OUSELEY, Northamptonshire & Ireland

[Guest]

I've just finished scanning Whellan's Directory of Northamptonshire 1849 - available from our stall at The Parish Chest - which is a book we acquired a short while ago.

When we started to scan the book we found that it contained two hand written documents - a letter and some notes - concerning the OUSELEY family.

In the hope that the information conatined in them will be of interest to someone I have transcribed them (hopefully accurately, some of the handwriting is difficult to decipher) as detailed below.

Graham

Document 1 – Letter from Madeline O. Hood to Mrs R Asplen, Bendower, Kenilworth, Warwickshire
Hazelwood, the Park, 24th Nov 1926
My dear Norah
Very many thanks for your letter – Yes! I am thankful to say yr Uncle Ernie is going on well. He is still resting in bed, poor dear! - but sit up for an hour or so by the fire – He does find it dull – but then I tell him that's what is doing him good.
If you are going to Northampton see the original home of the Ouseleys – or Osleys as they were sometimes called. You will find it at Courteen Hall – whither in the sixteenth century old Ouseley – who married a “Wake” - one of “The” Wakes” sisters lived – their tomb is in a old Norman church Courteen church & on it is a quaint inscription in gothic characters – About the 17 Century owing to money difficulties Courteen Hall was sold to a Jones! - & then the Ouseleys settled in Ireland – what with one thing and another we seem to have had some quite historic names in our ancestry – through my great grandmother an Irving who married old Sir William Ouseley – we are descended from the Black Douglas! & though deBrett does not go in for ancient history the tradition of the family dates us back by blood to Simon de Montfort – The one thing money cannot buy! Anyhow – we seem to have come from a practically unbroken line of soldiers through the Ouseleys – one commanding the 8th Dragoon guards (afterwards Hussars) in the Peninsula – It is all rather interesting if ancient history - & it is nice to think that they were practically all men in Command! for the last 300 years or so.
The kiddies are well & looking forward to Xmas. Patricia has just bought a ukelele! & mournful strains can be heard in her “off” times.
Hoping you will get this in time – I saw yr mater yesterday - & was to have gone to the cinema with her today only she has just written she does not feelin inclined to dally with “Flu” perhaps!
Thanking you again for kind enquiries – lots of love from us all
Yr Affect Aunt
Madeline O. Hood

Document 2 – two loose sheets in a different hand from Document 1.
Although I have no legal proof of descent from Simon de Montfort, there appears to be no reason why there should be any doubt, it has always been an accepted fact in my family, passed down from one generation to another. (There is a sentence written in between the lines here which is difficult to decipher). The connection is through the old Shropshire family of Ouseley, who moved to the Northamptonshire village of Courteenhall in 1572 when Sir Richard Ouseley purchased the manor from the Crown. The family tombs may be seen in the church. The family remained at Courteenhall until 1650, the three generations being Richard Ouseley (1572), Sir John Ouseley (1598) m Martha Tate, Richard Ouseley (1650) sold Courteenhall to Sir Samuel Jones. Richard Ouseley settled in Ireland at Dunmore where the family remained, until Capt. Ralph Ouseley entered the Army serving in Portugal under Wellington. He had 2 distinguished sons, Sir Gore Ouseley Ambassador to the Shah of Persia & Sir William Ouseley (1769-1842) noted Oriental Scholar. Sir Gore Ouseley's son Sir Frederick Gore Ouseley (1825-89) founded St Michael's Choir School at Tenbury & was a well known church musician & composer. I am descended from Sir Gore Ouseley whose younger son Capt. Ralph Ouseley was my great-great-grandfather.

[Laurence]

Hi Graham

Very interested to see this and have just written to you separately. I am researching this family and I think the recipent is Madeline's niece Norah, the daughter of her sister, Kate Ouseley Sherlock. Madeline was born Madeline Ouseley Sherlock. Kate married firstly George Burridge Crawley and secondly, I think, O'Donnell so that Norah was Norah O'Donnell before marriage. Kate had 2 boys by Crawley and Norah. I understood that Norah had married but did not know to whom, until now - apparently R Asplen. I understand they had no children.

Thanks so much for this post

Laurence

[Guest]

Very pleased that the post has proved to be useful.

Graham

[npjewell]

Hi--long time since this was first posted but I too am researching the O'Donnell family. I have some information to add re Norah McDonnell. She was indeed married to William Reginald Ward Asplen in 1916. She did have at least one child from this union: Hazel Betty Asplen (1918--1992). Hazel married Cyril Francis Gazard in 1941 and they too had at least one child: {deleted} Yvette is my third cousin but am not able to track further on this line as to whether Yvette ever married, had children, or is still alive. I would welcome any help in this regard.
Nicholas

[Lesley Robertson]

Welcome to the British Genealogy Forum, Nicholas. Unfortunately, the original poster on this thread is no longer a member (you can see that because they are designated as "guest" under their user name) and will not be notified of your interest.

Our T&C prevent us from publishing information about (potentially) living people on the Forum, although people can swap such info via our Private Message system. Some of our members have has success via the Salvation Army's family finding service. The name is not over-common, though, so I think that I would start with FreeBMD and look for marriages and deaths.

On FreeBMD I can only see one marriage for an Yvette E G, in Kidderminster in 1964 to a Mr Miles. If it looks possible, you can buy a copy of the marriage certificate and confirm the bride's father and the groom's full name.

[npjewell]

Thanks!

[Lesley Robertson]

To buy an English certificate, follow the instructions on FreeBMD. If you go through a commercial site it will cost a lot more.

[Sandyhall]

FreeBMD has 2 children borne to Parents Miles & Gazard I will PM you info.

Looked for a Death for Y E Miles but didn't see one so she could still be alive

[Sandyhall]

I might have found a second marriage so will PM you details Look in your E-Mails for them if you can't see them
Sandie