Thomas Sellar
Mayor of Oxford 1703/4 and 1709/10
Thomas Sellar (or Selwood/Sellwood) (c.1655–1729) was a tailor who lived in St Peter-in-the-East parish.
Sellar and his wife Grace had the following four children:
- Anne (baptised at St Peter-in-the-East Church on 26 December 1680)
- Margaret (baptised at St Peter-in-the-East Church on 22 July 1683)
- Grace (baptised at St Peter-in-the-East Church on 8 September 1687)
- Elizabeth (baptised at St Peter-in-the-East Church on 21 September 1690).
Sellar was first elected to the Common Council in 1687. He was chosen Mayor’s Chamberlain in 1694, but refused to accept the office; after paying a fine of £15, he was given a Bailiff’s place, and became Junior Bailiff the next year.
In 1696 Sellar paid tax on ten windows in St Peter-in-the-East parish on a property on the site of the present Hertford College.
In 1700 Sellar was chosen one of the Mayor’s eight Assistants.
In June 1701 a Thomas Sellar, tailor, took on Edward Major as an apprentice, but he was transferred to another tailor in March 1702/3.
In 1702 Sellar was "discommoned" with three others by the University for alleged misbehaviour and violence against the Duke of Somerset at the Eastgate. The council voted to defend them at the City’s expense, and eventually the University gave the four men
"full liberty of tradeing and contracting with its members, upon Condition yt the City do by some Act (which may to posterity appear to be an Act of their corporation) own yt the University have a right of precedency in all publick processions, and of goeing next to the Person of ye King or Queen or any of ye Royall family whensoever they make any Publick entrance into this University and City."
On 20 September 1703 Sellar was elected Mayor, giving Oliver Jones a Bailiff’s place as his Child. After his term of office he resumed the position of Mayor’s Assistant, and became a Keykeeper in 1708.
On 19 September 1709 Sellar was elected Mayor for a second time, choosing Robert Neale as his Chamberlain and Edward Prince as his Child. Again he went back to being an Assistant, and on 27 January 1718 he was fine a shilling for coming to Council without his gown.
Sellar’s wife Grace was buried at St Peter-in-the-East Church on 4 August 1717, and Sellar himself was buried there on 10 January 1718/19.
See also:
- Malcolm Graham, Oxford City Apprentices 1697–1800, entry numbered 190
- PCC Will PROB 11/567 (Will of Thomas Sellar of Oxford, proved 4 February 1719)