Selby Allan Dow (1844-1893)

Selby Dow (sometimes recorded as Dawe) was born in 1844 at Harbour Grace. He was the son of a doctor and likely educated as he was working as a bookkeeper between 1864 and 1871. He was first employed by the Mining Company in Little Bay as a bookkeeper or accountant. I’m not sure when he first arrives in Little Bay but he was reported to have worked the accountant job for a number of years and it appears that he lost his position with the mine by early 1886. His subsequent activities may indicate that alcohol contributed to his loss of status.

In March 1886 Mr. Dow was found working as an agent for John Lamb. At this time Mr. Dow ran the billiard room of Lamb’s Skittle Alley in Little Bay. It was while employed there that he was brought up on charges for allowing gambling for beer by way of playing cards to take place at that establishment (Wells, 1886). In July 1886 he again ran into trouble with the law when was one of those found drinking at the McLean Sheehan house during a police raid by Sergeant Wells’ Invincibles. The report on this event makes a point of referring to him as an “ex-accountant (Twillingate Sun, April 7, 1887).

It is unclear exactly when he left Little Bay but he was listed as a resident of Pilley’s Island at the time of his death. Selby Dow died in a boating accident on the 27th of August in 1893. The details are quoted as follows “He, in company with a Mr. Sullivan, was returning from Little Bay to Pilley’s Island in a boat when she struck on a rock off the head of the L.B. wharf, slightly submerged below water. She was under sail, and, striking heavily, went down stern foremost, carrying her two occupants with her” (St. John’s Evening Herald, Sept 11, 1893). It was reported that Mr. Sullivan, at least, was a fine swimmer so his drowning is suggested to be the result of getting tangled up in ropes. Another explanation could be that the two men had been drinking.

Selby Dow died without a will and the value of his estate was left to his brothers Robert and Ronald Dow of Montreal (Deeds, Petitions, and Wills).