Contents [hide]

Selwyn History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Motto Citations

Selwyn History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England

Selwyn is an ancient Anglo-Saxon surname that came from the personal name Saelwig which is an Old English word meaning prosperity war. The personal name Saelwig was an ancient font name that was brought to England by the Normans. After the Norman Conquest, the Old English naming system gradually dissolved. Old English names became less common and were replaced by popular continental European names. The earliest surnames in England were found shortly after the Norman Conquest and are of Norman French rather than native English origins.

Early Origins of the Selwyn family

The surname Selwyn was first found in Staffordshire where "about the reign of Henry III, William Salwey was Lord of Leacroft, a hamlet in the parish of Cannock in Staffordshire; hence the family removed to Stanford in Worcestershire; of which John Salwey was owner in the third of Henry IV." 1

Early History of the Selwyn family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Selwyn research. Another 88 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1216, 1575, 1615, 1640, 1652, 1655, 1675, 1685 and 1702 are included under the topic Early Selwyn History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Selwyn Spelling Variations

The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries; therefore,spelling variations are common among early Anglo-Saxon names. As the form of the English language changed, even the spelling of literate people's names evolved. Selwyn has been recorded under many different variations, including Salwey, Sewyn, Selwyn, Selwin, Sallowaye and others.

Early Notables of the Selwyn family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Major General William Selwyn (1655-1702), was a British Army officer, Mayor of Gloucester in 1675, Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica in 1702

Selwyn migration to the United States +

For many English families, the political and religious disarray that shrouded England made the far away New World an attractive prospect. On cramped disease-ridden ships, thousands migrated to those British colonies that would eventually become Canada and the United States. Those hardy settlers that survived the journey often went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations in which they landed. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Selwyn or a variant listed above:

Selwyn Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Henry Selwyn, who arrived in Long Island in 1660 2

Selwyn migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Selwyn Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. William Selwyn, British Convict who was convicted in Gloucester, England for life, transported aboard the "Asia" on 5th November 1835, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land)1836 3

Selwyn migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Selwyn Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

George Augustus Selwyn, who landed in New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Auckland
Bishop Selwyn, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Duke of Portland" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 5th July 1855 4
Mrs. Selwyn, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Duke of Portland" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 5th July 1855 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Selwyn (post 1700) +

George Augustus Selwyn (1719-1791), English wit and politician, born near Gloucester, son of Colonel John Selwyn of Matson
William Selwyn (1806-1875), English divine, eldest son of William Selwyn
William Selwyn (1775-1855), English legal author, second son of William Selwyn, K.C., Treasurer of Lincoln's Inn in 1793
George Augustus Selwyn (1809-1878), English Bishop of Lichfield and Primate of New Zealand, born at Church Row, Hampstead, second son of William Selwyn
Sir Charles Jasper Selwyn (1813-1869), English Lord Justice, born at Church Row, Hampstead, Middlesex, third and youngest son of William Selwyn (1775–1855), brother of George Augustus Selwyn and William Selwyn
Major-General William Selwyn, British diplomat and Army officer, Governor of Jamaica (1703-1704)
Don C. Selwyn (1936-2007), Maori actor and film director from New Zealand
Tim Selwyn (b. 1974), New Zealand political activist
Rex Selwyn Fell (1944-2016), New Zealand breeder of Thoroughbred racehorses, President of the Manawatu Racing Club
Peter Selwyn Gummer FCIPR FIoD FCinstM FRSA (b. 1942), Baron Chadlington, an English businessman

The Selwyn 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: Fiat voluntas dei
Motto Translation: The will of God be done.

Citations +

Shirley, Evelyn Philip, The Noble and Gentle Men of England; The Arms and Descents. Westminster: John Bower Nichols and Sons, 1866, Print.
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th January 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/asia/1835
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html