Otterton in Devon is where the earliest ancestors are recorded as living though it is in Colaton Raleigh that the name is eventually spelled Sellek
Why I Created The Web Site
I have two interests for this site. The first is about genealogy which I became intereted in when I inherited a set of
documents about my Amertican grandmothers roots and decided to investigate my surname and why it is spelt the way it is.
The second interest is my travel photos which are displayed in flickr.
I also wanted to play with html before building a web site for a social club.
Hawkerland,Colaton Raleigh in Devon is where Jacob Sellek or Zelick or several other variants is recorded as an agricultural labourere having been born in Otterton.
Sellek Genealogy
My family tree is available on ancestry.co.uk. It not only gives details of my family tree but also gives a genealogy report for the descendants of Jacob Sellek of
Colaton raleigh. He was the illegitimate son of the widow Hannah Sellek/Sellick/Zellick/Zelick. Her maiden name was Oates and her marriage details in the
Otterton Parish records give her as being of that parish. However I have found no birth details for her. Jacob was born in Otterton and moved to Colaton Raleigh
where he starts the Sellek family. It seems that by the 1841 census the spelling of the surname has settled on Sellek in Colaton Raleigh and Sellick elsewhere in that part of Devon.
According to some family reserachers the name means "Sallow Stream". The Penguin Dictionary of Surnames by Basil Cottle suggests "Sluggish Stream".
He states that there are Devon place names Sellick and Sellake. The later is just east of Tiverton near the A361. It apepars to be just a farm now.
The Domesday Book records "Sellake Selac: Gotshelm holds SELAC ftpm Baldwin (the Sheriff). Brictmer held it before1066. It paid tax
for 1/2 a hide. Land for 2 ploughs. 1 1/2 ploughs there. 2 villagers and 2 smallholders. Meadow, 2 acres; woodland, 6 acres. Formerly 5s now 10s.
