The Osborn Family
According to �Select Osborne Surname Genealogy,� the surname Osborne comes from the Old Norse or Viking personal name Asbjorn, comprised of as meaning "god," and bjorn meaning "bear." The word "god bear" may have been a reference to the colossal Ursus spelaeus, an ancient bear that once roamed the plains of Europe after the last ice age.
The name had appeared in England before the Norman Conquest. The wife of Egbert, the king of Wessex, was called Osbern.
According to John Osborne Austin, in his Allied Families (1893), the name Osborn, or Osborne, was probably taken from �Hus-bearn,� or �House-child,� which was Saxon. F Verne Osborn, in his �Mathew Osborn and His Family,� (1970), says the name was originally Norse, and means "God-bearer,� or �Doer of Good.� The spellings of the name have been many and varied, but it is now generally Oxbun, Osborne, or Osborn. Most of the descendants of this family use the Osborn spelling. There is a tradition that William Fitzosborn (son of Osborn) was with William the Conqueror in the Battle of Hastings in 1066, and for his services at that time, he was awarded the hand of a daughter of the Conqueror and had title to the Isle of Wight.
From the website �Selectsursurnames.com� comes the following:
   The Osbern name was widely spread throughout England in the Domesday Book. And the surname Osborne was also spread in the 19th century. There was one cluster around London and the southeast (Kent and Essex), another in the southwest (in particular in Devon and Cornwall), and then it spread across the Midlands and into Yorkshire.
The earliest record of an Osborne family comes from the will of Julian and Harjanna Osborn, recorded in Maidstone in Kent in 1404. Alexander Osborne was mayor of Maidstone in 1700 and the family remained in this area. The Osbornes at Hartlip near Sittingbourne date from 1464.
Thomas Osborne from Ashford was an early settler in New England in 1637. Thomas Osborne arrived in Boston from Kent in 1637 and moved on the next year with other colonists to found the town of New Haven in Connecticut. He and his son Thomas later settled on Long Island. The old Osborne house was built in East Hampton in 1680. The Maidstone Arms on this East Hampton site had Osbornes until the 1920's and is an international hotel today.
Edward Osborne, a clothmaker in Elizabethan times, is said to have made his family's fortune by leaping into the Thames to rescue the daughter of his employer. His descendants became landed gentry at Kiveton in Yorkshire and, as the Duke of Leeds, owned a number of estates around the country, in particular in Buckinghamshire. There were Osbornes recorded in the village of Castlethorpe in Buckinghamshire from the 1640's.
Another titledily started with Peter Osborne, also during the reign of Elizabeth. He acquired the family seat at Chicksands Priory in Bedfordshire in 1576. His royalist family was rewarded for loyalty during the reign of Charles II. One sibling, Dorothy Osborne, created a stir by her affair with a prominent roundhead, William Temple. A later offspring, Danvers Osborne, was briefly, for five days, the Governor of New York.
See: Other Osborns
Norse Osborn/Ozbun, (born 1640 England) and Elizabeth ___ , (born 1640).
Mathew Osborn was born in Cheshire, England about January 1660/1, son of Norse and Elizabeth Osborn/Ozbun
In his early youth was apprenticed to a gardener. At one time he forgot to perform his duties, with disastrous results, and fearing difficulties, he hid on a ship about to sail for America. He was not found until too late to put him ashore and he subsequently arrived in Sussex County, Delaware, about 1682.
The year of his birth is substantiated by a deposition he signed, dated 16 December 1737, saying that he was 77 years, or thereabouts and that he helped with the construction of a bridge, known as Gutters Bridge.
Apparently, he lived most of his later life in the vicinity of Cold Spring (or Cool Spring) Friends Meeting, located about six miles west of Lewes in Sussex County, Delaware. Cold Spring Meeting was a Preparative Meeting of Duck Creek Monthly Meeting, which consisted of five or six Preparative Meetings, mostly centered in Kent County, Delaware, some of which were twenty miles or more away from Cold Spring. The Monthly Meeting sessions were generally held in the Kent County area and the records would have been kept there, so the membership of Cold Spring probably was not fully reported.
He was married in 1690, in Sussex, Delaware, to Mary M Osborn, who was born 1650 in Sussex County Pennsylvania Colony, and died in 1740, in Sussex, Delaware Colony. They appear to have been members of the Society of Friends.
Mathew Osborn died 5 April 1738. In Sissex County, Delaware. His will was dated 10 December 1733, and proved on 5 April 1738. It named four sons and one daughter, but we do not know the order of their birth.
�Center Friends Monthly Meeting (North Carolina) has a beautiful old cemetery there on a hill...especially beautiful at sunrise...with my Mathew Osborn I & II and David & Lydia Davis Osborn noted on a grave marker made out of the mill stones from their family mill. I have photos taken recently there which I would be glad to scan if any other Cousin Osborns are out there.� [email protected]. Attention: Land Harris
Children:
Matthew Osborn, Jr, son of Mathew and Mary Osborn, was born 12 January 1697, in Sussex County, Delaware.
