Shadrick Ousley (c1800-1850/4)
The Ousley family of Floyd County, Kentucky and Carroll County, Virginia appears to have its origins in the family of Woosley. It is said the immigrant ancestor of this family was one Thomas 'Moses' Woosley, Sr., born about 1730 in Ireland. He died 1796 in Halifax County, Virginia. His widow, Elizabeth, was living in 1782. This family has no known connection to the Owsley family of Somersetshire, England.
BENJAMIN WOOSLEY was born between 1771 and 1780 in Virginia and died 1843 and 1850, probably in Floyd County, Kentucky. He married Elizabeth, who was living 1840, but apparently dead by 1850.
Patrick County, Virginia deeds from 1791 to 1850 record two land transactions involving Benjamin Woosley- 18 January 1808, Jesse De Hart to Benjamin Woosley (Deeds 3: 95) and 20 December 1811, Benjamin and Elizabeth Woosley to Gabriel Bolen (3: 520). Benjamin Woosley appears in the census of Patrick County in 1810 and in Tazewell County, Virginia in 1830, aged 50-59, and in 1840, aged 60-69. He must be identical with the Benjamin Owzley who appears on the 1843 Floyd County tax list aged over 21, with 4 children aged between 7 and 17, but appears on no subsequent county tax list.
Probable issue of Benjamin and Elizabeth Woosley-
1. SHADRICK OUSLEY was born c1800 in Kentucky according to the 1850 census. He is believed to have been the son of Benjamin Woosley based upon bearing the same family name and continuing the name Benjamin among his descendants. There is otherwise no known record that names his parents. He first appears in Floyd County in 1840. Though enumerated in the census that year he does not appear in the county tax list of 1840, nor in any earlier tax list. He appears on the 1850 census of Floyd County, but had died by 1854 when only his wife Margaret appears on the Floyd County tax list. Margaret appears to have died by 1860 when she is not found on the census of that year. Their record of marriage in Patrick County, Virginia on 3 January 1823 records the name of the couple as Shadrack Woosley and Peggy Duvize. John Hancock was surety.
The family name was spelled phonetically and appears in a variety of forms in the Floyd County tax lists- Ousley (1841, 1846), Oseley (1842), Owzley (1843), and Oosley (1844).
1-1. ? Fleming Ousley was born about 1822-6 in Virginia. He was married 20 March 1847 in Floyd County, Kentucky to Elizabeth Sanders. Fleming Ousley first appears in Floyd County on the 1846 tax list, but was living 1850 in Lawrence County, Kentucky, and appears on the 1854 Floyd County tax list. His age varies greatly in the censuses, being aged 28 in 1850, 38 in 1860, 54 in 1870 (as Fleming Osley), and 64 in 1880 (as Fleming Ouesley) when he is found living in Wolfe County. Elizabeth (Sanders) Ousley gave her age as 30 in 1860, 49 in 1870, and 54 in 1880. There is no record that actually states Fleming was the son of Shadrack Ousley, however, in 1860 and 1870 he was living next door to sons of Shadrack.
1-2. Benjamin Ousley was born about 1825 in Virginia and died 10 January 1876 in Floyd County, Kentucky. He was married 27 February 1847 in Floyd County to Jemimah Thornsberry. She was born 1 September 1819 in Virginia and died 10 May 1909 in Floyd County. Benjamin Ousley was born in Tazewell County, Virginia (per marriage license of sons George and Benjamin) or Scott County, Virginia (per marriage license of son Joseph) or Patrick County, Virginia (per marriage license of daughter Cynthia). He first appears in Floyd County on the 1846 tax list aged over 21. Jemimah (Thornsberry) Ousley was the daughter of John and Frances Thornsberry, and widow of Robert Frasure. In 1900, again a widow, she was living with her son Daniel in Floyd County.
1-3. Elizabeth Ousley was born about 1828 in Kentucky and was living 1850, aged 22, with her parents in Floyd County, Kentucky. She was not living with her parents in 1860 and there is no record of her marriage in Floyd County.
