Descendants of William Coursey I - See Coursey Endnotes here.

Generation One

William Coursey I ¹ was born Abt. 1729 in MD, and died Abt. 1813 in Logan Co., KY.  He married (1) Mary XX Bef. 1763.    He married (2) Elizabeth Ann "Fannie" Acock Aft. 1783 in Logan Co., KY, daughter of Francis Acock and Mary ?.  She was born Abt. 1755 in Logan Co., KY, and died in Logan Co., KY.

Notes for William Coursey I:  If he married Mary about 1763, he may have been married before and Capt. James Coursey could be a son from that marriage.

"A History of Lewisburg and North Logan County," compiled by the North Logan County Historical Society, highlights his marriage and children, page 256.  Viola Coursey Harris wrote that the Coursey's were believed to be of French-Irish and Indian bloodlines.  William was a surveyor for the US government and came to KY from MD while a private in the 9th VA Regiment during the Revolutionary War.  He was believed to have gone to KY via OH, VA, GA, and the Carolinas.  His first wife died in MD.  She also notes that the original spelling was DeCoursey and that some of the family reverted to that spelling of the name.

Per the Richard Coursey file:  A William and a William Coursey Jr. were living in Choptank Hundred Twp., Caroline Co., MD in 1778.  In 1779, William Coursey is shown in Orange Co., MD

It is believed he was born about 1727 in Kent Co., MD and died about 1813/1815 in Logan Co.  We think he is buried in the Coursey Cemetery on what was then his son Robert's farm in Kentucky.  The farm was believed to have been granted to William by the Government about 1790, and that Robert and Charles moved to KY about 1795 to "prove up" the land.

William was a surveyor in SC from 1765 to 1800 and is listed on many land descriptions as having surveyed or plotted the tracts granted persons by the Government.  While he was in SC, he was notified that his wife had died and the children were being taken care of by relatives.  He did not return to MD but continued on to GA and then to KY.  The children listed with William and Fannie may have been his children from the first marriage.  William Jr. was with his father in SC in 1792-1799 as were his siblings: Charles, Allen, Robert, Lucy, Nancy, Elizabeth and Mary. Others who may have been siblings or somehow related were John, James, Lewis and Daniel.  John Coursey died around 1812 leaving a wife, Elizabeth.  James Coursey died about 1800.  Both John and James could have been son's of William (Sr.) or his brothers.

In Edgefield Co., SC in 1790 there was a Capt. James Coursey (born about 1750) with 2 males over 16, 4 males under 16, 2 females and 3 slaves - Constant Oglesby was listed on the same page. There was also a John Coursey in the area with 1 male over 16, 2 males under 16 and 7 females. Capt. James Coursey died about 1799, his estate was appraised 26 Mar 1800.  Property was valued at $886.68 and one negro wench, Sally, was valued at $300.  The estate sale was held 5 May 1800 and buyers included Constant Oglesby, William Coursey and John Coursey.

Brenda Webster's FGS notes that William was on the tax list of Albemarle Co., VA, District 5, in 1782.

In the book "The Descendants of William Coursey," written by A. B. Willhite, published 2001, children of William and his first wife were: John, James, Nancy and Allen.  Children of William and his 2nd wife, Mary, were: Charles, Edward William, and Robert.  He states that William's third wife was Elizabeth Ann Acock, born 1755 in NC and that he doesn't believe they had any children.  Chris Chambers agrees with him that the children were most likely not Elizabeth's.

More About William Coursey I:  Military service: Revolutionary War

Notes for Mary XX:  A. B. Willhite believes Mary may have been a Chastain because there were so many Chastains in VA when William was there.

Notes for Elizabeth Ann "Fannie" Acock:  Her Father's will, written in NC, named her husband as an heir.

I am descended through two of William and Mary Unknown's children.

Children of William Coursey and Mary XX are:

Generation Two

Nancy Ann Coursey was born Abt. 1763 in Goochland Co., VA, and died Bef. 1867 in Christian Co., KY.  She married Constant Oglesby Bef. 1778, son of Jacob Oglesby and unknown.  He was born Bet. 1748 - 1765 in Goochland Co., VA, and died Bef. 1867 in Christian Co., KY.

Notes for Nancy Ann Coursey:  She was shown as "Anny" on a deed of 1789.
Notes for Constant Oglesby:  Brenda Webster's FGS notes that:

According to family legend, it was too hot and too dry in SC and they moved to Christian Co., KY in 1803.  As you go from Greenville, KY on Hwy 189, after crossing Pond River into Christian Co., on top of a hill is a house on the left - just a little off the road.  Constant lived behind that house near a spring; at last account, it is still owned by direct descendants through Jacob, son of Constant.  On the right is a clump of trees never worked on.  This is where Constant & Nancy are supposedly buried.  A wee bit south of that, at Apex, an old road crosses going out to Natural Bridge.  That road was supposedly the Red Banks Trace (Henderson, KY).  Nancy, daughter of Constant, was the first white woman to cross the natural rock bridge.  Constant Oglesby's family is buried on a hill above Pond River, Hwy 62.  His wife Nancy is buried near a clump of trees with sandstone markers and a wire fence.  (Also noted is that it is Hwy 189 and that nothing is left but sandstone rocks.)

From here see the Oglesby line.

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