AND OPINIONS OF IT’S ORIGIN©
For over twenty years I have been researching and collecting data on the Ussery/Usry name, I have continued to be amazed by the stories of Ussery connections to Royal Households. And of course, the many opinions of the origin of the Ussery name. So far, no proof has been forthcoming in proving either, but many good leads have surfaced.
The British Surveyer-General, John Lawson, probably knew the native people of the Carolinas and Virginia better than any other European. His book, History of North Carolina (London, 1714), is said to be the most accurate of all early publication about the New World. Lawson spent considerable time with the Ushery Nation, and describes the people as reasonably handsome and as being trustworthy, courageous, and friendly.
In the early 1700's, the name Catawba was applied to the Southern Sioux. Colonel William Boyd, head of the survey party that established a dividing line between North Carolina and Virginia about 1730, passed through Catawba towns. Boyd noted in his journal, "These Indians were all called formerly by the general name of Usheroos, and were very numerous and powerful people." Col. Boyd also notes that a number of white people were living in Catawba towns. (Ref: Lefler, H.T. and W.S. Powell, Coloial NC, A History; 1973. Rights, D.L., The American Indian in NC, 1947; Brown, D.S, The Catawba Indians: The People of the River, 1967)
During his expedition through Surry County, Lederer traveled through Sara, where the Sara Indians dwelled. Today they are referred to as the Saura Town Indians of Saura Town Mountain. In his journal Lederer noted: "From Sara I kept a south-southwest course until the 25th of June (1670) and then reached Wisachy...The 26th of June, having crossed a fresh river which runs into the lake of Ushery I came to the town, which was more populous than any I have seen before in my march." (History of Surry County or Annals of NW North Carolina by J.G. Hollingsworth, 1935, pp13)
In the Colonial days in Virginia the Episcopal Church kept records of baptisms, births, deaths, etc. Some of the parish registers have been published, some destroyed. In the parish register for Saint Peter’s, New Kent County, VA, 1680-1787, the following is found:
So, the question remains. If there was an Ussery in New Kent County, VA in 1684, then when did he come to Virginia and where did he come from?
In perusing this question, I researched the numerous issues of John Usry’s Bulletins and found many letters from Ussery researchers claiming to have found the true Motherland of our noble ancestors, and with each letter came a new tale and new country or origin. So, for those Ussery researchers who are still hopeful of cracking the puzzle, I offer you the information I have and wish you all the luck in the world!
http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0307&L=hel-l&D=1&P=10231
De Dinnington sounds like a lord of the manor somewhere. In the early 1900s a Barlow relation of mine (who was a social climber of some renown) spent a small fortune and many years in search of a Norman-blood ancestor. His researchers found a 1066 companion of Duke William's called Ours/Urso d'Abitot or De Abetot from the manor of St Jean D'Abitot in Normandy. A son was recorded as Richard Fitzurse, and a brother as Robert Le Dispenser. Whether those second-names were eke-names or permanent surnames was not reported. In general the family seems to have retained the d'Abitot identification with Normandy. A later descendant became lord of the manor of the village of Barley in Derbyshire, and was recorded as (1207) William d'Abitot de Barley. His son was recorded in three different documents as Jordan de Habetot, Jordan de Hapetot of Barlege, and Jordan de Barlay. Robert de Aptoft was Jordan's son, and Thomas Abbetoft (born 1307) was Jordan's grandson, and thereafter the name seems to have been simply Barley for the next seven generations. William's brother, incidentally, was recorded in 1200 as Jordan fitz Urse de Williton (in Somerset); the boys were four generations removed from Urso D'Abitot the Norman invader
Grant, 1275, January 12. 3 Edward I. 1 item : parchment ; 21.5 x 22 cm. SUMMARY: Grant by Sir Warin de Sicca Villa to John le Abbe, lord of Wasserfelle (Devon), of la Wyche and Cotteclywe (Devon), the mill of Wassefeld and 9 acres in the marsh of Wassefeld, which he held of Richard de la Werthe, subject to a yearly rent of 20s. to be paid at Wassefeld or Bykecumb (Dorset). Given at Exeter (Devon) on Saturday before the octave of the Epiphany. WITNESSES: Sir Thomas de Pine, Sir John de Alba Mara, Sir Henry de Esse, Robert de Raddington, John de Asleg, William de Occumton, John Kelly. Indenture, with 1 seal (2.1 x 3.2 cm.) of green wax, pendant on a tag, oval, bearing a device: a fleur- de-lys; with the legend: S. JOHANNIS LE ABE. HOL# -AMZ8535-2 I. De Sackville, Warin, Sir. II. Abbot, John, lord of Washfield, fl. 1275. III. Worth, Richard, fl. 1270-1290. IV. De Pyne, Thomas, Sir. V. De Alba Mara, John, Sir. VI. De Esse, Henry, Sir. VII. De Raddington, Robert. VIII. De Ashley, John. IX. De Okhamton, William.
