ST. LAURENCE CHURCH, HEREFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND. IN THIS CHURCH MANY OF THE NOURSK FAMILY W»H*SMPI'KI>, AND SOMK OF THEM AUK IIUKIKD NEAR IT. JAMES NOURSE. AND HIS DESCENDANTS COMPILED BY MARIA CATHARINE NOURSE LYLE PRINTED BY REQUEST " '. " IKXINOTOH, KT. TRANSYLVANIA PRINTING CO. 18»7. Ay- •-•''. ' \J& 'iuu 1 A ' «L - Or'RiST 1•DA Y SAINTS PREFACE. This volume is presented toa'l interested in the history of "James Nourse and His Descendants." with the hope that they will kindly overlook any imperfections they may chance to discover, remember­ ing the work was not undertaken for money. Every effort lias been made to secure the best results. We were not discouraged, although forewarned at the beginning that there was a " great deal of hard work in store and an almost thankless task" before us. Very few refused to give the information asked, while many took special pains to add words of approbation and encouragement. Instead of being a task, it has proved a pleasure. The necessary correspondence has in many instances led to personal acquaintance and lasting friend­ ship. It would be impossible to give the names of all to whom we are indebted for assistance. First among them, however, must be men­ tioned Mr.. James B. Nourse and his sisters, Masses Mary and Rosa M..Nourse, of " The Highlands.". Washington, D. C. Relatives have been ever welcome to theirlovely home and given free use of family records, which were so carefully preserved by their grandfather, Joseph Nourse, and handed down to them as a precious legacy by their father, Major Charles J. Nourse. Many thanks aro due to Mrs. Anita Newcomb McGee, M. D.,of '•Washington, D. C, for a eery large contribution of data collected . by herself at the expense of many years of work ; also, for numerous \. sketches. Mr. W J McGee made valuable suggestions. Rev. James M. Nourse, of Manassas; Mrs. Albert 1). Brockett, of Alexandria, Virginia; Judge R. O. Cravens, of Sacramento, California; Mr. Abner M. Sisson, of Hannibal, Missouri; Mrs. S. A. McDonald, of Jameson, Missouri; Mrs. Martha Susm Elliott, of Spalding, Mis­ souri; Rev. M. B. Riddle, D. D.,of Alegheny, Pennsylvania; Miss Iv rilKFACE. Lavinia Riddle, of Vernon, Texas; Mrs. Susan M. Marshall, of Nashvillo, Tennessee ; Miss Jane Nourso, of Bardstown ; Miss Anno Nourso, of Elizabothtown, Kentucky, and many others, aro gratefully remembered for their cheerful and prompt assistance It may be well to mention some others bearing tho samo name, though not related to James Nourse. The first to come to America, so far as known to the writer, were Francis Nurse (born 101S) and Rebecca Nurse. It is said they came from Yarmouth, England. Many of their descendants are scattered throughout the United States. Miles Nourse and wife with three sons and a daughter came from Manchester, England, to New York in 1S56. Reverend Robert Nourse, the popular lecturer, came from Norfolk, England, about 1S73, and resides in Fairfax county, Virginia. It has been said that there is a "striking likeness between members of his family and some of the descendants of James Nourse in physical feature and mental and moral peculiarity." Mr. Samuel Osborne Nourse (died July 3t, 1872) came from Bar- badoes, West Indies, and settled in Pennsylvania. His wife was Jane Barnes Green,'an aunt of John Fiske, the historian. A daugh­ ter, Mrs. H. B. Jacobs, and son, Charles Frederick Nourse, live in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Their other children are Clarence Atlee and Misses Victoria Louise and Florence Ada Nourse of Washing­ ton, D. C. They have the same coat of arms as James Nourse with this motto : " Virtu non Artifico." (" By courage, not by cunning.") It is said, a " Nourfe" came to this country from Cork, Ireland, 6ome years ago. If there are any others, an extensive correspond­ ence with persons of the name has failed to discover them. KEY TO NUMBERING OF DESCENDANTS. James Nourse is number one of both consecutive and exponent numbers. Consecutive numbers from one to one hundred and twenty-seven show every one whose surname was Nourse, who became the head of a family. Exponent number's mark the generations, for example: 2 1 3 CHARLES3 NOURSE, (Gabriel , James ). Charles is grandson of James1; Gabriel2 is son of James1. Descendants not named Nourse are given immediately after their parents, and are marked by indentations, exponent numbers and small numbers. The second generation are. the children of, .James and Sarah-. (Fouace) Nourse, and each one of-these, with his Or' Ber descendants' makes a separate chapter; so that there will be very little tracing necessary to find the third, fourth pr even the sixth and seventh generations. CONTENTS. CHAPTER. PAOE. I. PARISH OF WKHTON-I:M)ER-PEXYAU!