updated 05/06/12

DeCourcy/DeCoursey  Ellis

The paternal line of families of DeCourcy/sey,  Ellis, Mains, Lewis, Spilman, Ball, Davis, who settled in Campbell, Bracken and Pendleton County, Kentucky research was started, when my grandfather, Oliver Miles DeCourcy would not answer a 10 year old, when asked about his Dad,  Oliver Miles DeCourcy.  He told me not to go there.  Well I did!!!  (My curiosity never did kill the cat!!!!)  The only information he would tell was that we were related to George Washington because his mother was a Ball. (yes, President George Washington)  Turns out that we share an immigrant grandfather, William Ball and also through the Warner family we are related to the current Queen of England.  Some interesting history with Porteus fortune and King George III of England also.

DeCourcy or spelling DeCoursey was used in many of the court records.  In one document you could have many different ways to spell the name.  We are one and the same family, even though some lines use DeCoursey and Some of us use DeCourcy.  The medical Doctor family in Cincinnati and us in Minnesota use the spelling with cy.  Others use sey.  Spelling did not mean as much in the earlier time periods as it does today.

Another interesting bit of information, is that several of us, including Oliver Miles DeCourcy b. 1811 (found on census records as he was a Campbell Co., KY census taker, 1840 and 1860.), Rev. Frank DeCourcy, myself and another cousin, have the same style of handwriting.

DNA test results updates our ancestry.  see page DeCourcy.

DeCourcy Story

Both the DeCourcy and the Pack families settled in 1914 in Redwood County, MN near Walnut Grove. (Laurel Ingalis Wilder books refer to Walnut Grove/Little House on the Prairie, TV series) The Pack farm still in the family, is two miles on the same road straight east from the Ingalis farm)  My mother and her sisters used to play at both places when they were growing up.

New Items:

• Information for searching Campbell County Court Houses:  All record books that have alpha for a book number are at Alexandria Court house.  Record Books that are at Newport Court House are all numeric.  Dr. Adams book says differently. This was clarified for me when I visited the Newport Court House looking for the same records Dr. Adams had in his notes June 2004.

• Changes on the Ellis page reflecting the letter written in 1912-1913.

Research Trip of June 2004