Ormsbys of Ireland

In my research of the Ormsby-Ormsbee families, several groups originating in Ireland, have come to my attention. As a result, I have obtained a copy of the "Pedigree of the Family Ormsby, formerly of Ormsby, in Lincolnshire, now of Ireland" compiled by J. F. Fuller, F.S.A., London (1886)

The book "The Ormsby Family of Pittsburgh, Penn." by Oliver Ormsby Page (1892) gives this pedigree down to John Ormsby of Pittsburgh, Penn. From which I quote: "The first of the name of whom we have record being;

Note: I have numbered the generations for convenience of reference.

1.  Sir Richard de Ormesby, Kt. who held lands of Ormesby in the 
    county of Loncolnshire, England. The King gave him, after the 
    Conquest, all the lands he possessed before. He had a son
2.  Sir William de Ormesby, Kt., who had 2 sons, one of whom was,
3.  Sir Oswald de Ormesby, Kt., who was the founder of the priory 
    of Ormesby in the time of Henry II, and had son,
4.  Sir Oswald de Ormesby, Kt., who by his wife Anastatia had son,
5.  Richard de Ormesby, who had son,
6.  Ansketill de Ormesby, who by his wife Agnes Langton, had son,
7.  William de Ormesby, who by his wife Anne Meeres, had son,
8.  Sir John de Ormesby, Kt., who by his wife Ann, daughter of 
    Sir Nicholas Lamworth of Leake, Kt., had son,
9.  Roger Ormesby, who had son,
10. Richard Ormesby, who had son,
11. Robert Ormesby, of Portown, who had son,
12. William Ormesby, who had son,
13. John Ormesby, who had son,
14. William Ormesby, who had son,
15. Philip Ormesby, of Portney, in Lincolnshire, who had son,
16. Thomas Ormesby, a younger son, who came over to Ireland early 
    in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. He was living in the year 1569. 
    He married a daughter of Henry Malby, son of Sir Nicholas Malby, 
    chief commander of the English forces in Connaught in the time of 
    Queen Elizabeth. Ref.: "The English in Ireland in the 18th Century" 
    by James Anthony Froude.
Note: This appears to be the beginning of the Family in Ireland, coming 
       from a splinter of the Lincolnshire, England family. The author 
       continues with the Irish branch as given by Fuller.
17. Edmond Ormesby purchased lands of Cloumonieghan, in County Sligo in 
    the reign of James I (1566-1625). His son by his first wife, Susannah 
    Kelke was,
18. Malby Ormsby of Cloghan, Co. Mayo, Esq. Who married Rose O'Naughton, son,
19. John Ormsby of Cloghan, Co. Mayo, Esq. Who married Winifred Jordan, son
20. Robert Ormsby of Cloghan, Co. Mayo, Esq. His will is dated 6 Dec. 1700. 
    He married Mary, daughter of Robert Blakeney, had son,
21. Oliver Ormsby, who married Deborah, daughter of Col. Barry, had son,
22. John Ormsby of Pittsburgh, Pa., of this book.

John Ormsby, son of Oliver Ormsby was born in 1720, and came to America in 1752 and later settled at Pittsburgh, Penn. The book has a long biographical record of him. In July 1764, he married Jane McAllister, b. 1747 daughter of Archibald McAllister, who migrated from Scotland in 1732. Jane died at Pittsburgh June 13, 1799. They had five children: John, Jr.; Oliver m. Sarah Mahon; Jane m. Dr. Nathaniel Bedford; Joseph Blakeney, unmd.; Sidney m. Isaac Gregg.

John, his wife, Jane, and son Oliver are buried in the old Trinity Church yard now in the heart of Pittsburgh, where much of the family history is carved on their grave stones. I have seen them there. A Pittsburgh paper of Sunday, Sept. 8, 1963 has a very good story about this Cemetery by Murray Chase.

From the book: "Mr. Ormsby may truly be styled the Patriarch of the Western Ormsbys: he migrated to Fort Duquesne about the time the British took possession of it; at which time he was Commissary of Provisions, and Paymaster of Disbursements for the erection of Fort Pitt; subsequently he entered largely into the Indian trade; and in the year 1763 was plundered of all his property, his people murdered, and himself shut up in Fort Pitt during the seige.
"Mr. Ormsby was a large stockholder in the Indian(a) Grant, which would have remunerated him for all his losses by the Indians, had not the Revolution taken place; notwithstanding, he was a staunch Whig and gloried in our Independence."

In Sir William Johnson's papers in the New York State Library, there are several letters from John Ormsby asking for relief from his losses to the Indians, and referring to his acquaintance with Sir Williams sister in Ireland.

Another Ormsby Family from Ireland in Penn. may be found in a brochure by A.E. Pierce (1966) titled;
Ormsby-Ormsbee Family of Mercer County, Pa. and Calif.

This group involves two brothers from Ireland, Matthew and George, of Franklin County, Pa., descended from Generation 17, Edmond Ormsby and his second wife, Elizabeth Newman.

See accompanying chart taken from Fuller's pedigree to show the descendants of Gen. 17 Edmond Ormsby

In Louisville, Kentucky there were two sets of brothers settled in the early 1800s. One group were the brothers, Stephen, Edward, and Peter Benson. They were descended from Gen. 17 Edmond Ormsby and his first wife, Susannah Kelke. (See chart)

The other group were brothers from Ireland, Robert, James, and George. These were descended from Gen. 17 Edmond and his second wife, Elizabeth Newman. (See chart)

These Kentucky groups are to be detailed later by me in a separate brochure.