Pvt. Ephraim Osborne, Sr.

A Patriot of the American Revolution for VIRGINIA with the rank of PRIVATE. DAR Ancestor #: A084430

Ephriam OSBORNE Sr. was born abt 1723 perhaps in Dutchess County, NY. He died in 1794 in Grayson Co., VA. Ephriam married Elizabeth [HOWARD?] "Betty" about 1741. Parents are unknown.

Looks like his brothers were Caleb, Solomon, Enoch and Jonathan.

Children of Ephraim Osborne Sr.

• Robert Osborne - died after 1810 in Barren County, Kentucky
• Solomon Osborne - died at age 21 in Watauga County, North Carolina during an Indian attack.
• Captain Enoch Osborne - died September 1818 in Grayson Co., Virginia
• Jonathan Osborne - died April 1834 in Ashe County, North Carolina
• Ephraim Osborne, Jr. - died 1852 in Harlan County, Kentucky
• Elender Osborne (probably).

disputed origins

For many years, the story has been circulated that a James Osborn, of Warwick Co, England,came to the colonies, bringing son Jonathan, and that this Jonathan was the father of Ephraim Osborn. This story originated in 1945 when the late Will H Daniel, of Huntington, W VA employed a researcher to trace his lineage. The authenticity of the story may be checked by writing the Kansas State Historical Society

Disambiguation

From https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57075563

The birthdate of 12 Aug 1723 is for a different Ephraim Osborne. The 12 Aug 1723 Ephraim is the son of Jonathan Osborne.

The Ephraim who is buried at Osborn Fort Cemetery is proven via DNA evidence to be the descendant of Thomas Osborne and Mary Goatley who first settled in New Haven, CT Colony, in 1639. We don't know for certain what this Ephraim's birthdate is.

And his death date is not 23 April 1794, but AFTER this date. He signed documents on 23 April 1794 and we have no further record of him.

biography

from http://www.angelfire.com/va3/rmosborne/htmg09.htm informative website

Ephraim, Sr. and his brother Caleb migrated from New Jersey to the Yadkin Valley area of North Carolina around 1750 Caleb died in Rowan County before August 7, 1781 Caleb Osborne had at least seven children. Several of the sons moved to the Clinch Valley area of Russell and Scott Counties, Virginia At least one son moved on to Indiana.
By 1766, Ephraim Osborne, Sr. and family were in Montgomery County, Virginia, living on Saddle Creek, a branch of New River It was there that Osborne's Fort was built In later years, Ephraim Osborne was granted a license to operate an ordinary. On March 4, 1786, Ephraim Osborne, Sr name appeared on the Revenue tax list (Montgomery County) and on October 28, 1789, he was still living in the same area.
On April 23, 1894, Ephraim Osborne, Sr. was exempted from paying the county levy in Grayson County, Virginia. This is the last record found in his name, so he apparently died in Grayson County some time after April 1794.

children of Ehraim and Elizabeth:

• Name: Ephriam OSBORNE
• Sex: M
• Birth: 21 AUG 1723 in Williamsburg, James City, Va. [NO]
• Death: 1796 in Grayson, Va., Independence [NO]

Note:

A note on NGS by Carole Spencer on 6/24/94 gave the birthdate for Ephraim as Aug. 1, 1723.

Notes from Lucille Muncy Carter indicate that Ephraim Osborn, Sr., and his wife Elizabeth Howard are buried at the Old Fort Farm about 6 miles southeast of present day Independence ,Va. Death dates are both for 1796 (?).

• Father: Unknown Osborne b: 28 MAR 1697 in Warwickshire, England [DISPROVEN]
• Mother: Unknown Osborne b: 1701 [DISPROVEN]
• Marriage 1 Elizabeth HOWARD [last name UNPROVEN] b: 1726 Married: 1749 in Yadkin Co., North Carolina

Children

• 1. Solomon OSBORN*
• 2. Jonathan OSBORN
• 3. Eleanor OSBORN
• 4. Nancy OSBORN
• 5. Stephen OSBORN
• 6. Robert OSBORN
• 7. John OSBORN*
• 8. Thomas OSBORN
• 9. Enoch (Capt.) OSBORNE b: 1750 in Yadkin Valley, Va.
• 10. Jr. Osborn EPHRAIM b: 14 SEP 1752 in North Carolina

Two of Ephraim's sons (John and Solomon)are rumored to have married Daniel Boone's youngest sister, Hannah's daughters:

Richard PENNINGTON was born about 1752 in PA and died on 21 Dec 1813 in Sparta, White County, TN. He appears in the roster of Capt. Osborne's militia of 1780. Richard PENNINGTON married Hannah BOONE on 5 May 1777 in Salisbury, Rowan County, NC. Hannah BOONE was born 24 Aug. 1746 in Berks County, PA. She was the daughter of Squire BOONE and Sarah MORGAN, youngest sister of the famous Daniel BOONE. Hannah had been married to John STEWART before he was killed while on an expedition with a Daniel BOONE party. They had four daughters before he died: *Sarah b. 1765 (m. John OSBORN), *Mary b. 1766 (m. Solomon OSBORN), Rachel b. 1768 (m. James KING), and Ann b.25 Feb. 1770 (m. James LEWIS). Hannah died 7 Apr 1828 in Tompkinsville, Monroe County, KY and was buried in Monroe County, KY, Old Mulkey Cemetery.

