Shelby, Edwin

Submitted by Mike Miller

Shelby, Edwin, of New Orleans, assistant secretary and general manager of the New Orleans Casualty Co., was born in Brandon, Miss., Oct. 6, 1855; son of Col. W. B. Shelby, a native of Tennessee, who settled in Mississippi in his early manhood. The father was a leading attorney of his adopted state, became active in political affairs and was candidate for congress in 1872. Col. Shelby was an officer in the Confederate army, and commanded the 39th Mississippi regiment. At Port Hudson, July 9, 1863, he was captured and sent to Johnson's Island prison, where he remained until the surrender of Gen. Lee at Appomattox. After the war, he returned to Brandon, and resumed the practice of law. He died in 1873, aged 46 years. Anthony B. Shelby, grandfather of Edwin, was born in Tennessee, followed the law, and filled a term as associate justice of the supreme court of Texas before it became a state. The great-grandfather, Hon. David Shelby, was one of the early settlers of Tennessee, and is prominently connected with its early history. The Shelby family is inseparably connected with that state, and has given name to both a city and a county. The family are of Welsh descent. Mr. Edwin Shelby's mother, now past 82 years of age, was Margaret, daughter of Isaac Alexander, native North Carolina, and a descendant of the Alexander who signed the Declaration of Independence. The Alexanders come from Scotch ancestry. Edwin Shelby is the third son in a family of 10 children. He resided in Brandon, Miss., until his 20th year, and attended the common schools of that town. In 1876 he became a traveling salesman, and was employed in that capacity by Cincinnati and St. Louis firms until 1898, when he entered the insurance business at Fort Smith, Ark. Having sold out his insurance business at that place, he came to New Orleans in 1893, to represent as general manager for the Southern states a casualty insurance company of St. Louis. Since 1899 Mr. Shelby has been agent for English and American casualty companies, and also has been engaged in the local fire insurance business, this being carried on under name of Edwin Shelby Co., Ltd., of which he is president. When the New Orleans Casualty Co. was organized, he accepted the position of assistant secretary and general manager of that company. April 11, 1882, Mr. Shelby married Elmira Richardson, daughter of the late Judge J. N. Richardson of Ouachita parish. They have 4 children, Sarah, wife of John H. Frederickson, Salt Lake City; Margaret, wife of C. J. Fredricks; Eleanor, and Edwin, Jr., who is a student at the University of Illinois in the civil engineering department. They also have 3 grandchildren: Myra Shelby Fredrickson, John H. Fredrickson, Jr., and George Shelby Fredricks. Mr. Shelby has always been identified with every reform movement in politics. In recognition of his eminent fitness for the place, and without any solicitation on his part, and quite unexpectedly, he received the appointment of trustee of the State Industrial university. Socially, he is a member of the Knights of Pythias, and of the Pickwick club. Having come here from another state, he has identified himself thoroughly with the state and city of his adoption until he is now looked upon as one of the foremost citizens in all the higher phases of material, social and moral welfare.

Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 396-397. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.