Selkirk of Chatham County

The family origin begins with William Selkrig of Preston Pans, East Lothian, Scotland which was apparently the county seat.

The first one known to have come to America was James McGlaskan Selkirk who was born 19 June 1819 in Edinburgh, Scotland, descending from one of the titled families of Great Britain. He was the son of James McGlashan Selkirk and Lady Mary Selkirk. When a boy of sixteen years old, James ran away from home and boarded a ship to America, landing at Savannah where he was employed as a stevedore. Later, he worked with the Central of Georgia Railroad, being a locomotive engineer, the train running between Charleston and Augusta. He married Miss Drusilla Frisbie of Bradford, Connecticut, in 1858, and they removed to Augusta where they lived until after the close of the War Between the States, finally establishing their home in Atlanta. He married second, Susan (born 1839 in Georgia) and was residing with her Floyd County during the 1880s. Issue:

• James Melrose Selkirk, born 1860 in Savannah, railroad clerk.
• Mattie Selkirk, born 1862.

This picture appeared in the book 'Castles and Mansions of the Lothians' by John Small published in 1883.Prestongrange was largely designed by William Playfair c1830 but retains an earlier core.


Old bridge across the River Esk, Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland. The oldest parts of this bridge is probably Roman.

Sources: History of Georgia, Vol. II (1926); 1880 Floyd County Census.