a dwelling in the Village of Woodville to Samuel L. Selby (acreage and price not stated). [PG LR FS2.627]
  • On January 2, 1866 James R. Boetler sold to Samuel L. Selby for $1000: a pair of grey horses, one bay colt, crop of corn, one house and lot and all out buildings, and also the household and kitchen furniture, and one cow and calf, one two-horse wagon, and farming implements. [PG LR FS3.336]
  • Selby homeWhat is said to be the oldest house in Woodville is a small one facing west on Route 381. Residents included Mr. Moore, then Peter Wood and his wife, who "remained there until 1866. The Selby family were the next tenants of this house." The Naylors were the next occupants of the house. [Aquasco Used to Be Woodville by Joseph Y. Rowe, 2005] In the photo above right is the house as it appeared in 2010.
  • On July 16, 1866 Thomas J. Brightwell sold to Samuel L. Selby for $200 the following: "one sorrel mare, one oxen, two cows and calves and three yearlings, eight shoats, all my interest in a cop of wheat now upon the farm where I reside, crop of tobacco now in the house where I reside, supposed to be six hogsheads, and all myright title claim and interest in a crop of tobacco and corn now growing up on the farm where I reside situated in Aquasco District." [PG LR FS4.35]
  • On February 23, 1867 Alice E. Hall of Woodville sold to Samuel L. Selby for $200 one acre more or less along the west side of "the public road running through Woodville" and south of the "main road which runs west from Woodville to Charles County". [PG LR FS4.437]
  • On October 22, 1867 Stanilaus Tucker sold to Samuel L. Selby for $200 the following: "all of mycrop of corn and tobacco now growing and housed upon the premise which I rented from George Morton, five stacks of bladed fodder, one rick blade fodder,one sorrel horse, one yearling, one lot of hogs, including two brood sows, and four shoats and five pen hogs, one lot top fodder and shucks." [PG LR FS5.121]
  • On October 28, 1867 Peter Wood Jr. and Margaret J. Wood, his wife, sold to Samuel L. Selby "the house and lot in Woodville... now in the occupancy of Mrs. Harriet E. Wood, and purchased by the said Peter Wood Jr. from the heirs of the late Mrs. Elizabeth Adams and containing three acres more or less" for a price of $700. [PG LR FS5.192]
  • The 1870 Federal Census for Aquasco District showed Samuel (58) was a farmer and wife Mary (57) was keeping house; Ann E. (27) and Virginia (23) were at home, along with brother William S. (18), listed as a farm hand, and Jane Grunleaf (13, white) also working as a farm hand.
  • On December 12, 1871 Samuel S. Selby purchased 101 3/4 acres of property near the Village of Woodville from John D. Rowling and his wife, Elizabeth Rowling, for $2,250. The land included Lot 1 and Lot 2, except for 7 acres held by the heirs of Thomas Wood deceased. [PG LR HB5.595]
  • On December 19, 1871 Samuel L. Selby purchased from Jane P. Scott Lots 1 (Ludlows Hope), 2 , 3, and 4 for $1200. The properties are on the north side of Stanleys Branch, along the road from Woodville to Rogue's Neck, and adjacent to the property of Samuel L. Selby. [PG LR HB5.593]
  • On February 21, 1877 Harriet E. Wood sold property in Aquasco District to Samuel L. Selby for $500 cash in hand and a $2000 mortgage. The land is "a part of a tract of land formerly owned by George W. Morton deceased, save and except one square acre of land sold and conveyed to Albert H. Scott." The 217 and 39/100 acre tract is bounded in part by the road from Woodville to Trueman's Point. [PG LR HB12.203]
  • On March 29, 1877 the $2000 mortgage for the property Samuel purchased from Harriet E. Wood was recorded. [PG LR HB12.238]
  • On March 29, 1877 Eveline M. Keech and Thomas M. Keech mortgaged their Trueman Point Farm on the Patuxent River (40 acres) to Samuel L. Selby for $773.25. The mortgage was paid April 20, 1881. [PG LR HB12.205]
  • On March 6, 1880 Samuel L. Selby and wife Mary P. Selby sold property in Woodville to Christiana Morris for $500. The property was the same purchased from Alice E. Hall in 1867. [PG LR WAJ1.271]
  • The 1880 Federal Census in Aquasco District indicates Samuel (69) was still a farmer, Mary (68) was keeping house, and Matilda V. (25) was at home.
  • Samuel's will was probated November 9, 1882. [Transcript below]
  • On January 27, 1883 Mary P. Selby and Virginia M. Selby granted a right-of-way to John A. Selby for $1 for "a road fifteen feet wide now used as a private road leading from the farm known as Morton's Burnt House Farm to the public road leading from Woodville to 'Truman's Point'."[PG LR JWB2.103]
  • Both parents and daughter Betty (Elizabeth) are buried at Woodville Methodist Church Cemetery in what once was Woodville, but is now Aquasco. Most of the children and their spouses are also buried in the same graveyard. The church is gone, many of the markers are worn, and the land/cemetery privately owned by a Demar descendant.

