Enoch Osborne Sr. (abt. 1741 - abt. 1818)

Born about 1741 in Yadkin, Rowan County, Province of North Carolina [uncertain]

Ancestors

Descendants

Died about Sep 1818 at about age 77 in Independence, Grayson County, Virginia, United States

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Enoch Osborne Sr. resided in the Southern Colonies in North America before 1776. Join: US Southern Colonies Project Discuss: southern_colonies

Biography

Captain Enoch Osborne Sr. served with Virginia Militia during the American Revolution.

Enoch Osborne Sr. is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor.
NSSAR Ancestor #: P-263649
Rank: Ensign

Enoch Osborne Sr. is a DAR Patriot Ancestor, A084416.

Enoch Osborne was born about 1741 in Yadkin, Rowan County, North Carolina and his parents were Elizabeth (Howard) and Ephraim Osborne, Sr. (1723-1794).

Enoch Osborne married about 1767 to Jane Hash. ^[1]

His father and brother, Caleb Osborne, both owned property near Squire Boone on the horseshoe curve of Yadkin River.

Enoch died in 1818 and was buried at Old Fort Cemetery, Bridle Creek, New River, Grayson County, Virginia, USA.^[1]

He died in September 1818 in Independence, Grayson County, Virginia, USA. ^[2]

Research Notes

Disputed Parents

As generously phrased by James Quinn, this family was the subject of a "genealogical hoax" by a "professional" genealogist. ^[3] The incorrect information has now made its way into online data bases everywhere. Part of the fraudulent claim was that the parents of Enoch Osborne were Jonathan Osbourne and Gretta Hollman of Williamsburg ^[3] None of the claimed documentation has ever been discovered. ^{[3] [4]}

Uncertain Origin

Enoch was born c1745, possibly in Rowan County, North Carolina. ^[3] This date is a guess, based on known historical dates.

The Osborne family of England who immigrated first to Connecticut, then to New Jersey, is said to have been ancestors of the Rowan County, North Carolina Osbornes. ^[3] Rita Sutton cites family legend placing them in New Jersey before North Carolina, and there are consistent naming patterns. ^[3] However, no documentation has been found to prove this link. ^[3]

According to Quinn, Enoch is said to be a son of Ephraim Osborne. ^[1]

Notes: Captain Enoch Osborne (1745-1818) ^[3]

Enoch's brothers' names are uncertain. Nuckolls reports that Enoch's brothers were Solomon, Ephraim, Jonathan and Stephen Osborne. He makes no mention of a father for them. ^[5] Quinn reports that sons, Enoch, Jonathan, and Robert, with father Ephraim and uncle Stephen, were all members of the Herbert company. ^[3]

Quinn also speculates there may have been two Ephraim Osbornes, father and son. He contends that if this was the case, the member of the Herbert Company was probably the son. ^[3] Apparently there is no documentation or evidence for the father of Enoch (found at this time), but Ephraim Sr. (if there was an Ephraim Sr.) is a possible candidate.

New DNA Evidence

We now find there is a genetic connection between Ephraim, father of Enoch, and the immigrants from Ashford, Kent, England, Thomas Osborne and Mary Goatley. ^[6] However we do not know the intervening generations. Based only on the process of elimination, it is possible that the line from Thomas will prove to be though his son, John, and then James, though an unknown generation, to Ephraim. ^[6]

Wetmore is careful to point out the limitations though, "We will probably never be able to fill in the blanks as to the father, grandfather, and great-grandfather of Ephraim with absolute certainty. The DNA study has provided us some high probability for some candidates ..."^[6] She emphasizes that DNA can tell us that the Grayson County Osbornes are tied to the Connecticut Osborns, but we still need to fill in and document.

DAR Record

Enoch OSBORN, ancestor#A084416

b: 1750 Anson County, North Carolina

res: 1) Fincastle County, Virginia

res: 2) Montgomery County, Virginia

spouse: Jane Hash

service: Virginia as Patriotic Captain

1) Montgomery County, Virginia Militia

2) 1777 took Oath of Fidelity in Montgomery County, Virginia citing ...

• Virginia Magazine v47 p32
• DAR Magazine v93 p658,659

d: ante 24 Nov 1818 Grayson Co, Virginia, USA

comments: 1) grave marked

• Daughters of the American Revolution, DAR Genealogical Research Databases, database online, (http://www.dar.org/ : accessed 2015/Sep/07), "Record of Enoch Osborne", Ancestor # A084416.

