CHRISTOPHER•ALLEN•SMITH•WINTON Family Tree - Person Sheet
CHRISTOPHER•ALLEN•SMITH•WINTON Family Tree - Person Sheet
NameSkeffington SELBY [5680], [5682], [5684], [5685], [5686], [6967], [6968], 5G Uncle
Birth Date1767
Birth PlaceEngland
MemoInferred from baptism date.
Bapt Date28 Oct 1767 [4646], [5680]
Bapt PlaceOundle, Northamptonshire, England
Reside Date1798 [5738]
Reside PlaceElton, Huntingdonshire [Cambridgeshire], England
MemoNorman Cross Hundred
Citizen Date14 Jun 1799 [5682]
Citizen PlacePhiladelphia, Philadelphia Co., Pennsylvania, United States
MemoDeclaration of intent. Age reported as 30.
Natu Date21 Aug 1799
Natu PlacePhiladelphia, Philadelphia Co., Pennsylvania, United States
MemoCertificate
Census Date1810 [5737]
Census PlaceNew York, New York, United States
MemoIt is unclear if he married Charlotte, so this record is somewhat uncertain.
Reside Date5 Mar 1811 [5729]
Reside PlaceNew York, New York, United States
Reside Date1815 [5728]
Reside PlaceNew York, New York, United States
Reside Date1820 [6969]
Reside PlaceNew York, New York, United States
Memo584 Broadway
Reside Date1821 [5686]
Reside PlaceHitcham, Suffolk, England
Death PlaceEngland
MemoBurial monument claims he died 3 Mar 1821 and was in the 53rd year of his life.
Burial PlaceElton, Huntingdonshire [Cambridgeshire], England
MemoAll Saints Churchyard (His will requested burial here).
Alias/AKASkiffington [4646]
Alt.SpellingSeffington [5737]
Alt.SpellingSheffington [5757]
OccupationApprentice Mercer (textile merchant) [5757]
OccupationMerchant [5759]
FatherJohn SELBY (~1725-)
MotherElisabeth MOORE (ca1726-1814)
Misc. Notes
1798 tax records for Elton, Huntingdonshire, England, show Skeffington as a property owner. In one instance he is listed as the proprietor of two properties, each with a different “occupier”: John MITCHELL and “Widow” GOODWIN. The next property listed appears to be the one which he himself occupied (the occupier field was entered as “do.” (ditto) implying a duplication of the previous line’s occupier name, but that line says “Himself” referring to that property’s proprietor, John CANNAM, so does a ditto of “Himself” mean that word literally and therefore means Skeffington, or does it mean John CANNAM as “himself”? Based on other examples in the register I’m inclined to believe the ditto means the word “himself” as applied to the proprietor on the line where “ditto” was used); and lastly another property occupied by a James EARL. In Skeffington’s will he indicated his intent to sell his property in Elton (or to be sold by his estate), to Daniel WEBSTER (his brother-in-law).
[5738], [5686], [5733]

The 1810 census (if it’s really him) suggests they had one daughter age 10-15.
[5737]

In 1811, while a resident of New York City, Skeffington wrote a letter to former President Thomas JEFFERSON. The cited source provides a transcript, but the purpose and meaning of the letter are still a mystery to me. Thomas Jefferson replied on 17-MAR-1811.
[5729], [5730]

In 1816, Skeffington served as a Grand Juror, in New York City, for the “Caleb Griswold’s Case.”
[5734]

Skeffington wrote a will in 1821 (day and month were left blank in the will), after moving back to England from New York. Two codicils were added, the first dated 19-MAR-1821, the second on 23-MAR-1821. The will was proved 16-JUN-1821, so he probably died between March and June. The source that gives his date of death as 30 Mar 1821 is probably the right date, since it is after the date of the second codicil. His grave monument says he died 3 Mar 1821, which would therefore seem to be impossible (maybe they forgot to carve the zero). It also says he was in the 53rd year of his life, but assuming he was born shortly prior to his baptism, he was actually in his 54th year (i.e. after turning 53 but before turning 54). [5686] [1498, MEMORIAL# 245873312]

According to Findagrave (as of 05-AUG-2023) there are 3 persons named Skeffington SELBY buried at All Saints Churchyard, Elton.

In the will he mentions a sister, “Mary MAYDWELL” - same surname as one of the witnesses to Kezia’s marriage. Mary was also a witness to both codicils. Don’t know if Mary was a daughter of John SELBY or George EDIS. The will says Mary had 4 daughters. He named as executors, George Edis WEBSTER, Edward COMPTON and Robert JOHNSON.

Elizabeth WEBSTER of Hitcham - who is that? She is mentioned as his sister in his will.
Also “My sister Ricketts and her husband and her husband” [sic] (i.e., Skeffington’s sister, Sarah SELBY, who married James RICKETT).
[5686]
Research

The will he wrote in England, was transcribed into the probate register in New York.
. [5685] Another source gives a slightly different reference for the will location: SELBY, SKEFFINGTON - NYC - NY-31-57-459
http://www.sampubco.com/wills/ny/nynewyork-s01.htm
and similarly at
http://files.usgwarchives.net/ny/newyork/wills/indexes/testators/v57.txt
Looks like there was an “old book” and a “new book” with different page numbers.

