The name "Ousalem"

[Zoay]

Hello all, nice to find your interesting forum. I have enjoyed many north African travels but not been to your beautiful country yet. Hopefully one day!

Anyhow, my question - my greatgrandparents had the surname Ousalem. They lived in Ireland, born in the 1880s, and it seems from the census records that they were the only family with that surname in Ireland. Because many Irish records were destroyed in a great fire, it's hard to follow them back further.

Googling suggests it's a name now largely found in Algeria and France. Is it a name originating from Algeria that's travelled to France, or vice versa? If anyone has any information or ideas I'd be really interested.

Thank you,

Jackie

[wrightey]

hi my great great grandfather michael fenlon married a mary ousalem around 1820 in wexford ireland it is said they had 24 children maybe your ousalem family relate to mary i have found some other ousalems in 1850s a richard my cousin thinks the name is jewish but im not sure it would be interesting to find where the name comes from
alan

[Zoay]

Hi Alan,

Sounds like we're very likely to be distant cousins then

The furthest back I've got is 1852 Richard Ousalem (my great great grandfather), who married Eliza Murphey - and had 4 girls Susan, Margaret, Elizabeth, Ellen. They were Wexford based.

Wow, 24 children!

I'd love to see your tree if you'd be happy to share it.

Jackie

[penthesilee]

That s really interesting, I think Ousalem or any other spelling is from Algeria, they are amazigh (kabyle)

[wrightey]

hello zoay
how are you are you living in wexford ireland i know you said richard and mary had 4 girls but in my research i found two more daughters to them mary born around 1880/1 and catherine born 1882 maybe they died very young ?? also i found another richard ousalem he married mary cassidy i found 3 children for them william born 1854 anna born 1855 and thomas 1856 if your great great grandfather richard was born 1852 then this could be his parents and siblings ?? in 1872 an elizabeth ousalem and james lanigan had a son john so could be related .

You can email me through the site

regards alan

[Zoay]

Hi Penthesilee

That's interesting. After all my travels around North Africa I would be delighted to have an Algerian ancestor. I suppose it will be hard to ever be sure.

Wrightey,

My Mum moved to England as a child and we're all still here. I think you've got further than I have with the research. I've only used the 1901 census records and my Mum's memory; she remembers Elizabeth 1886 - known as Lily, who worked as a nanny to an aristocratic family in London, and Ellen 1888 who moved to Liverpool and married into the Cockburn family.

I tried to email you through the site but have not had a reply.

Jackie

[oushas]

Hi all,

First of all, I apologize for my poor english. A few days ago, I found this thread about "OUSALEMs" and I am really surprised to read that descendants of OUSALEM can be found in Ireland, England and maybe somewhere else in Europe, and why not Asia (Japan, where I live), too.

I am from north Africa and have the same family name as yours. Indeed it has a north african origin where many of the Ousalems are living in the region called Kabylie (center of Algeria, from 100 to 260 kms East to Algiers). However, they are not all located in the same place. Some are in the prefecture called Bejaia (in French Bougie, 260 kms from Algiers), others are in Tizi-Ouzou (100 kms from Algiers), while some others can be found in Sour-el-Ghozlane (200 kms South-East of Algiers).....Actually, I am still looking for other places where the Ousalems might be living.

Our Great grand father has a Mausoleum not so far from the city of Bejaia, nearby my father's village. Amazing, isn't it?

Hassane