William Selby (died 1612) facts for kids
William Selby (died 1612) was an English soldier and a member of Parliament. He was known for his service at Berwick-upon-Tweed, a very important border town between England and Scotland.
Early Life and Military Career
William Selby was the son of Sir John Selby and his wife Margaret. The Selby family was well-known in Northumberland, a county in northern England. William Selby was knighted on June 10, 1603.
William Selby was a brave soldier who fought in several important battles. He was part of the Siege of Leith in Scotland in 1560 and fought in Newhaven, France. He also helped capture Edinburgh Castle in 1573 and was involved in fighting at Hume Castle in 1569. He spent three years serving in Ireland and was even a governor in Amersfoort, a city in the Netherlands.
Because he was good at speaking French, William Selby helped the English diplomat Robert Bowes. In December 1582, Selby escorted a French nobleman named Esmé Stewart, 1st Duke of Lennox from Berwick-upon-Tweed further south into England.
In 1586, Selby served with the Earl of Leicester in the Netherlands.
Roles at Berwick and Parliament
William Selby became a Captain at Berwick in 1587. Later, in 1595, he became a "gentleman porter" at Berwick. This was an important role, like a chief gatekeeper or official in charge of the town's security, which he shared with his nephew, also named William Selby.
He was elected as a Member of Parliament for Berwick several times: in 1589, 1593, 1597, 1601, and 1604. This meant he represented the town in the English Parliament.
In December 1590, William Selby was asked to count all the weapons and gunpowder at Berwick and Carlisle. In 1591, he tried to become the "Comptroller" of Berwick, a job that involved managing the town's finances and supplies, but he didn't get the position. Around this time, he bought a famous old house called Ightham Mote in Kent.
Royal Connections and Later Life
In May 1594, William Selby's brother-in-law, Captain George Selby, helped capture two people who had run away from the Scottish royal court. These men, Jacob Kroger and Guillaume Martyn, had taken some jewelry belonging to Anne of Denmark, the Queen of Scotland. They were arrested and later sent back to Scotland.
In 1595, William Selby worked to get back pay for himself and his soldiers. In August 1596, he finally became the "Comptroller of Ordinance in the North." This job meant he was in charge of military supplies and equipment in northern England. He reported that the iron gates of Berwick were very rusty.
William's father, Sir John Selby, passed away on November 20, 1595. Soon after, a group of Scottish raiders led by William Kerr of Cessford robbed his mother's barns near Twizell and Weetwood.
On April 6, 1603, a very important event happened. As the Gentleman Porter of Berwick, William Selby handed the keys of the town to James VI of Scotland, who was on his way to become King James I of England. King James entered the town, gave the keys back to Selby, and then knighted him.
William Selby passed away at his home, Ightham Mote, in Kent on New Year's Day in 1612. His properties and lands were then passed on to his nephew, William Selby (died 1638).