SUBJECTS:
1. Washfield, John Abbot, lord of, fl. 1275. 2. Deeds--England--Devon. 3. Deeds--England--Wick. 4. Deeds-- England--Cotleigh. 5. Deeds--England-- Washfield. 6. Devon (England)--Charters, grants, privileges. 7. Wick (England)-- Charters, grants, privileges. 8. Cotleigh (England)--Charters, grants, privileges. 9. Washfield (England)--Charters, grants, privileges. 10. Exeter (Devon, England) 11. Bincombe (Dorset, England).
(Source http://www.law.harvard.edu/library/guides/deeds/deeds.html
Deeds 7 Agreement, 1275, January 12. 3 Edward I. 1 item : parchment ; 15 x 24 cm. SUMMARY: Agreement between Sir Warin de Sicca Villa and John le Abbe, lord of Wasfelle (Devon), reciting that the said Warin has quit-claimed to the said John, son and heir of William le Abbe of Wasfelle, the right which he had in the dower which belonged to Isabel possibly the possessions in Wick, Cotleigh, and Washfield mentioned in Deeds 6 , who was the wife of the said William le Abbe, for 20s. to be paid to the said Warin at Wasfelle or Bykecomb (Dorset) so long as Isabel lives, for which payment John le Abbe binds himself with covenants as to distraint and re-entry in case of default. Given at Exeter on Saturday next after the octave of Epiphany. WITNESSES: Sir Thomas de Pyn, Sir John de Alba Mara, Sir Henry de Esse, Robert de Radynton, John de Ayslegh, William de Okhamton, John de Kelly. Indenture, with 1 seal of white wax in fragments. Not found in envelope 11/20/95. HOL# -AMZ8570-0 I. Abbot, William, lord of Washfield, fl. 1270. II. Abbot, John, lord of Washfield, fl. 1275. III. Abbot, Isabel. IV. De Alba Mara, John, Sir. V. De Ashley, John. VI. De Sackville, Warin, Sir. VII. De Pyne, Thomas, Sir. VIII. De Esse, Henry, Sir. IX. De Raddington, Robert. X. De Okhamton, William. XI. De Kelly, John. SUBJECTS: 1. Deeds--England--Devon. 2. Deeds--England--Wick. 3. Deeds-- England--Cotleigh. 4. Deeds--England-- Washfield. 5. Devon (England)--Charters, grants, privileges. 6. Wick (England)-- Charters, grants, privileges. 7. Cotleigh (England)--Charters, grants, privileges. 8. Washfield (England)--Charters, grants, privileges. 9. Bincombe (Dorset, England) 10. Exeter (Devon, England). (Source http://www.law.harvard.edu/library/guides/deeds/deeds.html
Deeds 11 Grant, 1304, September 14. 32 Edward I. 1 item : parchment ; 13.5 x 20 cm. SUMMARY: Grant by Thomas Hobekyn to Henry Abbe, lord of Wasfeld (Devon), and Joan his wife of 6 1/2 acres of land in his tenement of Wasfeld which he had in exchange for so much land in la Hele, Colvercleve and la Rigge bounds given . Given at Wasfeld, Monday next after the Nativity of the Blessed Mary, 32 Edward I . WITNESSES: Thomas de Esse, Alexander de la Worthe, Richard le Palmerre, Ralph de Kalewodelegh, Robert Avenel. With 1 seal (3.4 cm.) of brown wax, pendant on a tag, bearing a device: a star; with the legend: * S TOMI HOBBEKIN. HOL# -AMZ8860-2 I. Avenel, Robert. II. Abbot, Henry, lord of Washfield, fl.1290-1304. III. Abbot, Joan. IV. De Esse, Thomas. V. Hopkin, Thomas. VI. Le Palmer, Richard. VII. Calverleigh, Ralph. VIII. Worth, Alexander. SUBJECTS: 1. Deeds--England--Devon. 2. Deeds--England--Washfield. 3. Devon (England)--Charters, grants, privileges 4. Washfield (England)--Charters, grants, privileges. (Source http://www.law.harvard.edu/library/guides/deeds/deeds.html
