Thomas Selden, Hartford Founder

Compiled by Timothy Lester Jacobs, SDFH Genealogist

THOMAS¹ SELDEN, HARTFORD FOUNDER (JOHN^A) was baptized 17 Mar 1616/17 in Wadhurst, Sussex, England, and died bef. 19 Dec 1655 in Hartford, CT (inventory). He married ESTHER WAKEMAN bef. 1645, daughter of FRANCIS WAKEMAN and ANNE GOODE (and sister of FOUNDERS PRISCILLA WAKEMAN and SAMUEL WAKEMAN). She was baptized 15 Jun 1617 in Bewdley, Worcestershire, England, and died bef. 27 Sep 1693 in Hadley, MA (administration of estate).

While the ancestry of Thomas Selden is known, it is unknown from where and to where he emigrated to in the American colonies, nor is it known when he first arrived in Hartford. It is difficult to determine where his original home was located, as his lot was forfeited by town vote on 3 March 1640, but in the Hartford land inventory of February 1639/40 (actually recorded years later) his dwelling house stood with other outhouses, yards and gardens on two roods of land which he bought of Founder Arthur Smith located on the south side of Little River. In the same inventory he held: two roods of upland located on the Highway from Founder George Steele’s to Founder Thomas Richards’s; two acres in the Forty Acres; two roods of upland abutting the property on which his dwelling was located, which he bought of Founder John Barnard, who had bought it himself from Arthur Smith; two acres on the east side of the Great River; and six acres and two roods of woodland located on the road from George Steele’s to the Great Swamp.

His will was dated 14 August 1665 and the inventory of his estate was taken 19 December 1665.

Genealogy: “Selden Family”, Amelia N.. F. Redfield, 1931