Will of Samuel L. Selby, October 11, 1882 - November 9, 1882
[PG WB WAJJR 1.275; MSA CR 20]

In the name of God Amen: I Samuel L. Selby of Prince George's County in the State of Maryland being of sound and disposing mind, memory and understanding, considering the certainty of death, and the uncertainty of the time thereof, and being desirous to settle my worldly affairs, and thereby be better prepared to leave this world when it shall please God, to call me hence, do therefore make and publish this my last will and testament, in the manner and form following that is to say: First and principally I commit my soul into the hands of Almighty God and my body to the earth--to be decently buried, at the discretion of my Executrix hereinafter named: after my funeral expenses are paid; I devise and bequeath as follows:

Item, I give and devise to my dearly beloved wife Mary P. and daughter Virginia jointly, the House and Lot in the Village of Woodville, where I am now living; also land bought of Mrs. Harriet E. Wood, except 25 acres more or less, on the right hand side of Public road leading to Trueman's Point and next to Scotts place; also note of William Riley for (?) said note when collected to be expended in repairing the house in which I now reside, also crop of tobacco as housed at said farm, also whatever tobacco is now in hand to be unsold, and at the death of my dear wife said daughter Virginia to have all the property herein left to her mother and herself.

Item, I give and devise to my son John A. Selby during his natural life and to his wife Mary E. during single life, the farm on which they are now residing, after his death and her death or second marriage the property to be equally divided between their children.

Item, I give and devise to my daughter Sarah P. Scott also the 25 acres more or less, to be taken from the farm purchased of Mrs. Harriet E. Wood and accepted as my device to my dear wife and daughter Virginia.

Item, I give and devise to my son William S. Selby, the old Grant house place, on which I formerly resided: also house and lot in the Village of Woodville known as Wilsons.

Item, my household furniture I give and devise to my dear wife during her life, at her death to be equally divided between my daughter Virginia and my son William S.

Item, all my live stock I leave to be equally divided between my daughter Sarah P. Scott and Virginia Selby and my son William S. Selby.

And lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint my dear wife Mary P. as sole executrix of this my last will and testament. Testimony whereof I hereto set my hand and seal this eleventh day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand and eight hundred and eighty two.                                   Sam'l L. Selby  [seal]

Signed, Sealed, Published and declared by the within married Samuel L. Selby as and for his last will and testament in our presence who at his request, in his presence, and in the presence of each other, have hereto set our hands as witnesses hereto.

Charles H. McPherson, James B. Craycroft, T. Martin Keech

Codicil not(e)
Upon mature consideration owing to the health of my wife Mary P. I appoint my son Wm. S. Selby to act with his mother in settling up my affairs. Signed this 16th day of October 1882. Witnesses to codicil: Charles H. McPherson, James B. Craycroft, Rebecca W. Connick

Prince George's County, Nov. 9th 1882
There came Chas H. McPherson, James. B. Craycroft, and T. Martin Keech the subscribing witnesses to the aforegoing last will and testament of Samuel L. Selby, late of said county deceased, and made oath on the Holy Evangely of Almighty God, that they did see the testator herein named sign and seal this will, hear him publish, pronounce and declare the same to be his last will and testament, that at the time of his so doing he was to the best of their apprehension of sound and disposing mind memory and understanding, and that they together subscribed their names as witnesses hereto in the presence of the testator at his request and in the presence of each other. Sworn before Thom. R. Smallwood, Reg of Wills