Editing Selby (section)

==History==
===Foundation===
Archaeological investigations in Selby have revealed extensive remains, including waterlogged deposits in the core of the town dating from the Roman period onwards. It is believed that Selby originated as a settlement called Seletun, which was referred to in the [[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]] of AD&nbsp;779.

The place name 'Selby' is first attested in a Yorkshire charter {{circa|1030}}, where it appears as ''Seleby''. It appears as ''Selbi'' {{circa|1050}}. The name is thought to be a Scandinavian form of Seletun, meaning '[[Salix caprea|sallow tree]] settlement'.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|authorlink=Eilert Ekwall|first=Eilert|last=Ekwall|title=The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-names|page=411}}</ref>

===Development===
The town of Selby is on the main route north from the [[English Midlands|Midlands]] and is the traditional birthplace of [[Henry I of England|King Henry I]], fourth son of [[William the Conqueror]], in 1068/69;<ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://www.selby.gov.uk/service_main.asp?menuid=&pageid=&id=1474
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614113455/http://www.selby.gov.uk/service_main.asp?menuid=&pageid=&id=1474
|archive-date=14 June 2011
|title=Your 'Excellent' Council
|publisher=Selby District Council
|access-date=12 June 2009
}}
</ref> the connection is supported by William and his wife [[Matilda of Flanders|Matilda]]'s unique joint charter of [[Selby Abbey]], far to the north of their usual circuit of activities, which was founded for [[Selby Abbey|Benedict of Auxerre]] in 1069<ref name=":0">[[C. Warren Hollister]], ''Henry I'' (Yales English Monarchs) 2001:32f.</ref> and subsequently supported by the [[de Lacy]] family. King [[Henry I of England|Henry I]] is reputed to have been born there in {{circa|1068}}. A notable feature of the abbey is the 14th-century Washington Window, featuring the [[Coat of arms of George Washington|heraldic arms]] of the ancestors of [[George Washington]], the first [[president of the United States]]. The design is often cited as an influence for the [[Flag of the United States|Stars and Stripes]] flag.

It is said that the abbey was founded when Benedict saw three swans on a lake in Selby, which he took as a sign of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and that is why the official crest of Selby Abbey is three swans.<ref>However a more likely explanation is that the three swans – symbols of purity – represent the triple dedication of the Abbey Church to Our Lord, Our Lady and St Germain.
{{cite web
|url=http://www.selbyabbey.org.uk/history.htm
|title=Abbey History – One of England's Best Churches
|publisher=selbyabbey.org.uk
|access-date=12 June 2009
}}
</ref> Selby Abbey was closed in 1539 as part of the [[Dissolution of the Monasteries]] under [[Henry VIII]] and the majority of the buildings have since been demolished.<ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/northyorkshire/content/articles/2009/05/13/selby_archaeology_feature.shtml
|title=North Yorkshire – History – Selby's past revealed
|publisher=BBC
|access-date=22 June 2009
}}
</ref> The central nave of the abbey church survived and in 1618 it became the parish church of Selby.

During the [[English Civil War]] the Royalist garrison of Selby was captured by Parliamentarians in the [[Battle of Selby]] on 11 April 1644.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.information-britain.co.uk/famdates.php?id=327|title=The 11th of April 1644 AD, Battle of Selby, famous dates in History
|publisher=information-britain.co.uk|access-date=12 June 2009}}</ref> There are other historical sites, such as the [[cholera]] [[burial ground]] on the north side of the abbey,<ref name="guide">{{cite book|last=Selby Civic Society|title=Selby. A brief guide to places of interest.|publisher=Selby Civic Society|location=Selby|year=1998<!--|access-date=20 July 2009-->}}</ref> the market cross and the local school, [[Selby High School]]. The Market Place has existed since the early 14th century, when the market was moved away from the monastery churchyard. [[The Crescent, Selby|The Crescent]] which curves eastwards from James Street, was planned in the early 19th century by a local man, John Audus, after he saw [[Lansdown Crescent, Bath|Lansdown Crescent]] in [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]], [[Somerset]].<ref name="guide"/>

===Since 2000===
Selby is expanding. New houses and shops are being built on the outskirts as far as the bypass, which has resulted in the loss of some trade from the town centre. Meanwhile, the riverfront is being revamped with modern housing and fashionable flats.<ref>
{{cite web
|url=http://www.selby.gov.uk/service_main.asp?menuid=&pageid=&id=1708
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614113644/http://www.selby.gov.uk/service_main.asp?menuid=&pageid=&id=1708
|archive-date=14 June 2011
|title=Living Streets – Renaissance 2009
|publisher=Selby District Council
|access-date=21 July 2009
}}
</ref>

====Rail crash====
{{Main|Great Heck rail crash}}
The 2001 [[Great Heck rail crash]] is also often referred to as the Selby rail crash. It happened a few miles south of Selby, at the village of [[Great Heck]] near the [[M62 motorway]], and Selby was the closest major town to the accident site. On 28 February 2001 a vehicle crashed off the M62 down an embankment onto a railway track, where it was struck by a passenger train heading to London. The accident was then compounded by a second collision involving an oncoming goods train.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wainwright |first1=Martin |title=The carnage at Great Heck |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2001/feb/28/selby.railtravel5 |access-date=1 July 2019 |work=The Guardian |date=28 February 2001}}</ref>

====Hobson murders====
Selby and its surrounding area came to national prominence once again through another tragedy on 18 July 2004, this time through four exceptionally violent murders carried out by former [[refuse collector]] [[Mark Hobson (spree killer)|Mark Hobson]]. Hobson, 34 at the time, killed his girlfriend, Claire Sanderson, 27, and her sister Diane at a flat in the nearby village of [[Camblesforth]]. He subsequently murdered an elderly couple, James and Joan Britton, at their home in the village of [[Strensall]], near [[York]]. Hobson was later sentenced to life imprisonment, with the trial judge recommending that he should never be released; the [[High Court of Justice|High Court]] later agreed with this recommendation.<ref>{{cite news|title=Killer Hobson loses tariff appeal|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/4484502.stm|access-date=31 January 2016|work=BBC News|date=30 November 2005}}</ref>