Show ContentsSellingsbay History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Sellingsbay originated in Slingsby, in the North Riding of Yorkshire. This parish dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, when it was known as Selungesbi, having derived its name from "farmstead or village of a man called Slengr, an Old Norse personal name + "by." 1 2

Early Origins of the Sellingsbay family

The surname Sellingsbay was first found in the North Riding of Yorkshire at Slingsby, a parish, six miles from New Malton. 3 4 5

It was here that Roger de Slingesby was recorded in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1219. Later, Higdon de Slyngesby was listed in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379. 6 Other entries in the Yorkshire Poll Tax include: Henricus de Slyngesby; Ricardus de Slyngesby; and Willelmus de Slenggesby. 3

At about this time in Scotland, we found "Ade de Slyngysby in Edinburgh, 1367, most probably derived his surname from Slingsby in Yorkshire. John Slingisbie forfeited some land in Edinburgh in the reign of David II." 7 The Scottish entries should come as no surprise due to North Yorkshire's close proximity to the Scottish borders.

Early History of the Sellingsbay family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sellingsbay research. Another 126 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1563, 1565, 1577, 1602, 1610, 1621, 1628, 1631, 1634, 1636, 1643, 1658, 1660, 1662, 1680, 1690, 1691, 1693, 1763 and 1787 are included under the topic Early Sellingsbay History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sellingsbay Spelling Variations

One relatively recent invention that did much to standardize English spelling was the printing press. However, before its invention even the most literate people recorded their names according to sound rather than spelling. The spelling variations under which the name Sellingsbay has appeared include Slingsby, Slingsbie and others.

Early Notables of the Sellingsbay family

Notables of the family at this time include Sir Guylford Slingsby (1565-1631) English administrator, Comptroller of the Navy (1628 to 1631); Sir William Slingsby (1563-1634), was an English soldier who discovered the first spa water well in Harrogate, North Yorkshire; Sir Guylford Slingsby (1565-1631) English administrator, Comptroller of the Navy (1628 to 1631)...
Another 52 words (4 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Sellingsbay Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Sellingsbay family to Ireland

Some of the Sellingsbay family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 64 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Sellingsbay family

At this time, the shores of the New World beckoned many English families that felt that the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. Thousands left England at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. A great portion of these settlers never survived the journey and even a greater number arrived sick, starving, and without a penny. The survivors, however, were often greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. These English settlers made significant contributions to those colonies that would eventually become the United States and Canada. An examination of early immigration records and passenger ship lists revealed that people bearing the name Sellingsbay arrived in North America very early: Peter Slingsby settled in Virginia in 1655.



The Sellingsbay Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Vincit liberavit
Motto Translation: Liberty will conquer


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Harrison, Henry, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary Baltimore: Geneological Publishing Company, 2013. Print
  3. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  4. Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
  5. Barber, Henry, British Family Names London: Elliot Stock, 62 Paternoster Row, 1894. Print.
  6. Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
  7. Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)


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