George Augustus Clift Selwyn
1841-1894

Born: 24 February 1841 in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England1
Died: 8 October 1894 in San Diego, San Diego County, California2
Buried: 10 October 1894 at the I.O.O.F. Cemetery in San Diego, San Diego County, California3
FamilySearch ID: L7F9-GKQ
FindaGrave Memorial ID:  None

George was the son of Sarah Ellen Clift. His father was likely Dr. Congreve Selwyn.

George married Lucy Anna Fischer on 10 February 1868 in San Diego, San Diego County, California.4 They had the following children:

  1. George McConnuhe Selwyn (1869-1937) m1. Ada Dean Uzell Spafford, m2. Lillian Ethel Billingsley
  2. Ella Selwyn (1871-1933) m. George Willis Gooch
  3. William Frederick Selwyn (1873-1932) m1. Aleda Charlotte Kiewiet, m2. Marguerite Marie Cogelow
  4. Lena Alice Selwyn (1876-1958) m. Arlyn Tarbel White
  5. Lulu Mabel Selwyn (1879-1926) m. William Everett Gephart

Lucy A. Fischer Selwyn died 2 May 1882. George then married divorcée Jennie H. (Rice) Stewart5 on 13 June 1883 in San Diego, San Diego County, California.6 After George’s death in 1894, Jennie married James C. Beer.7

Go to Life Sketch
Go to Timeline
Go to Important Places

Life Sketch

Life sketch coming soon.

George Augustus “Settlewen” in Nauvoo Second Ward census (1842)
George “Turley” in Silas Richards Company schedule (1849)
George “Turley” in 1850 U.S. census
George “Turley” (line 44) in 1852 California state census
George Selwyn in 1860 U.S. census
George Selwyn in 1870 U.S. census

Death of a Pioneer

George A. Selwyn, one of the best-known of the old-time residents of this county, died yesterday morning at his home on Third street. He was a sufferer for two years with heart trouble and dropsy, and this caused his death. He came to San Diego across the plains in the early days, and began stock-raising on a large scale, afterward entering into partnership with the Allisons, the firm owning the largest herds in this part of the state. Mr. Selwyn was 53 years of age and a native of England. He leaves a widow, three daughters and two sons. One of the daughters is Mrs. George W. Gooch of Ontario, this state. The others reside here.

The funeral services will be held tomorrow morning at 10, at the residence, and the Odd Fellows will conduct the services at the grave.

“Death of a Pioneer,” The San Diego Union, Tuesday, 9 Oct. 1894, p. 5, col. 4, GenealogyBank.com.

Biographical sketch from The Theodore Turley Family book (p. 544)

GEORGE AUGUSTUS CLIFT SELWYN, born Feb. 24, 1841 in Chelt[e]nham, England, was a stepson of Theodore Turley and son of Theodore’s wife, Sarah Ellen Clift Turley. GEORGE married LOUISIANA (LUCY) FISHER on Feb. 10, 1868 in San Diego, California. She died May 2, 1882.

Related Links

Timeline

1841
February 24: George Augustus Clift Selwyn was born to Sarah Ellen Clift in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England.8

1851
March/April: George was enumerated in Theodore Turley’s household for the 1850 U.S. census. The family was temporarily residing in Utah County, Utah Territory, at the time, a part of the large group preparing to leave for California.9

1860
July 11: Nineteen-year-old George Selwyn was enumerated in the household of Samuel A. Kelly in San Bernardino, California, for the 1860 U.S. census. George’s occupation was laborer, and his personal estate was worth $25.10

1867
September 2: George Selwyn became a naturalized citizen of the United States.11

1870
July 11: Twenty-eight-year-old George Selwyn was enumerated in the town of Julian, San Diego County, California. His occupation was a stock raiser, with real estate valued at $2,000 and personal estate valued at $3,500.12

1880
June 10: Thirty-seven-year-old George “Selwin” was enumerated in San Diego, San Diego County, California. His occupation was stock raiser. In his household were his wife, Lucy M. (30), and children George, Jr. (11), Ella (9), William (6), Lena (4), and Maud (9 months).13

1882
May 2: George’s wife, Lucy A. Selwyn, died of consumption in Colton, San Bernardino County, California. She was buried the next day at the Pioneer Memorial Cemetery in San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, California.14

1894
October 8: George A. Selwyn died at his home in San Diego, San Diego County, California. His obituary noted that “he was a sufferer for two years with heart trouble and dropsy, and this caused his death.”15
October 10: George was a member of the San Diego lodge No. 153 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and his lodge brothers conducted services at his grave.16

1898
December 3: George A. Selwyn’s estate was formally closed.17

Important Places

Under construction

Cheltenham, England: George Augustus Clift Selwyn was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England in 1841.
Nauvoo, Illinois:
Mormon Trail: Winter Quarters, Kanesville
Salt Lake City, Utah:
Southern California: San Bernardino, San Diego