He was married 16 October 1723, at Duck Creek Monthly Meeting, in Sussex County, to Isabella Dobson (Dodson), born after 1700, Chester County, Pennsylvania, in Greensboro, Gilford County, North Carolina.
Matthew Osborn Jr. seems to have left Delaware with his family in 1749, sojourning for a time in York County, Pennsylvania, then following the Quaker migration through Virginia to the North Carolina Piedmont, arriving in the Guilford County area probably late in 1753.
Their certificate of Friends Membership was received by Cane Creek Monthly Meeting, in what is now Alamance County, North Carolina, on 5 January 1754, but New Garden Monthly Meeting in Guilford County, North Carolina was set off from Cane Creek Monthly Meeting, North Carolina later in 1754.
The marriages of a number of the children of Matthew Osborn II are listed in the records of New Garden Monthly Meeting, North Carolina. There seems to be no record there that Matthew Osborn had a daughter Hannah.
Isabella died 19 May 1770, Greensboro, Guiilford County, North Carolina; and he died 22 June 1783, both recorded in Center Monthly Meeting.
Children:
William Osborn, Sr, son of Mathew Osborn Jr and Isabella Dobson, was born in 1725, Duck Creek Monthly Meeting, in Sussex County, Delaware.
He was married 5 October 1750, at her father's house in Warrington Monthly Meeting, in York County, Pennsylvania, to Rebecca Cox, who was born about 1731, in Chester County, Pennsylvania, daughter of A-1. Richard Cox and Elizabeth Scarlett (See: Cox family).
Rebecca died in 1766; William died October 1768, both in Rowan County, North Carolina;
Children:
Matthew Osborn III, son of Matthew Osborn Jr. and Isabell Dobson, was born 12 March 1729, Duck Creek, Sussex County, Delaware.
He was married 24 June 1755, to Mary Reynolds, minister, who was born 15d 11m 1737, daughter of William & Mary Reynolds.
She died 13 December 1804; he died 27 January 1816, Cane Creek, both in Randolph County, North Carolina.
Children:
Sarah Osborn, daughter of Mathew Osborn Jr. and Isabella Dobson, was born 17 June 1737, in Sussex County, Delaware.
She was married 19 March 1767 to Child 8. Aaron Frazier, Sr., who died 25 March 1767. (See: Frazier Family)
She died 29 December 1784, in Center, Guilford County, North Carolina; Aaron died 25 March 1797
Children:
Abraham Osborn Sr, son of William Osborn, Sr and Rebecca Cox, was born 19 June 1751, Warrington Monthly Meeting, York County, Pennsylvania.
He was married 5 May 1774, at Cane Creek Monthly Meeting, North Carolina, to Abigail Davis, who was born 14 June 1751, daughter of Charles Davis and Hannah Matson. (See: Davis Family, Part I.
He died 28 December 1781, of what was called "slow fever� Abigail subsequently married Owen Williams.
Children:
Thomas Osborn (4), son of William Osborn Sr. and Rebecca Cox, was born 26 January 1755, Rowan County, North Carolina
He was married in Cane Creek Monthly Meeting, Alamance County, North Carolina, on 17 October 1776 to Elizabeth Stout, who born 25 November 1757, in York County, Pennsylvania, daughter of Peter Stout & Margaret Cypert. See: Stout Family
Thomas died 7 November 1781 in Orange County, North Carolina; he was buried in Cane Creek Burial Ground, Newlin Township, Alamance County, North Carolina
Children:
William Osborn, Jr, son of William Osborn, Sr and Rebecca Cox, was born 14 December 1756, Cane Creek Monthly Meeting, North Carolina.
He was married 21 November 1782, to Mary Louder, who was born 2 August 1764, daughter of John and Hannah Louder (See: Louder Family.)
He died 14 September 1813. Although he lived and died in Yadkin County, North Carolina, several of his children went to Ohio and Indiana.
The records of his children were found in Center Monthly Meeting, Guilford County, North Carolina.
Children:
Isabella Frazier, daughter of Sarah Osborn and Aaron Fraizier, was born 17 February 1774, in England.
She was married 1 September 1791 in Center Monthly Meeting, Guilford County, North Carolina, to Robert Hodgson Jr., who was born 31 March 1769, in New Garden Monthly Meeting, Guilford County, North Carolina, the son of Robert F Hodgson and Rachel Mills. (See: Hodgson Family)
Robert Jr. died 16 March 1844, in Springfield Monthly Meeting, Guilford, North Carolina. As their children migrated to the west, their name changed to Hodson.