Spent time in Rowan, NC before moving to New River, VA in 1766. Some say he came from PA, others from Elizabeth, NJ (Clinker Lots).

biography

from https://familysearch.org/photos/stories/11402009

Ephraim Osborne, the patriarch of the Osborne families in the New River valley and three of his sons, Enoch, Jonathan, and Robert along with Ephraim's brother Stephen were members of the Herbert company. This family came to the New River valley very early (1765 or 6) from the Yadkin River valley (i.e. the "Jersey Settlement" in Rowan Co., NC).

Before North Carolina, their origin is more obscure, but Rita Sutton says that family legends place them as from New Jersey. Their naming pattern is quite consistent with the New Jersey Osborne family that originated in Connecticut and before that in England, but the connection to this family has not been established. It is possible that they instead are more recent immigrants from England or Scotland or Ireland who migrated to North Carolina from Pennsylvania (Charles Osborne hypothesis). It is now believed that the supposed connection to a Jonathan Osborne and a Greta Holman is a genealogical hoax played on a customer by a "professional" genealogist sometime before World War II, and propagated like wild-fire via the internet. In fact we know the names of the parties involved in the hoax.

Osborne's fort was on New River near the mouth of Saddle Creek. This is located a mile or two west of Independence, Grayson County, Virginia and is marked by a small monument to the cemetery that used to be there. If you take the bridge a few hundred yards west of this marker you are in North Carolina. This fort was one of two built along New River in today's Grayson County for protection from Indians and Tories during the Revolution. The other was built downstream (to the NE) at Cox's place.

The Osborne's religious affiliation was changeable gravitating from Presbyterianism to the Baptists and later to the Methodists.

The Jersey Settlement has an interesting origin [which is discussed HERE].

The most authoritative genealogy (IMO) on the internet for the Osborne family is Osborne Origins by Lee Osborne.

References: (1) Wiley Winton Osborne - His Ancestors and Descendants by Carol Osborne Hackett and Myrtle Greer Johnson (thanks Emily). (2) Early Osborne Alley Families On Clinch & New River by Rita Kennedy Sutton.

Unlike many members of Herbert's company, the Osbornes appear to have been consistent Whigs during the Revolution. Enoch was a Captain on the Whig side in the Revolution. The pension applications of Jonathan Osborne, David Cox and John Osborne son of Robert, indicate this as well. The one question mark is how enthusiastic they would be in the attack on the Cherokee, to which their family later was tied to in marriage (the lack of enthusiasm of the New River men was noted by the commanders of the attacks on the Cherokee in 1777, and Robert Osborne refused to take the oath of allegiance in 1777). Other questions along this line remain as well as it appears that the mixed race Cherokees they were associated with later on fought on the Whig side as well.

Osborne Fort Cemetery, Grayson Co., Va.

Some say he was born in Virginia
and some say Dutchess County, New York

Original information posted on this memorial: Birth: Aug. 21, 1723 Dutchess County New York, USA Death: Apr. 23, 1794 Grayson County Virginia, USA

Per FAG member: Alleygarden (#47050486) The birthdate of 12 Aug 1723 is for a different Ephraim Osborne. The 12 Aug 1723 Ephraim is the son of Jonathan Osborne.

The Ephraim who is buried at Osborn Fort Cemetery is proven via DNA evidence to be the descendant of Thomas Osborne and Mary Goatley who first settled in New Haven, CT Colony, in 1639. We don't know for certain what this Ephraim's birthdate is.

And his death date is not 23 April 1794, but AFTER this date. He signed documents on 23 April 1794 and we have no further record of him.

Per FAG member: Jane Riggs Curci (#46846403) Per DAR files: DAR PATRIOT - OSBORN, EPHRAIM Ancestor #: A084430 Service: VIRGINIA Rank(s): PATRIOTIC SERVICE, PRIVATE Birth: CIRCA 1720 Death: 1781 MONTGOMERY CO VIRGINIA Service Source: CRUSH, MONTGOMERY CO VA, THE FIRST HUNDRED YEARS, PP 47, 48, 93 Service Description: 1) CAPT ENOCH OSBURN, MONTGOMERY CO MILITIA, 1781 2) SIGNED OATH OF ALLEGIANCE, 1777

Burial: Osborne Fort Cemetery Bridle Creek Grayson County Virginia, USA

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=57075563

References

• https://osborne-origins.org/linkrecs/f2809.htm#R2809