updated 06 May 2012

The history of this DeCourcy family has been a long process in finding out who we are and where did we come from.  Were we French origins or Ireland? as most people thought.  This story is a continuing saga of finding data and making connections. As of Feb 2009, through a DNA anaylsis, it is established that we are not part of the Maryland DeCourcy family who came from Ireland, nor are we part of the DeCoursey/Racer family who came from Holland to Harlem, NYC, NY to PA. Moravians.

 My grandfather, (about 1950)  when I asked about who were his folks? Answered saying "his mother was Adelia Ball and related to George Washington, and he did not know his father well.  And don't go looking for trouble" in researching his family.  Grandpa DeCourcy (Oliver Miles 2nd) died in 1952. This was enough to peak my interest and later get started finding out who we were.  My father was very interested in knowing the half cousins in Kentucky and Nebraska. Why was there a town named DeCoursey, Kenton Co., KY? Why a railroad yards across the road from DeCoursey, KY? Why a Baptist Church in the same area named DeCoursey?  Oh yes, there is DeCoursey Creek in the same area.

Dr. Henry DeCoursey Adams of Silver Spring, Maryland wrote a book William DeCoursey 1756-1841 Private, American Revolutionary Army.  In his introduction, he gives lots of clues as possibilities of who William's parents were.  So time to re research this information

In the book, there is a lot of documentation on William and his descendants.  What is very interesting is that when he got to the first Oliver Miles DeCourcy, This statement is:

"Telephone conversation with Mrs. J. C. Kinney (Lettie Ellis, Oliver Miles (1811) half niece), Cincinnati, Ohio in 1958: I have no records.  The Bible with the family records, in the possession of my father (Dudley Brown Ellis b. 1842), a store keeper at California, Kentucky, (Adams says where William DeCoursey (1756) landed at the mouth of the Licking River) was lost in the historic Ohio Licking River flood of 1889. Adams lists Oliver Miles's parents, and names of his three wives, Elizabeth Shaw, Adelia Ball (Young), and Isabella _____. With the statement ,

"There are no known children of Oliver Miles and Elizabeth (Shaw) DeCoursey or of Oliver Miles and Adelia Ball (Young) DeCoursey.""

Children of Oliver Miles and Isabella (____) DeCoursey (1850 census record)

Marsilla G. DeCoursey born 1842 Kentucky

Elisabeth S. DeCoursey born 1844 Kentucky"

Lettie Ellis (Mrs. J. C. Kinney) forgot about her half Uncle's family in Minnesota, even though they made many trips to Walnut Grove and Redwood Falls, MN during the 1950's.

By the time, I got a copy of this book, another DeCoursey research in Minneapolis and I had figured out who was who was in the William DeCoursey (1756) family.  Along with a lot of research, I have discovered that we are descendant from

William DeCoursey (1756) & Elizabeth Irvin (SC to KY) (spelling as in Bible records)

William DeCourcy (1786) & Martha Francis Spilman (spelling as in court records,  Alexandria, Campbell County, KY)

Oliver Miles DeCourcy (1811) 3^rd marriage Adelia Ball (Young) m. 1865 (KY)

Oliver Miles DeCourcy (1872) & Catherine Emma Ellis (KY to IL to MN)

NOTICE:  The spelling in this family changed from 'sey' to 'cy'.  Grandpa (O. M. 1872) said we were French, that is why we spelled it with 'cy'

To correct Dr. Adams information, the above mentioned children,

First Marriage of Oliver Miles DeCourcy

Marsilla Gertrude and Elisabeth S, are daughters of Oliver Miles (1811) and Elisabeth Shaw (d. 1844) m. 26 Oct 1837 probably Alexandria, Campbell County, KY. 

Second Marriage of:

Oliver Miles DeCourcy (1811) & Isabella Belt m. 27 Nov 1847, Newport. (no children) [only a vital record announcement in the Cincinnati newspaper]

 Third Marriage of:

Oliver Miles DeCourcy (1811) and Adelia Hamilton Ball (Young) m. 23 Nov 1865 California, KY.  Their son Oliver Miles DeCourcy (1872)

The proof is the census records of 1850, 1860, 1870 from Campbell Co., Kentucky, estate settlement of both William DeCourcy's and the marriage licenses/newspaper report which I have found for all three marriages. Also the Family Group Sheets of the Shaw Family, which are in the Covington Library, Covington, KY.  Oliver Miles (1811) has left a lot of descendants in Minnesota, Illinois, and Missouri.