From Rev. Dean Ussery:

“Several of us have been digging into the history of the family and have come up with some pretty good finds. The first one, Sir Robert Ussery , came into America with William Penn in 1682 on the Welcome. He settled in the Maryland County of Tolerant [Talbot?]. We believe that he had a son John and perhaps a son William. John had three sons, William Thomas, John Jr., and William Richard, all who came into Lunenburg Co., VA approximately 1738 with their father or fathers. There were there a short time and moved into Montgomery, Anson and Richmond Counties of North Carolina prior to 1769 and settled. John and Thomas served in the N.C. Legislature from 1786-1790. Richard dropped “William” because of a controversy with his brother Thomas, as to who would use the name “William” . Richard had a set of kids in N.C. (One son named “Welcome” after the ship, Welcome) Thomas had a son named Welcome and John’s middle name was John Welcome Ussery.”

(Note from John Usry) According to some of the literature on William Penn, no complete list of passengers on the ship Welcome has been found. Several passengers lists have been compiled from various sources. Those do not list a Sir Robert Ussery. However, since these lists admittedly are not entirely compete, the matter of whether or not he was on the ship remains unresolved. We know that several of the North Carolina Ussery’s were named Welcome.

Usry Bul. 83 Oct.. 1975

A book found in the Newberry Library, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, entitled “Irish Family Names, with Origins and Meanings, Clans, Arms, Crests and Mottoes,” by Captain Patrick Kelly, published in 1935 by O’Connor and Kelly, Chicago, has a picture on page 117 of the Arms of O’Seyry, Oserie, Seerey, Seery, Freeman, Earner, O’Shru, O’Shirie, Oshyry; all these from the Gaelic “Soar (h) ui (d) d,” meaning “free or delivered.”.

The Welcome: 8th month, 1682 at Upland (Chester), Robert Greenway, master

John and Elizabeth Songhurst Barber; Joan Bagman Buckman; Edward Buckman; Thomas Buckman; William Buckman; Sarah Buckman; Mary Buckman; Ruth Buckman; Thomas Fitzwater; Mary Cheney Fitzwater; George Fitzwater; Thomas Fitzwater; Josiah Fitzwater; Mary Fitzwater; Thomas Gillett; Bartholomew Green; Robert Greenway; Nathaniel Harrison; Jeffrey Hawkins; Dorothy Hawkins; Roger Hawkins; James Hawkins; Daniel Hawkins; Jeffrey Hawkins; Susanna Hawkins; Thomas Herriot; Richard Ingelo; Isaac Ingram; Thomas Jones; William Lushington; Jeane Matthews; Hannah Mogeridge; Joshua Morris; David Ogden; John Ottey; Eleanor Pain. William Penn; James Portiff; Dennis Rochford; Mary Herriot Rochford; Mary Rochford; Grace Rochford; John Rowland; Priscilla Shepherd Rowland; Thomas Rowland; William Smith; John Snashfold; John Songhurst; George Thompson; Richard Townsend; Ann Hutchins Townsend; Hannah Townsend; William Wade; Zachariah Whitpaine; Joseph Woodrooffe; Thomas Wynne . (Passenger and Ships Prior to 1684, Penn's Colony Volume 1, Walter Lee Shepherd, Jr., Heritage, 1992. )

From: "Jim Ussery"
Subject: The Ussery name - a different twist...
Date: Sun, 29 Nov 1998 22:15:49 -0500

I found it very interesting and informative reading the information you have garnered about the ancestry of the "Ussery" name. It varies WIDELY from the stories I have been told over the years.

My name is Jim (James Floyd) Ussery. I am 43 years old (08/08/55). I was born in Dayton, OH and currently live in Columbus, OH. I am not a blood relative to the Ussery line. I am named for my mother's first husband, Sam Ussery, born ~1930 in or around Memphis, TN.

Now for the story I have always heard (from Sam as well). It is strictly hearsay, by no means documented or supportable, as is your extensive information. I am not a geneologist, nor do I claim to be. Do not think I am questioning your findings, I found them quite interesting and well supported. I just wanted to share the story I have heard over the years.

The family name was about 15 syllables long, belonging to a tribe of Hungarian gypsies. Due to their penchant for stealing horses, they were "invitied" to leave every country in Europe. With each exodus, the name shortened slightly, to avoid recognition.

When they "left" England, they were put on a boat to the Carolina colony. Here they finally learned that stealing horses was no way to live. They turned to stealing chickens, instead. Once caught they were literally run out of town. In their haste to escape, they took two different forks in the road, one heading northwest, one southwest. They never bothered to reunite.

This explains the two sets of Usserys I know of. One is in western Tennesee and northern Mississippi, the other in southern Mississippi and southern Alabama. I was even contacted by some Usserys in Biloxi, MS, when I was stationed at Keesler Tech Tng Ctr (USAF) in 1973. Possibly some of them are still around to tell their tales.

Colorful folklore? Probably. Actually, I'd rather believe a connection to Sir Robert Ussery than a band of thieves. Wouldn't you?