Upon his death, his wife, Charlotte, who apparently remained in New York, became the attorney for the executors named in his will and thus his will went through a second probate court there.
[5733]

mention of a “Mrs. Charles Skeffington Sanxay”
New-York tribune. (New York [N.Y.]), 16 Feb. 1896. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1896-02-16/ed-1/seq-16/>; (column 1, paragraph 7)
Spouses
Birth Dateabt 1774
MemoThis date is only a guess for rough chronological placement.
Reside Date1827 [6968]
Reside PlaceNew York, New York, United States
Memo44 Macdougal Street
Reside Date1830 [6967]
Reside PlaceNew York, New York, United States
Memo44 Macdougal Street
Alias/AKACharlotte SELBY [5733], [5686], [5731], [6967]
Misc. Notes
In Skeffington’s will he refers to “Charlotte Sanxay alias Selby (who sometime since resided with me at New York).” If she wasn’t his wife, what/who was she? One source, dated 16-APR-1830 refers to Charlotte as the widow of Skeffington SELBY (this is also mentioned in the 1830 NYC directory). [6967]
[5686] [5731] Charlotte was not in the 1831 NYC directory.

In records of the city council of New York there are two mentions of Charlotte regarding property. On 25 Nov 1822, they refer to her as “Charlotte Selby, alias Sanxy” [sic] and on 12 May 1823, as “Charlotte Selby or Sanxay.”
[5735], [5739]

If I’m reading the source documents correctly, Skeffington left real estate in New York City, to Charlotte, but upon her death, to his niece, Elizabeth JOHNSON and nephew, Robert JOHNSON. But because Elizabeth and Robert were citizens of England, the property would have reverted to the state. But the New York State Legislature intervened with “An Act for the Relief of Charlotte Selby” which was passed on 16-APR-1830. The property in question, was on Broadway, between Bleeker Street and Amity Street, with a frontage of 25 feet on Broadway and extended through to the next street east, namely, Crosby Street, in the ninth ward. The final arrangement appears to be that the property was sold to Bartholemew McGARRAGHAN, who then leased the property to Charlotte Selby. There also seems to have been some property in the 8th Ward.
[5731], [5732], [5735]
Research
There was a Charlotte SANXAY born in New York City, 19 Jan 1779, to John & Sarah SANXAY.
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2HD-CDB
also referenced by:
Ancestry.com & The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record (quarterly-1937) - Extracts; Publication Place: New York; Publisher: New York Genealogical and Biographical Society; Page Number: 165

That Charlotte is probably the daughter of John SANXAY & Sarah DEVOE/DEVAUX, who had married in New York, 14 Feb 1775. She died 24 Jun 1860. See page 169 in “The SANXAY Family…” (1907 - see the google books reference below). No indication in that source that she married. The book only lists the descendants of her 4 brothers who “reared families.” Her brother, John SANXAY (1787-1842) had a son named Skeffington SANXAY (1821-1868), who married Jeannette FICKETT in 1846. This is consistent with the marriage listed in the Plummer Family book mentioned below.

There was a Skiffington SANXAY living in Brooklyn, NY, in 1857, 1864, 1867, 1868.

No Charlotte SANXAY (or SELBY) found in 1860 census New York. Nor in 1850.
A John SANXAY, porter, was listed in the same 1830 NYC directory as Charlotte SELBY.

1865 New York State Census: Skeffingto [sic - indexed as “Skeffineto”] SANXAY, a lawyer, wife Jennett, son Edward C. (b.1849) and 5 other children. Whole family born in NYC.

A gravestone in Toxteth Park Municipal Cemetery, Smithdown Road, Liverpool, England, representing the SANXAY family, claims there was an Edward Curtis SANXAY, who was the elder son of Skeffington Selby SANXAY of New York. Edward was born 31-JUL-1849 in New York City and died in Liverpool, 16-OCT-1916. His wife was Louisa COX (1850-1919) - married 1878. Also listed is a Skeffington Selby “elder son of the above” born 6-AUG-1879 (Liverpool), died 29-DEC-1933; he was cremated and the remains buried 16-JUL-1934. http://www.toxtethparkcemetery.co.uk/years/unconsecrated%20Section/u1934.htm
[5736]
Skeffington Selby SANXAY (b.1879) son of Edward C. SANXAY, applied for a U.S. passport in 1922.

It is unclear if these folks are related to Skeffington Selby or to Charlotte, but the names are very interesting.
See also, https://books.google.com/books?id=0ilPAAAAMAAJ
(“The Sanxay Family And Descendants of Rev. Jacques Sanxay, Huguenot Refugee to England in Sixteen Hundred and Eighty-five”). A set of corrections to that book can be found in "The New York genealogical and biographical record" Vol. 50 (“L”), No. 1, Jan. 1919, pp.78-82. (FHL Film 8888347, images 1191-1193) This film actually contains multiple volumes but #50 is the last one on the film.


That family is also mentioned in “Genealogical Record of the compiler’s branch of the Plummer family” page 10:
https://archive.org/details/genealogicalreco1885thur

That book has a typo on that page where it uses the spelling, “Speffington.”
Apparently Skeffington Selby SANXAY married a Jeannette FICKETT, 15 Sep 1846, in New York.
He and wife Jennette were in Brooklyn in 1860 census (erroneously indexed as “Teffington Lnfay”) He was born circa 1821.
Their son, Edward Curtis SANXAY (b.1849), married Louise COX and had a son named Skeffington “Skeffie” SANXAY (b.25-JUL-1879 or 06-OCT-1879). Edward was living in Liverpool as of 1906.

The Skeffington Selby SANXAY born 1879, was in Toxteth Park, Lancashire, in 1901 census. Still there in 1911.

A public tree shows Edward C. Sanxay’s father, Skeffington, was born 1821, NY, and died 18 Feb 1868, Brooklyn. Son of John Sanxay and Anna Nutt. See p. 89 in SANXAY Family book.
Edward Curtis SANXAY was named after NY lawyer Edward CURTIS.

The name SANXAY is speculated to be from the town of Sanxay, Poitou, France, but no evidence has been found.
Last Modified 5 Aug 2023Created 8 Nov 2024 using Reunion for Macintosh
First Published 22 Sep 2013. Revised 8 Nov 2024
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