SELI3Y, West Riding of Yorkshire, a market-town, and the seat of a Poor-Law Union, in the parish of Selby, is situated on the right bank of the river Ouse, in 53° 47' N. lat., I° 6' 1V. long., distant 14 miles S. by E. from York, 181 miles N.N.W. from London by road, and 175 miles by the Great Northern railway. The population of the town in 1851 was 5109. The living is a perpetual curacy in the arch deaconry and diocese of York. Selby Poor-Law Union contains 24 parishes and townships, with an area of 47,830 acres, and a populatiou in 1851 of 14,365.
The town is tolerably well built, paved, lighted with gas, and supplied with water. The Ouse is navigable to Selby for vessels of about 200 tons burden. An excellent timber bridge crosses the Ouse, and opens to permit vessels to pass. The town possesses a town-hall, built in 1825, and a neat building for public meetings, assemblies, &c., erected in 1841. There is a fine old gothic market cross. The church is part of an abbey of Benedictine monks, which was founded by William the Conqueror in 1063, and was the only mitred abbey, except St. Mary of York, north of the Trent. The church is a magnificent cruciform structure, about 300 feet long, and 60 feet wide. The south transept was destroyed near the close of the 17th century by the fall of the upper part of the central tower. The
nave is a fine specimen of Norman architecture ; the choir is decorated ; beyond it is a very beautiful lady chapel. There are places of worship belonging to the Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists, Independents, Baptists, Quakers, Unitarians, and Roman Catholics ; a Free Grammar school, Free schools, the Feoffee's school, and schools supported by tho Wesleyan Methodists and Roman Catholics; also a mechanics institute and a news-room. A canal from Selby joius the Aire and Calder navigation, and thus communicates with Leeds. There is a branch custom-house at Selby, so that vessels can proceed direct to any part of the kingdom. Iron- and brass-founding, boat- and barge building, sail-making, the manufacture of rope- and shoe-thread, brewing, and tanning are carried on. The market ou Monday is a considerable one for agriculturld produce. Fairs, chiefly for cattle, are held on Easter Monday, the Monday after June 21st, and October 11th; and a wool fair on the first three Fridays in June. Petty sessions and a county court are held in the town. Henry I. was born at Selby in 1068.