Notes on Michael Ensley by G. H. Ensley Nov 1959
I am not certain where he was born. I have located him on two census records both of which state he was born in Pennsylvania. However census records are not always accurate. In 1850 Michael was living with George Ensley in Dekalb County. In 1860 he was living in Whitely County Indiana. However, there are indications that he may have been born in Germany. A short biography of his daughter Polly Beard Sattison stated she was the daughter of Michael Ensley, a native of Germany. Also John P. Ensley in an interview by the Sons of California Pioneers stated that Michael Ensley and his wife Sally Nose were born in Germany.
Michael moved from Pennsylvania into Ohio in 1816. Evidently he was in Wayne County for awhile and moved on to Seneca County around 1830. (probably, 1826) He also lived in in Stark County for awhile between 1816 and 1830. On August 21, 1832 he was the original recorded owner of the N. W. 1/4 of Section 31, Thompson Township, Seneca County.
The Ensley farm in Seneca County was near the farm of John Noel. John Noel was the original recorded owner of the SE 1/4 Section 24, Adams Township, Seneca County. He filed on this land on October 28, 1833.
Two of Michael Ensley’s children married children of John Noel. George Ensley married Lydia Noel Gordon. (she was married only a short time to Gordon and had one son George Gordon). Elizabeth Ensley married John Noel Jr. John & Elizabeth moved to Butler Township, DeKalb Co Indiana in 1839. Two years later in 1841 George & Lydia Ensley followed them and settled on an adjacent farm in Dekalb County.
Sometime in the 1840s Michael Ensley and his wife Sallie Nose Ensley were separated. Supposedly Michael Ensley started drinking too much. Sallie was living with son George Ensley when she died and Michael was living with daughter Pollie Beard Sattison in Whitely Co, Indiana when he died.
Flora Stafford Green says that Sallie Nose Ensley spoke mainly German as her English was very broken and that she was an erb doctor of sorts.
This document transcribed from the Research of Elizabeth Ensley Rathbun