Charles William Selwyn

Who was Charles William Selwyn?

Captain Charles William Selwyn was a British army officer and Conservative politician.

He was the eldest son of the Rt. Hon. Sir Charles Jasper Selwyn, Lord Justice of Appeal, and his wife Hester née Ravenshaw. He was educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge, before being commissioned in the Royal Horse Guards. He served with distinction with the regiment in the 1882 Anglo-Egyptian War. He made his home at Selwyn Court, Richmond, Surrey. In 1884 he married Isabella Constance Dalgety of Locklerley Hall, Romsey, Hampshire.

In 1885 he was selected as Conservative candidate to contest the new constituency of Wisbech, but was defeated by his Liberal opponent John Rigby. A further general election was held in 1886, and Selwyn stood against Rigby again, this time winning the seat to become member of parliament for Wisbech. In October 1890 Selwyn informed the local Conservative and Unionist Association that his health would not allow him to undertake a contested election. His health deteriorated to such a degree that he was forced to resign from the Commons on 4 July 1891 by accepting the office of Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds.

He died in Auckland, New Zealand on 1 March 1893 and was buried at St John's College, Auckland.