Deeds 401 Grant, 1296/97. 25 Edward I. 1 item : parchment ; 13 x 19 cm. SUMMARY: Grant by Richard de Knokebregge to Thomas, son of Peter de Graveherst, of his woodland in Knokebregge (Essex), bounded by the land of John, son of Robert de Knokebregge, to the north, the watercourse called "E" to the south, the land of Robert de Knokebregg to the east, and the land of Philip Weymund to the west, at a yearly rent of 2d. due on the feast of St. Andrew the Apostle at Knokegregg. In the year 25 Edward I . WITNESSES: Hamo de Esse, William Geoffrey, William de Nythertune, Thomas Cobbe, William de Graveherst, Nicholas de Rowethune, Gilbert Robert, Thomas de Lyntherst. With 1 seal (2.6 cm.) of green wax in excellent condition bearing the device: a star with a legend: RICARDI DE CNOTBR. HOL# -BBZ2886-4 I. De Noak Bridge, Richard. II. De Gravehurst, Peter. III. De Gravehurst, Thomas. IV. De Noak Bridge, John. V. De Noak Bridge, Robert. VI. De Gravehurst, William. VII. Gilbert, Robert. VIII. Wyman, Philip. IX. De Esse, Hamo. X. Geoffrey, William. XI. De Netherton, William. XII. Cobbe, Thomas. XIII. De Rowton, Nicholas. XIV. De Lyndhurst, Thomas. SUBJECTS: 1. Deeds--England--Essex. 2. Deeds--England--Noak Bridge. 3. Essex (England)--Charters, grants, privileges. 4. Noak Bridge (England)--Charters, grants, privileges. (Source http://www.law.harvard.edu/library/guides/deeds/deeds.html
Usry Bul. No 51; Feb. 1973--ESAREY--
29 Nov. 1972
Dear Mr. Usry:
Saw your ad in the Helper and thought it was interesting that the name Essery evolved into Usry. I myself am descended from John Essrey or Esry ( my 5th great grandfather), and understand (at least it has been handed down) that all Essreys, Esserys, etc. are related in some way. Will enumerate my male ancestors, in hopes that the Usry and Essrey lines may be of mutual descent. Please reply your thoughts on the matter,….Chuck Essrey.
Information on John Esarey/Esrey:
John Esarey/Esrey was born July 5, 1744 possibly in Philadelphia and died 1828 in Ray Co. MO. He married Sarah Hester (Esther?) Clark who was born January 5, 1758 and died October 16, 1818 Walnut Prairie, IL. They married June 17, 1776 Delaware Co., PA.
Our ancestors are reputed to have immigrated from WALES TO PHILADELPHIA ca 1700.
Another letter from Chuck Essrey: 12 Dec. 1972:
Dear Mr. Usry,
Thank you for your reply dated the 7 Dec., 1972, which I received today. It seems we do not have a common American ancestor but perhaps a common European one. I will keep in contact, and as I carry my line back, will tell you of any changes in surname. (As you may have already noted, the name Esarey was spelled Esrey in 1744, at least that’s the way the census has it). In case you find the connection before me, I have written down all Esareys I know of and their dates.
Note: In the book Papillon by Henry Charrioro, the author says he know a man named Esseri (incidentally he was a bandit), a native of the Isle of Corsica, in France.
Letter from Mr. Delson B. Blalock--Nov 25, 1972--
Dear Mr. Usry:
My wife’s 3 great grandfather Angus Allendee McDonald married Annice Ussery. The line follows: **Sir Robert Ussery—John Ussery, Sr. –John Ussery, Sr., born 1718 French Descent, was in America by 1730; settled Lunenburg Co., VA; wife Sarah Blackwell born about 1720, etc.
(** Sir Robert Ussery is one of those legendary ancestors everyone wants to connect themselves to. So far there has been no proof of his existence.)
Usry Bul. 149; April 1981--A Letter from Debrett Ancestry Research--
“….The positive finds are as follows: in parish registers, as the only references to the surname we have found anywhere in England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland or the Channel Islands. The enclosed maps will tell you more of the geography than a page of text. The parishes named adjoin the Exe estuary, and it is an area with many links with Virginia, including Sir Walter Raleighs’ birthplace, and a strong sea-faring tradition.