1-4. John Ousley was born about 1830 in Kentucky and was living 1850, aged 20, with his parents in Floyd County. It was probably he, as John Osley, age 44, who was living next door to Fleming Osley in Floyd County in 1870. Living with him was his wife Botema, 42, and 3 sons, Benjamin 16, James 14 and Thomas 12.
1-5. Peter Ousley was born about 1831 in Kentucky and was living 1850, aged 19, with his parents in Floyd County. He was living 1860 in Floyd County, aged 30, with his wife Mary Jane, 26. His whereabouts thereafter are not known.
1-6. Mary A. Ousley was born about 1833 in Kentucky and was living 1850, aged 17, with her parents at home in Floyd County, Kentucky. She was not living with her parents in 1860 and there is no record of her marriage in Floyd County.
1-7. Colly Ousley was born about 1834 in Kentucky and was living 1850, aged 16, with her parents at home in Floyd County, Kentucky. She was not living with her parents in 1860 and there is no record of her marriage in Floyd County.
1-8. James T. Ousley was born about 1836 in Kentucky and was living 1850, aged 14, with his parents at home in Floyd County, Kentucky. He was not living with her parents in 1860 and there is no record of his marriage in Floyd County.
1-9. Joshua (Kagel) Ousley was born about 1838 and was living 1850, aged 12, at home with his parents in Floyd County. His name was recorded as Kagel in 1850, but his death was recorded in Floyd County records as Joshua Owsley, son of Shadrich and Margaret Owsley, dying 15 October 1855 at age 17.
2. William Woosley was born 1800-5 and died before 1845. He was married 3 January 1823 in Grayson County, Virginia to Elizabeth Puckett.
The marriage record of William Woosley calls Elizabeth Puckett the daughter of John Puckett and names Benjamin Woosley as surety. William Woosley appears in the 1830 Tazewell County, Virginia census aged 20-20 living near Benjamin Woosley. Elizabeth (Puckett) Woosley was married 2ndly, 14 January 1845 in Carroll County, to Hail Spence (born c1800), by whom she had a daughter, Hannah, born c1849. In her marriage bond to Spence she is again referred to as the daughter of John Puckett, Sr. Although there is no evidence that William Woosley was ever known by the name Ousley, this name came to be associated with his son and was retained by his descendants.
2-1. William Ousley was born 1825-6 in Virginia and died 1850-60. He was married 13 February 1846 in Carroll County, Virginia to Rachel Spence. William and Rachel Ousley were named as the parents of John J. Ousley in his marriage record of 1869. That record also stated that John was born in Carroll County. Carroll County marriage records record the marriage of William Woosley to Rachel Spence, daughter of John Spence, who consents to the marriage, on 13 February 1846. William must have died by 1860 when Rachel Ously, age 34, born in Virginia, is found living in the household of James Keith in Carroll County and 3 houses away is her son, John J. Ously, age 13, living with John C. Jennings. The record of her remarriage to John H. Carpenter on 12 November 1866 in Carroll County records both parties as widowed. Rachel's age is given as 45.
2-2. Martha Ann Woosley was born about 1833 in Virginia. She was married 23 December 1849 in Carroll County, Virginia to Thomas Marshall. Martha Woosley is called Martha Oozle, daughter of Elizabeth Spence, in her marriage bond with Thomas Marshall.
3. Nancy Woosley was born 1800-5. She was married 27 December 1822 in Grayson County, Virginia to Archibald Rudd. In her marriage bond with Archibald Rudd, Nancy Woosley was named as the daughter of Benjamin Woosley. She and her husband were residents of Tazewell County, Virginia in 1830, she being then aged 20-29 and in 1840.
4. Mary Woosley was married 30 October 1823 in Grayson County, Virginia to John Spence. Mary Woosley is presumed to be a daughter of Benjamin Woosley based upon her family name and marriage to a Spence, others of that name having also married Woosleys.