• Sons of the American Revolution, Patriot #P-263649]

"Osborne Settlement"

The family is said to have removed from the Yadkin River Valley (i.e. the "Jersey Settlement" in Rowan County, North Carolina).^[3] They settled very early (1765 or 1766) in Virginia, at the New River Valley, between Bridle Creek and Cox's Chapel in then Augusta County, Virginia Colony (later Grayson County).^[1][7] This area came to be known as the "Osborne Settlement."^[3] Located westward of previous settlements, the area was still very much visited by Native Americans. Brother Soloman was killed in 1764 during a hunting trip to what is now Watauga County, North Carolina with Enoch and Ephraim (unclear whether this was brother or father, Ephraim).^[1][3]

Osborne / Boone Connection

Some decendants of Squire Boone (Daniel Boone's father) married into the Phipps family of Grayson County, but an earlier connection was present. Squire Boone owned property in Rowan County, NC, near the fork of the Yadkin, not far from present day Mocksville, NC. Ephraim Osborne, Captain Enoch's father, and his brother, Caleb Osborne both owned property near Squire Boone. There exists an old map showing both Caleb Osborne's property and Squire Boone's property in close proximity. Click here to see a copy of the map. Note the unusual horseshoe curve of the Yadkin River can still be seen on current maps, just Southeast of Mocksville, Caleb Osborne's property can be seen just Northwest of this bend in the Yadkin. (The Boone's properties are highlighted on the map.)

During the Indian Wars prior to the Revolution, was Lord Dunmore's War from 1773 to 1774. This was a war between the Colony of Virginia and the Indian nations of the Shawnee and Mingo. John Murray, the last Lord Dunmore, the British Royal Governor of Virginia, asked the Virginia House of Burgesses to decalre war on hostile Indian nations and muster a volunteer militia for the campaign. Indians had increasingly been raiding homes of colonists who settled west of the Appalachians, where the Indian nations held treaty rights to hunt.

One such volunteer company was under the command of a Captain Looney, whose mission was to guard the Clinch River frontier, and prevent or respond to hostile Indian raids. Under Looney's command were Lieut. Daniel Boone, and his older brother Israel Boone. From Grayson County were Lieut. John Cox, Sergeant Enoch Osborne, and his brother Ephraim Osborne, Jr. This Sergeant Enoch Osborne would later become Captain Enoch Osborne of the Grayson Militia. So we know that Enoch Osborne and Daniel Boone served together in a company of only 50 or so men on the Clinch River frontier during Lord Dunmore's War. Click here to see one of the original pay lists of men in the company under Captain Looney and the amount of their pay. Ephraim, Enoch's father, also served under Captain Looney, and his pay is recorded on another list as is Stephen Osborne. (On these lists Osborne is spelled "Osburne")

Osborne family stories in Grayson County contend that Enoch Osborne fought in the Battle of King's Mountain, and also the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Many historians have ruled this out based on muster rolls of the companies in those battles. Further examination, however, has found that many muster rolls were incomplete, or totally missing. We may never know for sure if Enoch fought in either of those two historic battles.

Additional Notes

Birth: about 1741 Yadkin, Rowan County, North Carolina

Birth: 14 Sep 1752 River, Cleveland, North Carolina, USA

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4} Family Search
2. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #57068838
3. ↑ ^{3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12} Osbornes by Quinn, Family Search by James Quinn 2013/Dec/02; accessed: 2015/July/28
4. ↑ Descendants and Ancestors of James Boyd and Nancy Wier, Osborne & Robinette] by William R. Boyd & Quill Publication of Columbus, Georgia in 1991; accessed: 2015/Oct/12
5. ↑ Pioneer Settlers of Grayson County, Virginia by Benjamin Floyd Nuckolls & King Printing Company of Bristol, TN in 1914; p171 on archive.org; accessed: 2015
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} 11 Generations to the First Immigrant Osborn by Gil Wetmore; Grayson Genealogy, Grayson County, Virginia Heritage Foundation Inc.; accessed: 2015/July.28
7. ↑ John Cox v James Newell. Augusta County Chancery Court, 1812-023, Aff. of Enoch Osborn, pp. 31-32 Available here

• http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~lgboyd/genealogy/chapter12.htm

• Grayson Osbornes

• Enoch OSBORN-2813 Osborne Origins

• Early Osbornes and Alleys

• Ninth Generation by Ronald Mike Osborne; accessed 2015/July/28

• http://thomjoy.us/Sturgill/I0666.html

• Digging at Fort Osborne blogspot