Timothy married Bertha Powell (b 25 December 1879) in 1905 [Wrexham 1905, 3rd qtr]. She was the daughter of a Colliery
Manager Ioan and Harriet Powell of Broughton, Denbighshire, and taught with Timothy at Brymbo Church School (1899-1905). Timothy and Bertha had one son, John Vivian Shelby. In November 1908, tragedy struck the household when their eighteen year old maid, Margaret Powell, was burned to death. [Herald Cymraeg, 1 Dec 1908].
The family lived in a big house, Min-y-Graig, high on a hill in Brymbo and Timothy owned property in Wrexham, including adjacent houses, "Penrhos" and "Cymystwyth" (named after the birthplaces of his grandfather, James Owen, and father John Shelby), where the Gill family lived. Despite being the youngest son born to John and Sarah, he clearly became highly regarded within the family and someone on whom several of the family depended, not only for the rooves over their heads but also in administrative matters; he was granted probate following the deaths of several family members.
Timothy was a member of the Parochial Church Council from the time of its inception, a member of the governing body of the representative body of the Diocese of St. Asaph and a member of the Diocesan boards of Finance and of Patronage. He took an active and prominent part in local life and was president of Brymbo Nursing Association whilst it was in existence.
Timothy died on 1 May 1954 at Wrexham and East Denbighshire War Memorial Hospital. He was buried at St. Mary’s Church,
Brymbo. His obituary in the local paper, The Leader, described him as follows: "Mr. Shelby’s disposition was one of kindliness and he was always cheerful, two factors which were outstanding.
His uprightness and sincerity had welded together a multitude of friends by whom he was revered and by whom he is mourned." The number of mourners at his funeral testified to that. Bertha died on 16 May 1975.