- The marriage date reported by Burke is erroneous.
- Hallaton, Leicestershire, Jan. 2nd, 1796.
Major William Ouseley,
Sir:
The letter you was pleased to honor me with Dec. 24th (inst.) was greatly to my surprise. The name Owsley, I grant, is very rare from my own inquiries, but whether I am of the same family with yourself I will not pretend to say. At your request I send you some particulars relating to my family, humbly requesting that you will be as explicit as possible respecting yours, in order to lead us as to the discovery of this new alliance.
I was born at Glooston, in the County of Leicester, and there registered. My father's Christian name was John, my grandfather's name William, and great grandfather's John Owsley, all rectors of Glooston, the aforesaid parish, and there interred. My family consists of two sons and two daughters. My eldest son is a clergyman (John Owsley, B. A., rector of Blaston); the other son, Charles Owsley, a surgeon, settled in Hallaton. My great grandfather, John Owsley, had six sons and four daughters. Sons, Newdigate, Thomas, Charles, William, John and Poyntz. Daughters, Sarah, Edith, Mary and Dorothea.
Newdigate Owsley was a Russian merchant and Paymaster General in Queen Anne's reign.
Thomas married and died in Jamaica. [This is an error. Thomas referred to may, and probably did, marry in Jamaica, but died in Virginia in the year 1700.]
Charles died in the army in the place of Captain.
William and John both died at college.
Poyntz married a Miss Mary David, of the County Leicester.
John Owsley, my great grandfather, married Dorothea Poyntz, and the Right Honorable Stephen Poyntz, father of the present Dowager Lady, was my trustee during my minority. The afore named Owsleys are all dead but myself.
Respecting my arms, it differs from yours in some measure, which, I presume, was changed through the aforesaid Newdigate Owsley's position in the army. The seal with which I seal this letter was given me by his son, John Owsley, who spent most of his time in Italy and other foreign parts.
Charles Owsley, the youngest son of the aforesaid Newdigate, was educated at Cambridge; has been dead many years; is interred at Lowlaton [Low Leyton?] church, Essex; where there is a monument of marble erected to his father's memory. Thereon are the arms.
The family house upon Epping Forest, near Lowlaton, but not now in the family, cannot be described within the compass of a letter.
The explanation of my arms is as follows; The chief lion erect, holding three holly leaves, or holly branch, between his paws.
At the receipt of this may I presume to request of you the satisfactory particulars, and by what means you obtained my name and place of abode?
Sir, I have the honor to be,
Your obedient humble servant,
John Owsley. [2]
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