View Message

According to the website below, Owsley was originally recorded as Ouseley, so your original surmise of "meadow near the river Ouse" may well be correct.
http://www.owsleyfamily.com/

---

I can't independently verify it, but this site seems to have a reasonable explanation of the origin of the river Ouse's name:
http://www.last-names.net/surname.asp?surname=Ouseley

---

Hope that helps :-)

---

♦ Chrisell ♦

---

All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. - J.R.R. Tolkien.

---