Children:
William Osborn, son of Abraham Osborn and Abigail Davis, was born 22 March 1775.
He was married 3 November 1797, Back Creek Meeting, Randolph County, North Carolina, to Anna Newby, born 10 October 1781, daughter of Samuel Newby and Rachel Pearson. (See: Newby Family, Part II, and Pearson Family, Part VIII)
They moved to Deep Creek Monthly Meeting, North Carolina, and on 25 March 1815, they were received at White Water Monthly Meeting, Wayne County, Indiana. On 17 April 1824, they were received at White Water Monthly Meeting, Wayne County, Indiana, and on 12 May 1825, at New Garden Monthly Meeting. On 20 Feb, they were received at Fairfield Monthly Meeting, Hendricks County, Indiana.
Although the Monthly Meeting was in Hendricks County, the Osborns lived on land described as "The Nebraska quarter, of Nebraska quarter of Section 8, in Township 19, North Range, 2 West, containing 40 acres, near Thorntown in the County, of Boone, State of Indiana.�
William Osborn died in 1844/5. Letters of Administration for his estate were filed on 13 March 1845, and on 2 June 1845, the administrator filed a petition to sell real estate, listing the following heirs:
Ann Osborn, widow; Richard Nance and wife; Aaron Sanders and wife; unknown heirs of Jesse Osborn, deceased; John Osborn and wife; William Wilson and wife; William Pemberton, heirs of Rachel Pemberton; Ambrose Osborn; William Sasser and wife; William Osborn; Joshua Marshall and wife; Andrew Cain and wife.
On 17 February 1851, Anna (Newby) Osborn was married again, the third wife, to Obediah Harris, born 4 August 1774, died 8 March 1858, son of Obediah Harris and Rebecca Moorman. (See: Moorman Family, Part VIII).
Children:
Abraham Osborn Jr., son of Abraham Sr. and Abigail Davis, was born 20 January 1781
He was married 29 December 1803 to Martha Hodson, who was born 23 April 1784. They lived in Orange County, Indiana, in 1817
When his cousin, Mathew Frazier, died in North Carolina, leaving 6 children, his widow, a sister of Martha Hodson, brought her family to Indiana, and in 1819, Abraham Osborn became their guardian.
Abraham died 28 June 1842; Martha died 30 January 1869, and was buried in Newberry Cemetery, Paoli, Indiana.
Children:
William Osborn (7), son of Thomas Osborn (4) and Elizabeth Stout, was born 1 August 1778, in Orange County, North Carolina
He was married, to Susanna Snotherly, who was born 20 April 1771.
William died 3 October 1861, in Ohio
Children:
Margaret Osborn, daughter of Thomas Osborn (4) ad Elizabeth Stout, was born 27 August 1780, in Orange County, North Carolina.
She was married to John Sheridan, who was born 22 July 1775, in Guilford County, North Carolina, died 25 October 1836, and was buried in Spiceland Bural Ground, Spiceland Township, Henry County, Indiana, the son of George and Hannah Sheridan
Children:
Aaron Hodgson, son of Isabella Frazier and Robert Hodgson Jr., was born 31 July 1793, Center Monthly Meeting Guilford County, North Carolina.
He was married 11 December 1817, in Deep River Monthly meeting, Guilford County, North Carolina, to Mary Beard, who was born 1 January 1793, Deep River.
Aaron died 1 November 1847, Spiceland, Henry County, Indiana; Mary died 5 June 1869, Springfield Monthly Meeting, Guilford County, North Carolina
Children:
Seth H Hodson, son of Aaron Hodson and Mary Beard, was born 19 November 1821, in Springfield Monthly Meeting, Guilford County, North Carolina.
He was married 5 October 1849, in Springfield Monthly Meeting, Guilford County, North Carolina, to Margaret Hockett/Hoggatt, who was born 24 November 1827, in Wayne county, Indiana.
Margaret died 23 July 1900, in Fairmont, Grant County, Indiana
Children:
Bibliography
See: Osborne Origins, by Lee K Osborne
History of York County, Pennsylvania Vol I, by George R Powell (1907)
Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogies, Vol 1,2,7, W W Hinshaw
History of Wayne County, Indiana Chicago Interstate Pub County, 1884
Quaker Arrivals at Philadelphia (1682-1750) Myers, Ferris & Leech Allied Families, by John Osborne Austin, Providence, R I (1893)
Probate Order Book A-B (1830-1846) Boone County, Indiana
Simon Hadley and His Descendants, K G Hadley (Kingston Goddard)
Mathew Osborn & His Family by F Verne Osborn, privately printed (1970)
Delaware History & Genealogy Recall (1933)
Webster Parry Collection of Quaker Families edit Edna Harvey Joseph
One Ladd's Family, by Ruth Kline Ladd (1974)
Meet the Edgertons, by J Howard Binns (1970)