OURSLER, Charles, of Baltimore MD and Adams Co OH

Charles Oursler was born 27 Apr 1755[1] in Baltimore, Baltimore County, Maryland. He was a son of Edward and Ruth (Owings) Oursler.[2] This is apparently the only Oursler family in America in colonial times.[3] Charles died in Adams County, Ohio, after 8 Jan 1803.

            On 5 Feb 1778 in Baltimore MD, Charles married Martha McKinley (sometimes McCandley), daughter of Patrick McKinley. She was probably born ca 1757 in Wilmington, New Castle Co DE. She was living in 1810 in Adams Co OH.

            Charles and Martha lived in Baltimore, moved to some where in Pennsylvania before about 1790, then sometime before 1800, when they moved to Adams Co OH. Charles may have been listed as “Chas Lesley”[4] in Allegheny Co PA in 1790: 1/5/2. There were McKinleys and McCandlesses in the county, as well as a William Hurd.

The name Oursler appears in United States census records for the first time in 1810, John Oursler, Charles’s brother in Soldiers Delight Hundred, Baltimore Co MD: 11101/00300. Note that this is after Charles’s widow and sons have been appearing in Adams Co OH tax lists. In 1820, three “Orsler” households are listed in Baltimore. In 1830, there is a William Oursler in Frederick Co MD and a Hellen Oursler in Robertson Co TN. The Oursler family in Baltimore is the only similar name found at Ancestry.com through at least 1820. Charles and Martha’s sons in Ohio had moved to Brown Co OH and were listed as Osler.

On 19 Feb 1800, Charles Oursler bought land from James Edwards and wife Sarah, for 120 pounds Kentucky money, 206 acres on the waters of the Ohio, NW side of Three Mile Creek.[5] Then, on 8 Jan 1803, Charles Oursler and Martha wife of Adams Co, NW Territory, are listed as selling 5 acres “White’s upper corner upon bank of river” for $10.00 to Ezekiel Beasley of Mason Co, KY. Among the witnesses was “Archable Oursler.”[6]

            Dennis Drake, a contributor to Genforum, the Ousler Family Forum,[7] created a document entitled “Descendants of Edward Oursler.” This document lists the children of Charles and Martha Oursler and names daughter Martha’s husband as Caleb Herd. He may have scanned an older book called The House of Osler. The children of this couple as listed by Mr. Drake are:

1. Joseph OURSLER was born ca 1779. He was in tax lists in Adams Co OH 1806-1810 and resided in Huntington Twp, Brown Co OH in 1830 and 1840.

2. Archibald OURSLER was born on 11 May 1781 in Baltimore, Baltimore Co MD. He was in tax lists in Adams Co OH 1806-1810 and resided in Huntington Twp, Brown Co OH in 1830 and 1840. Archibald died in Adams Co OH, on 9 Jul 1858. He married Rachel Riggs who died 18 Mar 1809. On 6 Feb 1812, he married Malinda True, with whom he had eight children. They were in Adams Co OH in 1850.

3. Charles OURSLER was born ca 1783. He married Elizabeth Skelton. He was in tax lists in Adams Co OH 1806-1810 and resided in Huntington Twp, Brown Co OH in 1830 and 1840.

4. Ruth OURSLER was born ca 1785. She first married William Jacobs and second married Wilson Hawes.  Using Soundex, I do not find a Wilson Hawes in any census entry before 1840.

5. Elizabeth OURSLER was born ca 1789 and married John Lyman.

6. Martha OURSLER was born in 1790 in PA.[8] Martha probably died in Adams Co OH, after 1850. Before 1807, she married Caleb HURD in Adams Co OH. He was born before 1775 in MD or TN or VA or PA and died in Adams Co OH, before 1840. They had the following children:

                        i.            Elizabeth (1807-ca1859)

                        ii.            Caleb (ca1809-)

                        iii.            Charles Thomas (1813-1896)

                        iv.            William (1813-ca1841)

                        v.            son, possibly named John (1814-<1850)

                        vi.            (daughter) (1810-)

                        vii.            (daughter) (1810-)

                        viii.            John William (1821-1898)

7. Mary Jane OURSLER was born on 12 Mar 1792 in VA [sic]. She died in Brown Co OH, on 12 Apr 1872.

7. Catherine OURSLER was born ca 1794 and married John Jones.

 

8. Margaret OURSLER was born ca 1796.

© 2008, Kathy Alvis Patterson

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[1] Maryland and Delaware Revolutionary Patriots 1775-1783 Military Records, Oursler, Charles (born April 27, 1755) Married Martha McCandley/McKinley in 1778. Oath of Allegiance, 1778, before Hon. Edward Cockey. (D-10, A-1/17, A-2/61).

[2] On February 28, 1778 Edward Osler took the Oath of Fidelity before Edward Cockey, swearing allegiance to Maryland and renouncing allegiance to the King of Great Britain. Oaths are recorded at Maryland Historical Society in the Hall of Records, Anne Arundel County Court House, Annapolis, Maryland. In 1750 Edward owned 120 acres of land called “Long Looked For” abbreviated, “Longlookt.” Edward died in 1795 and is buried in Baltimore Co MD. His will was signed 22 Sep 1789 and filed 4 Apr 1795. It is recorded in Will Book 5, page 244, Registrar’s Office, Baltimore Co MD.

[3] The children of Edward and Ruth Oursler, were recorded in the old family Bible owned by Miss Laura Oursler, Baltimore MD, and contributed at the time of the printing by Miss Capitola Oursler, who was a member of the National Genealogical Society. The baptismal records of the first four children are recorded in St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Baltimore Co MD. There are a few discrepancies of a few days or weeks in the birth dates of three of the children as given in the family Bible and in the St. Thomas Parish Register.

[4] The censustaker alphabetized this listing with the L’s.

[5] Gateway to the West, p 24.

[6] Ibid., p 40.

[7] His last posting was in July 2001. Under a different email address, he posted in 2206.

[8] In 1880 her children were not in agreement about her birthplace. Caleb said Virginia, and Charles and John William said Ohio.