Although we have picked up these referenced, there are continuing problems in building up any earlier references to the name. For example, one earlier source, the Protestation Against Papry of 1641/2 which lists all males in the county over the age of eighteen, shows no one of the name; it is, of course, possible that the family were then represented by only a widow with young sons who would escape the listing. There are other problems; the parish registers of Kenton began only in 1692. The references we have found are:
1. At Clyst St. George, 1692 Sept. 29 Sarah, daughter of Thomas Ursery, baptised
2. At Kenton, the following children of Henry and Sarah Ussery baptised:
1692 Mar 29 Sarah
1696 Nov. 17 William
1699 July 6 John
1702 July 16 Thomas
I suspect, but I stress merely suspect, that the origin my be USWORTHY; the local Devon dialect contracts -worthy, a common local place name element, to -ery. The name Esworthy occurs earlier a few miles away. We are clearly on the right track here, but continuing work in local records, many still in country churches, is not too fruitful yet…..Kind Regards….”
From the Same Bulletin--Know Your Name--
Jim C. Usry, Jr. of Thomson, GA has sent the editor a Xerox copy of the Ussery listing from a book by John C. Downing, “Know your Name.”…..This book claims that “Ussery” is a Scottish spelling of an old French word for Usher or doorkeeper. The editor, John M. Usry, has many doubts that this is correct. The name Ussery has not been found in modern lists of names in Scotland.
From the Same Bulletin:--Rev. Dean W. Ussery--
Dear John,
I have had various letters from Harry Ussery….in one of your bulletins…the fact that he heard the name Ussery or Essery called on the radio (in Ireland). Harry has added to the story that another brother has gone to the island of Sky, Scotland and heard about Ussery’s……I believe the Ussery’s came to U.S. in 1669 on the ship “Three Brothers”………..
Usry Bul 148; March 1981--Family Legend-- From Nellie Ussery Holder of Texas;
“….My grandfather, Elisha Turner Ussery, told me that his father, Masten Ussery, had told him that the Ussery’s came from England. The story goes that one of an English Earl’s sons got into serious trouble and was given the option of being punished (hung) or coming to America. The chose the latter and he and a younger brother were among the early settler brought to Virginia by Sir Walter Raleigh. From these two sprang the Ussery’s in America.”
Usry Bul. 40; March 1972--OSRAIGHE--
Mrs. Carolyn Arnsberger of New Jersey sent in the following….”I looked up Ussery in the Encyclopedia Britannica ages ago and while I could find no Ussery, I did find an OSSERY. I bring this to your attention simply because you haven’t mentioned it. The references are:
USREY BULLETIN #5 April 29, 1969
Nov. 18, 1953
Mrs. H. A. Chapman,Mesa, Arizona
Dear Mrs. Chapman:
I sincerely appreciated your nice letter, and I truly regret my inability to furnish you very much information concerning our family history. As with many other families, our people failed to preserve very much of the family records. On Dec. 31, I will be 79 years old and am the last living member of my immediate family. So I will tell you what I have heard from my grandparents. About the middle of the seventeenth century Thomas Ussery-Usery came over from Scotland and settled somewhere in Virginia. He brought with him an old Scotch bible which I have in my possession now. He raised in Virginia three sons, whose names were Thomas, Joel and Freeman. Joel, my great grandfather moved from there to North Carolina. Freeman went to Mississippi and all that I ever hear of Thomas was that he emigrated farther west. Joel mentioned above also had three sons, they were Joe, Thomas and William. About this time according to the old records the spelling was changed to Usery. Some of the named in the record are spelled Ussery, which about the first of 1800 was changed to Usry. Joe Usry, my grandfather continued here while Thomas went somewhere west and William went to Tennessee. My father had a brother whose name was Thomas. He was killed in the Civil War. I also had a brother by the name of Thomas. So there has been one Thomas in each generation. The Thomas Usury which came over from Scotland was a wheel-wright and there has been one wheelwright in each generation. Have there been any wagon builders in your ancestry? Yours very truly, E.G. Usry
Usry Bul 151; June 1981--Letter from Rev. Dean Ussery--
April 22, 1981
Dear John;
DEBRETT’S found what I felt or hoped they would find:
I sent reports of these findings to Essery’s in Wales; Stafford, England; Paignton, England; Barnstaple and Exeter, England. I am awaiting a letter from one or more of the folks there. Let me recap letters from the Essery’s:
.