>, HEREFORDSHIRE, ENUI.AND 1 II. JAMES XOIKSE, IMMIUUANT 1 8 III. JOSEPH XOI-RSE AMI urn DESCENDANTS 24 IV. JAMES NOCKSE. .IU., ANU IUS DESCENDANT*-) 3.1 V. CATHARINE IUUTON (XOI;USE) COOKE AND HER DESCENDANTS 44 VI. KOHEKT Noiitsi: AND ins DESCENDANTS '. 5.S VII. WILLIAM NontsE AND ms DESCENDANTS 69 VIII. Ei.izAitETii (Noiitsi-;) CHAPLINE AND HER DESCENDANTS 77 IX. Sl'SANNA (Xoi-RSK)'RlDDI.E AND HER DESCENDANTS 93 X. GAUHIEI. Xoi'RSE AND HIS DESCENDANTS .' 100 XI. MICHAEL XOCU.SK AND HIS DESCENDANTS 112 GENEALOGICAL TABLE 140 INDEX : ': 157 ILLUSTRATIONS. "St. Laurence" Church, Herefordshire, England.. Frontispiece. Page. "Weston House," Herefoi-dshire, England. -. 2 Xourse Arms . .5 Fac-simile Autographs'*,-,..-..... .',,.„..,-., .„._.......,.:..,...,.... • ...- -7 ' Portraits of J.a.i-nes Nourse and Mrs^Karah jouaee..Xourse..'..'... ."... • $' Portraits of Joseph Xourse,Mrs. Maria Louisa Bull Xourse,' Major Charles ~ Josephus Xourse 24 " Mount Alban" and "The Highlands.•'.Washington. D. C... 28 Portrait of Mrs. Catharine Burton Xourse Cooke 44 Portrait of.Mrs. Susan Mary Winn Marshall 50 Portraits of Rev. Joel Ivenney Lyle, Mrs. Maria Catharine Xourse Lyle, Miss Lizzie Agnes Lyle. Miss Helen Lyle. Charles Xourse Lyle 75 Portrait of Rev. Matthew Drown Riddle, I). D 97 Portraits of Charles Xourse. Joseph Gabriel Xourse, John Daniel Xourse. Charles Clinton Xourse, Mrs. Susan Xourse Viinout 101 Portraits of Michael Xourse and Mrs. Mary Rittenhouse Xourse 112 Portrait of John Rittenhouse Xourse 113 Portraits of.Rev. James Xourse, Mrs. Sarah Xorth Harvey Xourse, Rev. James Michael Xourse, Mrs. Sarah Frances Blackmail Xourse, Mrs. Hat­ tie Xourse Brockett H4 CHAPTER I. PARISH OF WESTON-UNDER-PENYARD, HEREFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND. "Weston is bounded north by Upton Bishops; south by Walford and Hope Mansel; east by Linton and Lea, and on west by Ross. The word 'Westune' denotes the position of its vill towards Brome- ash, the place where the Hundred Courts in this district were once held, and its adjunct is allusive of the elevated woody eminence under which it is placed." Or, as given in Robinson's "Hous'es and Manors in Herefordshire, ^England," " 'Weston-under-Penyard,' as its name indicates, is a town built on the west side of the Roman settlement of Onconium, and is beneath the wooded slopes of 'Penyard Chase.'" •• • Westunie and Ponchille estates were taken from the Saxon owner Gunner, and given to Durand of' Gloucester, the first Norman sheriff of that county. The lessee of these manors was Bernard (New-march), a favored friend, if not a relative, of William I., who had accompanied the invaders and assisted at Hastings. Iu A. D. 1092, collecting a party of resolute companions, he invaded Breconshire. In the twelfth century a family whose name is mentioned in records as De Brett, Britte, Brut and Brute, were lessees of tho manor of Weston. In the war between King John and tho Barons, the sheriff of Herefordshire was directed to give Richard Talbot, Lord of Eccleswall manor, the lands and tenements in Westune occupied by Matthew La Brett, who was with the king's enemies. After tho compact of Runnymedo, this writ of confiscation was reversed. Tho Manor of Weston Brette was part of the Rudhall estate in the fifteenth century. 2 li/.'Mv ,x-isiii:i;-ri:.\YA nn. •Lower Weston was the scat of tho Nourso family from pro- Reformation date to the present century, [nineteenth]. In A. D. 1531 William Wyllca, of Petcrstow, obtained an Episcopal license for his marriage with Johanna Nourso, of Woston, at which poriod a John Nourse (of Weston) occupied as tenant, lands in tho parish belonging to a charity founded in tho Cathedral Church at Hereford. Weston-uiitler-l'enyard a pnrish In tia4 hundred of Creytrce, county of Here­ ford, 2% miles K. S. E., from ROSH. The living Is a rectory, in the.Archdeaconry nnd Diocese of Hereford, rated In the King's book at -CIS, and In the patron­ age of the Bishop of Hen-ford. The church Is dedicated to *St. Laurence. WALTER NOURSE, who married Christiana, daughter of Sir Fre erick Wall of Lintrige, of Gloucestershire, was buried in the church in 1609, aged 65, and his son. JOHN held at the time of his death the house of Lower Weston with 70 acres, the farms Brook, Walton and Woodend, lands in the parishes of Dymock, Newent, and'Whit Church. He married Joan, daughter of Sir John Kyrie [of +Much Marcle in the county of Hereford], who became his widow in 1630, with seven sons, the eld­ est of whom, John, was then thirteen years of age. The wardship and marriage of her son was purchased by his mother for £40, and she obtained a lease of the family estates, during the minority at rental of £9, for the support of her children. This John married Lettice, third daughter of William Jones of Treowen, in the countv of-Monmouth (Wales). He died- in 1670.- • -.