Mary Polly Beard, married Lingan Selby
Mary "Polly" Beard was born about 1790-1800 in either Tennessee or Kentucky. She married on 3 September 1815 in Adair County, Kentucky to Lingan F. [Fowler, perhaps?] Selby, the son of Lingan Wilson Selby and Drucilla Fowler. Lingan was born 1790-1800 in Kentucky. We have limited knowledge of the history of this couple. They seem to have left Adair County, Kentucky as a young married couple and moved into either Indiana or Illinois before 1820. Lingan had many Selby relations who were in Pike County, Indiana on the 1820 census and he may have been there. Pike County is very close to Wabash County, Illinois, where we find Lingan on the 1830 census. He was 30-40 years old, and his wife was 20-30. We believe that our Mary Beard had died before 1830, and this female listed was a second wife. Some later family accounts say that her name was Jane, and we are grateful to a Ms. Meyer, a descendant of one of the children of Lingan and Jane, who provided these clues. Ms Meyer also has a recollection of a vey old summary of graveyards in Wabash County, and that a "Mary Selby" was listed possibly in Oreo Cemetery in Wabash County, no dates or other information. She actually went and searched this cemetery, but many old stones were gone, and she found no stone for Mary there. Lingan had three children in his home on this 1830 census, a female 5-10 and two males under five. This would fit the children that we believe he had with Mary Beard---an unnamed daughter and two sons, Jeremiah and Abraham. Abraham was born about 1827-1829, and it is possible that Mary Beard Selby died from childbirth and that Lingan, as most widowers with young children did, married again quickly. In 1840, Lingan "Selly" is listed again in Wabash County, Illinois. He was 40-50, with a wife 30-40. A female 20-30 is in the home, and this is probably the eldest child listed in 1830, a daughter. There is also a male 15-20 and a male 10-15. These three children, we believe, would be the daughter and two sons born to Lingan with his first wife Mary Beard. Also in his home were two younger children, a male and female under five, which would be his children with second wife Jane. On 10 March 1843, Lingan Selby applied and was given land in Wabash County, Illinois. There is a record of him selling land in same in 1849, which makes sense, for in 1850 Lingan (indexed as "Funning/Finning/Linning Selvey") is found on the census in Burton, Adams County, Illinois. His eldest son Jeremiah was also listed in Adams County in 1855 and in 1860. This county is clear across the state from Wabash County and it borders the state of Missouri. Although the land sale listed both Lingan and his wife, on the 1850 census he is a widower again. His age was written down as forty, which is twenty years too young, but we are certain that this is Lingan, as the rest of the family is correctly listed. In his home were four children, his youngest child with Mary Beard, Abraham, was seventeen, then there was a five year break in children, with Elisha, Nancy and Deborah all under twelve. The family lives next door to a Washington Baugher, and he is no doubt a relative of Charity Baugher, who eventually married Elisha Selby.
We believe that Lingan Selby passed away before 1860, as we find no evidence of him on a census. No burial place is known.
We note that in the court documents of 1850 in Adair County, Kentucky, Mary Selby was listed as " when last heard of living in state of Illinois", so obviously the family had lost touch with the westward pioneering Lingan Selby family, since Mary had been dead quite awhile by 1850 and her children should have been listed as heirs. (Had they been, we would have known the name of that daughter listed in the 1830 and 1840 censuses.)
Lingan's children with first wife Mary Beard are listed and traced below. His children with Jane, last name unknown, were Elisha Henry, Nancy Ann, and Deborah Jane Selby.
The three children of Lingan Selby and Mary Polly Beard were:
1. A daughter Selby, born 1820-1825, who was in the home in 1830 and in 1840.
1. Jeremiah Selby was born about 1825 in Illinois, probably in Wabash County. He married before the 1850 census, in 1849 or in 1850, as he is listed "married within the year" in 1850. The bride was Phoebe Allen, the daughter of Joseph and Cynthia Allen, who was born in June, 1830 in Illinois. They probably married in Pike County, Illinois, as in 1850 as newlyweds, they lived right next door to her parents in that county with no children. In 1860, they had moved across state and lived in Burton, Adams County, Illinois, next door to Jeremiah's half brother Elisha Selby. Jeremiah and Phoebe had four children under ten listed. In 1863, Jeremiah was listed in Civil War draft records in Payson, Adams County, Illinois. By 1870, they were listed at their new home in Liberty, Putnam County, Missouri. They had just moved there, as their youngest child was only one and was born in Illinois. They had eight children with them at home. Before 1880, the family moved further west to Iowa, and were enumerated in Valley, Page County there. Their five youngest children were listed at home. In 1885, they were listed on the Iowa State Census still in Page County. "Jerry Selby" with spouse named Phoebe is on the Death Index in Iowa, but we see no death date. In 1900, Phoebe was listed as a widow in Nebraska City, Otoe County, Nebraska and her son William and his children lived in her home. In 1910, she was in same place, with William and his now wife, Stella. Phoebe was 79. In 1920, Phoebe lived or visited with her daughter Mary E. Baty, both widows, in Weeping Water, Cass County Nebraska. Phoebe is listed in the Iowa Deaths Index with no date given. We have not found a burial place. From the 1910 census information, we know that Phoebe and Jeremiah had twelve children, with four living at that time.
1. Abraham Selby was born about 1828/9 in Illinois. He was listed on the 1850 census living with his father in Burton, Adams County, Illinois, age listed seventeen. We do not find him on any future records.
http://thebeardfamilyhistory.wikia.com/wiki/Mary_Polly_Beard,_married_Lingan_Selby