Usry Bul No. 35; Oct. 1971--ESSERY--
Kelly’s Handbook to the Title, Landed and Official Classes, 1947 (published in England) has the following entry:
Essery, Wm. Joseph, C.V.O. (1912) M.B. Durh., M.R.C.S. Eng., ret., son late Wm. Essery, of Launceston, Cornwall; b. 1860; educ. Christ’s Hosp. And King’s Coll. Lond.; m. 1919, Blanche Gertrude, dau. of late John Inett Ward, of the Manor House, Abbot’s Langley, Herts.; Goose Green Cottage, Yateley, Camberley, Surrey (Yateley 3189).
Usry Bul. No 42; May 1972--USREY--
The following was sent in by Kay Usrey Reed of El Dorado, AR. Mrs. Reed hired Mr. Joseph G. Ferrier, nationally noted genealogist and former president of the National Genealogical Society, to research the name “Usrey.” This is his report: (abstracted)
This unusual name is neglected in most sources, such as: Bardsley’s Dict. Of Eng. And Welsh Surnames; Burkes’ General Armory; various indexes to British pedigrees; Savage’s Dictionary of N. Eng. Genealogy; Rupp’s ship lists to Philadelphia, PA 1727-1777; Cavaliers and Pioneers (VA residents before 1666); Mackenzie’s Colonial & Rev. families of the U.S.; Virkus’ Compendium of American Genealogy and Library of Congress list of Genealogies (1919).
….The Old Testament baptismal names ( Elijah, Joshua, Peter) indicate Protestants, and the other names, John, David, Thomas, Richard, Wilson, suggest west or north of England, or else Scotland or Wales.
“Carolina Cradle” settlement of N.W. Carolina frontier, 1747-1762, covers Salisbury and does not mention any form of the name, indicating settlement after 1762 and before 1790, when there were numerous heads of families in the area….
Among British pedigrees listed in indexes, only USSHER seems to approach the name, and in Continental Europe, the Armorial General of Riestap offers only URSI.
Douzat’s book of French surnames has USSEREAU - usurer, from the west of France, as a surname.
The best clue is found in the LLYER BAGLAN, a collection of genealogical data of South Wales, compiled by John Williams between 1600 and 1607 and edited and printed in London, 1910, page 198, has mention of the daughter of DELEHAYE of WORISAYE in the county of Hereford, and a footnote says the male line of the Delahays held URISHAY castle, Herefordshire “’till recently” when the heiress married Henry Tallmadge, whose son took by royal license the name of Delahay, 1898.
The British Gazetteer says the URISHAY Castle, Herefordshire, 6 ½ mi. S.E. of Hay, was demolished 1921.
I believe that it is from this castle that the American Name USSERY, USREY, etc. was revived, and that the ancient home of the family was in Herefordshire, England, near the border of Wales.
….Battle Abbey Roll, by the Duchess of Cleveland, 1889, Vol. III, page 366-370, gives the DELAHAY family as descended from a companion of the Conqueror, from LA HAYE-du-PUITS in LA MANCHE, a fief dating from the partition of Normandy by Rollo. They were a powerful family and spread over England.
Burke’s General Armory had DELAHAY of Herefordshire:
Arms Argent a sun (or star of 16 points )
Gules
Crest A wolf’s head
The shield of John de la HAYE is listed in the Acre Roll, dated 1192, A.D. as “Argent a sun in spender gules.
The same shield is listed in Burke’s General Armory for HURSE of Starford County, HERTFORD (not Hereford) with Crest “in a wood proper the sun”; or Papeworth’s Ordinary of British Armorials lists “Argent estoile of 16 points gules” for DELAHAY of County Hereford; and also HERST listed on Glover’s Roll, 1245 A.D. and HURSE of Sabridgeworth, Hertfordshire.
It is my believe that these DELAHAY arms are the original from which HURSE (two syllables) came, based on URISHAY Castle, and becoming in some cases confused with HERST-HURST (a clump of woods, as on the crest) and in America USSEROY-URSERY-USREY, etc, with the Welsh in 1600 and earlier spelling the castle’s name as WORISAYE, probably URIS-HAY, the last element being the family name HAYE URS-EY. Sincerely your, Joseph G. Ferrier.
From the same bulletin (No. 42):
Mrs. Gail B. Ussery of Maryland submitted the following Ussery Coat of Arms:
©by Cindy H. Casey, Clemmons NC. 1998-2001