  1. Family Memorial for Sarah Ellen Clift.
  2. “Death of a Pioneer,” The San Diego Union, Tuesday, 9 Oct. 1894, p. 5, col. 4, GenealogyBank.com; San Diego Co., Calif., Death records, 1876-1905, Book G, p. 303, death cert. of George A. Selwyn, 8 Oct. 1894, image 630 of digital film 7615373 at FamilySearch.org, digitized from FHL 1290438.
  3. This may refer to the IOOF section of Mt. Hope Cemetery in San Diego. Oceanview Cemetery was also called the IOOF Cemetery, but their burials began in 1895. “I. O. O. F.,” The San Diego Union, Tuesday, 9 Oct. 1894, p. 5, col. 2, GenealogyBank.com; “Death of a Pioneer,” The San Diego Union, Tuesday, 9 Oct. 1894, p. 5, col. 4, GenealogyBank.com; San Diego Co., Calif., Death records, 1876-1905, Book G, p. 303, death cert. of George A. Selwyn, 8 Oct. 1894, image 630 of digital film 7615373 at FamilySearch.org, digitized from FHL 1290438.
  4. Lucy’s name is also given as Louisiana Fischer. The Theodore Turley Family book. Do we have a better source for their marriage date?
  5. Jennie H. Rice married Milton M. Stewart 30 Apr. 1873 in Lawrence County, Kentucky. Jennie obtained a divorce from her husband on 5 June 1883. “Real Estate Transactions,” The Sun: San Diego, California, Saturday, 9 Jun. 1883, p. 3, col. 2, GenealogyBank.com.
  6. “Local Brevities,” The San Diego Union, Thursday, 14 Jun. 1883, p. 3, col. 1, GenealogyBank.com.
  7. “Marriage licenses were issued by the county clerk yesterday to James C. Beer, aged 33, a native of Pennsylvania, and Mrs. Jennie Selwyn, aged 42, a native of Kentucky, both residents of this city.” “In General,” The San Diego Union, Wednesday, 3 May 1899, p. 5, col. 4, GenealogyBank.com.
  8. Family Memorial for Sarah Ellen Clift.
  9. George was noted as a nine-year-old, though he would’ve had his tenth birthday by that point. His birthplace was mistakenly listed as Illinois rather than England. 1850 U.S. census, Utah Territory, Utah Co., dwelling 65, family 65, Frances K. in household of Theodore Turley, image at Ancestry.com; “The Seventh Census of the United States: Utah and Slavery,” Utah Historical Quarterly Web Extra (Spring 2017), https://history.utah.gov/repository-item/the-seventh-census-of-the-united-states-utah-and-slavery-spring-2017/, accessed April 2020. Related blog posts: “In the Valley of the Great Salt Lake” and “Celebrating the U.S. Census with Theodore Turley’s Census Records.”
  10. 1860 U.S. census, California, San Bernardino Co., San Bernardino, p. 72, dwelling 667, family 566, George Selwyn in household of Saml A Kelly, image at Ancestry.com.
  11. Min. Bk. 3-210 County Ct. U.S., Naturalization Record Indexes, 1791-1992, California, Index to Citizens Naturalized in the Superior Court of San Diego, California, George Selwyn, 2 Sept. 1867, image at Ancestry.com.
  12. His birthplace was mistakenly listed as Canada. 1870 U.S. census, California, San Diego Co., Julian, p. 2, dwelling 41, family 41, George Selwyn, image at Ancestry.com.
  13. 1880 U.S. census, California, San Diego Co., San Diego Twp., p. 28-D, dwelling 316, family 326, household of George Selwin, image at Ancestry.com.
  14. There were three notices concerning the death of Lucy A. Selwyn in the 10 May 1882 edition of The Sun. “Mrs. Geo. A. Selwyn, who died at Colton on Wednesday last, was buried at San Bernardino on the day following.” “Died. SELWYN.—At Colton, May 2d, Lucy, wife of Geo A. Selwyn, a native of Texas, of consumption.” “Mrs. Geo A. Selwyn, ,whose death it is our sad duty to chronicle this morning, was a pioneer of San Diego, having come here overland in 1856.” The Sun, San Diego, Calif., Wednesday, 10 May 1882, p. 2 (col. 5 & 6) and p. 4 (col. 1), GenealogyBank.com; FindaGrave.com, memorial page for Lucy A Selwyn (unknown–2 May 1882), memorial no. 37809367, citing Pioneer Memorial Cemetery, San Bernardino, San Bernardino County, California, USA.
  15. “Death of a Pioneer,” The San Diego Union, Tuesday, 9 Oct. 1894, p. 5, col. 4, GenealogyBank.com.
  16. “I. O. O. F.,” The San Diego Union, Tuesday, 9 Oct. 1894, p. 5, col. 2, GenealogyBank.com.
  17. “A decree closing the estate of George A. Selwyn, deceased, was made in the superior court yesterday, and Jennie Selwyn was discharged as administratix.” “Local Intelligence,” The San Diego Union, Saturday, 3 Dec. 1898, p. 5, col. 1, GenealogyBank.com.