William Selby (died 1638) facts for kids

Sir William Selby (died 1638) was an English politician. He served in the House of Commons, which is like a part of the government, from 1597 to 1601.

Who Was Sir William Selby?

Sir William Selby was the son of Sir John Selby. He went to Peterhouse, Cambridge University in 1573 to study. This was an important step in his early life.

Sir William's Political Career

In 1597, Sir William was chosen to be a Member of Parliament (MP) for Northumberland. An MP is someone elected to represent people in the government. He was elected again for Northumberland in 1601.

In 1603, he was made a knight, which means he received the title "Sir." In the same year, he became the High Sheriff of Northumberland. A High Sheriff was a very important local official. He served as Sheriff again in 1606.

Family and Home Life

In 1611, Sir William Selby inherited a large estate called Ightham Mote in Kent. He got this from his uncle, also named Sir William Selby. He also took over his father's role as the "gentleman porter" of Berwick upon Tweed, which was a position of responsibility in that town.

Sir William married Dorothy Bonham (1572–1641). She was a good friend of Lady Anne Clifford, another important person of that time. Dorothy and Sir William were given special permission to receive Holy Communion at home. This was unusual because it was normally required to do so in public.

The Gunpowder Plot Connection

There is a famous story about Dorothy Selby. It is believed that she helped to uncover the Gunpowder plot. This was a plan to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605. The story says she found out about the plot through her needlework. This is even shown on her tomb at Ightham.

It is also said that Dorothy Selby died from an infection. This happened after she pricked her finger with a needle while doing embroidery. Sir William Selby himself first heard about the Gunpowder Plot on November 10, 1605. He was riding from Carlisle to Newcastle at the time.

Sir William's Later Life

Sir William Selby passed away on February 14, 1638, at Ightham. He and Dorothy did not have any children. Because of this, his lands in the north of England went to his relative, William Selby, who was the second son of Sir Ralph Selby.