Thomas I was son of Rev. John Owsley and Dorothea Poyntx.

Thomas Owsley was born 11 June 1658 in Stogursey, Somersetshire, England.  He died 10 October 1700 in Stafford County, Virginia and was buried there on his plantation, now located on Fort Belvoir, Virginia.  He came to America about 1677 and served as Stafford County Court Clerk, Justice of the Peace, Sheriff and Burgess.  About 1680 he married Ann, daughter of Lieutenant William Harris.  Ann, born about 1861,  survived her husband and remarried twice.  

Their son Thomas II was my ancestor.

The Blue Book states

Owsley Captain Thomas Owsley

, 1663-1700 , settled in Stafford County, Virginia , 1690 , son of Rev. John Owsley , of Glooston, Leicestershire, England .

Arms - Or, a chevron sable between three holly leaves vert, on a chief of the second a lion passant or, between two fleurs-de-lis argent.

Crest - A demi-lion rampant or, holding a branch of holly vert.

 "There can be no question now about the time of Thomas Owsley's first arrival in Virginia.  In the Westmoreland County records, Book 1665-1677, folios 342a-243, there appears the following:

 3 Sept 1677.  Walter Tucker of Lyme Regis in the county of Dorset, merchant, appoint my trusty and well beloved friend Tho: Owesly of Lyme Regis to be my attorney.

Wit: Robt. Oakshott, Wm. Phelps, and Peter Clarke.

4 Sept 1677. Signed in presence of  Robt. Cowley, Major.

24 Oct 1677. Robt. Oakshott and Wm. Phelps sworn before John Garrard.

24 Nov. 1677. Recorded

While the power of attorney was negotiated 3 September 1677, departure, it would appear, was delayed until 24 October or shortly thereafter.  The crossing apparently took less than a month for Thomas Owsley to have presented the document to the clerk of Westmoreland County to be recorded 24 November.  The real purpose of the journey is suggested by a letter of William Fitzhugh, lawyer, to the House of Burgesses dated 6 September 1679 regarding a suit of  Thomas Owsley for the recovery of an indentured servant.  Apparently young Owsley was sent to acquire indentured servants to collect profitable commodities in Virginia.  The servants were purchased in his own name, however, not in that of Tucker." (OFHS Newsletter, June 2002)

Thomas Owsley aquired at least six tracts of land in what was then Stafford County totalling more than 3,000 acres.  

1.   In November 1694, the 1,000-acre Stoell grant between Accotink and Pohick creeks, plus an additional 150-acre parcel at the mouth of Accotink Creek, were granted to Thomas Ousley (Owsley) of Stafford County. (Northern Neck Grants, vol. 2, p. 58).  This land was described as being on a branch of the Potomac freshes beyond the land of Capt. George Mason.  It was on this tract that Thomas Owsley built his plantation, on which he died 10 Oct 1700, and where he was buried.  This land is now included in the Fort Belvoir Military Reservation, traversed by U.S. Route 1, and at its northwestern edge clips the runway of Davidson Airfield.    

2.  Grant of 15 November 1694 of 150 acres (Northern Neck Grants, vol. 2, p. 60).  This land was on the northside of Acquotink (Accotink) Run and bordered the 1,000 acre grant on the northeast side.  U.S. Route 1 runs parallel right along this small tract's northern boundary.  This tract came into possession of Thomas Owsley II, probably by an instrument which has not survived.  On 20 Jan 1731, he sold it to Alexander McCarthy along with 200 acres from another tract he had purchased in 1727.  On 17 May 1732, Thomas Owsley acknowledged this deed and Ann, his wife, relinquished her right of dowery.  This reference to Ann Owsley is the earliest known, just one or two years after her marriage to Thomas Owsley.  (Prince William Co. Deeds, vol. A, p. 242)  

3.  Grant of 17 November 1696 of 600 acres (Northern Neck Grants, vol. 2, p. 260).  This land was also located on the Fort Belvoir Military Reservation and cut by Interstate 95 running South to North towards its western edge.    

It was likely from this tract that Thomas Owsley deeded a portion on 3 Sept 1700 to his youngest child, Sarah, and represents the single record of this relationship.  The amount of land is not stated, but the deed describes it as "half of the dividend of land upon Powhick (Pohick) and Acquatinke (Accotink) down the Rigg and she to have that part that lies upon the Pohicke (Pohick)."  (Stafford Co. Deeds and Wills, 1699-1709, p. 44-45.)    

On 13 June 1728, Thomas Owsley II sold 200 acres of this tract to James Whaley for 8,000 pounds of tobacco.  (Stafford Co. Deeds 1722-27, p. 520).  On 17 July 1739, Thomas Owsley, Anne Owsley, his wife, and Anne Wheeler [his mother, and now married to her third husband], sold 400 acres, described as being part of this 600 acre tract, to William Aylett, of Westmoreland County, for £ 130  (Prince William Co. Deeds, vol. D, p. 190).    

4.  Grant of 24 March 1697 of 640 acres (Northern Neck Grants, vol. 2, p. 267) second oldest perfected grant in Arlington County, Virginia, was issued by the Proprietary of the Northern Neck to Thomas Owsley.  This land was described as on a run abuting "Easterly upon the middle of Anocostia (Anacostia) Island alias My Lord's Island and running up the river Northwesterly."  This tract, located far to the Northeast from the other three is now encompassed entirely by the city of Rosslyn with the Key Bridge stretching across the Potomac River touching its eastern edge.  This land was regranted to George Mason on 7 Sept 1767 (Northern Neck  Grants, vol. O, p. 88), with an additional 65 acres, totalling 705 acres. 

  5-6.  Two additional tracts are known from two surviving Stafford County deeds, acquisitions for which there is no record of their purchase.  On 13 Mar 1700/1, Ann Owsley sold a tract on the South side of Acquia (Aquia) Creek to Daniel Beach for 3,000 pounds of tobacco (Stafford Co. Deeds & Wills, 1699-1709, p. 59-60).  The same day she sold about 650 acres upon Oququen (Occoquan) River to Edward Barton for 4,000 pounds of tobacco (ibid., pp. 62-63).  The parcel on Aquia Creek was in what is still today Stafford County, quite some distance south of even the southernmost tract he acquired in what was later Prince William County and later still Fairfax County.  Aquia Creek originates at the Potomac, running north into the South Reservoir, then west until it ends in Lake Arrowhead.  The 650 acres she sold was either just south (in future Prince Willliam County) or just north (in future Fairfax County) of the Occoquan River, the future boundary between Prince William and Fairfax County.   

On 1 March 1768, William and Margaret Savage leased 269 acres to Thomas Owsley of Loudoun County for an annual rental of one peppercorn, as shown by the lease included herein, but on 2 March 1768 (for reasons unexplained) they released the property Outright to Owsley for a payment of £200. In the second transaction Margaret Savage was examined separately to determine whether or not she was coerced into giving up her  

In the 1699 Stafford County Virginia Militia Rolls Major Thomas Owsley is listed as serving in the company of Lt.-Col. George Mason.

  http://www.owsleyfamily.org/thomasowsley.html