Selden family papers

The Selden family has several prominent members important to Rochester history. Samuel Selden was bown in Lyme Connecticut in October of 1800. He moved to Rochester in 1821 following his sister who moved there after marrying a Rochester lawyer. Samuel studied law and became the first judge of the Monroe county court from 1831-1837. He then moved on to serve as a justice of the New York Supreme Court from 1847-1855. He spend the final years of his life as a chief judge from January to July of 1862 before resigning. He passed away in 1876.

Henry Selden was born in Lyme Connecticut in 1805 and moved to Rochester N.Y. to study law in 1825 after his brother Samuel. Henry was admitted to the bar and started his own practice in Clarkson N.Y. in 1830. Later in his life Henry would defend Susan B. Anthony during her trial in 1873. He retired from law and politics in 1879 and would pass away in 1885.

Henry's son George was born in Clarkson N.Y in September 1846. He originally enrolled in Yale to study law like his father and grandfather but seemed to struggle. Eventually George did pass the bar in 1871 and joined his fathers practice shortly after. George focused in patent laws and would often invent things himself. Most notably the Selden patent and his work he did with Eastman Kodak. George would pass away in January 1922.