From Scandinavia to the Appalachians: Genealogy of the Osborne Family

 

For most of my life I have had a curiosity about the origin and history of my family. It started in my teenage years and has followed me to the present. My paternal grandmother helped me in my quest for the answers to the name of Osborne.

What I was able to find out initially from newspaper articles and letters was,” that among the Norse Invaders who entered England in the latter part of the 8^th century or possibly into the 9^th century, there came a member of the Osborne family, who became the head of a posterity which has become quite numerous and whose representatives have figured in no small way in the history of their adoptive country.”[1]

One of the unique traits of the Scandinavian people is how they came up with the names of the families. Usually, these names derived from a characteristic which was unique to their individualities. The name Osborne appears to come from the “old Norse” language where” Os” means hero and “Bhorn” means bear.  Which implies that the first bearer (no pun intended) of this name was the hero of a bear hunt and was considered a powerful person.[2]

The Anglo-Saxon version of the name became Osborne and the family figured prominently in Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk and London. One of the Osbornes owned a large piece of land on the Isle of Wight, on which Queen Victoria and Prince Albert built there palatial summer home, House of Osborne.[3] I recently visited the Isle of Wight and toured the house and grounds of the Osborne House.

From historical records and information gathered by genealogical groups I have traced back 19 generations of my family lineage to the 15^th century.

Below are the names:

Peter Osborne, Purleigh, Essex, England 15^th century (no birth or death)

Richard Osborne, son of Peter Osborne (no birth or death)

Richard Osborne II, son of Richard Osborne (died 1544)

Peter Osborne, son of Richard II (1521-1557)

Sir John Osborne, son of Peter Osborne (no birth or death)

Thomas Osborne, son of Sir John Osborne

Richard Osborne, son of Thomas Osborne (Sailed to America on the ship “Hopewell” in 1634)

Richard Osborne, Jr., son of Richard Osborne (died 1729)

Nicholas Osborne, son of Richard Osborne, Jr. (1727- ?)

Jonathan Osborne, son of Nicholas (1749-?) Served in the American Revolution[4]

Jeremiah Osborne, son of Jonathan Osborne (1172-1857)

John Osborne, son of Jeremiah Osborne (1803-1893)

John Taylor Osborne, son of John Osborne (1849-1919)

John Davidson Osborne, son of John Taylor Osborne (1874-1937)

Mark Taylor Osborne, son of John Davidson Osborne (1910-1996)

Mark Pressley Osborne, son of Mark Taylor Osborne (1935-2022)

David Mark Osborne, Sr., Son of Mark Pressley Osborne (1955- )[5]

Jonathan Richard Osborne (1986- )

Hunter Andrew Osborne (2015- )

 

One of the interesting facts about the Osbornes that moved south and settled in Southwest Virginia and Western North Carolina was that they were known as “Dissenters.”  Meaning that they did not belong to the established Church of England and were known as Scotch-Irish.[6]

The best information on my family came from interviews that were done with my grandfather before he passed away.  We had heard many of these stories from him as children, but had forgotten a lot of the facts. The ones I enjoyed the most were when my grandfather, Mark Taylor Osborne, shared stories of what life was like when he was a young boy and teenager growing up in Mills River, NC on a farm. Evidently, his father was lazy and did not like farming at all. My grandfather told stories of getting up every morning to feed the chickens and milk the cows before he started walking to school. And when we he got home, he still had cows to milk by supper time and other chores to do. He was also very good with teams of mules because he would drive these teams over the mountains down into South Carolina to deliver produce and bring back supplies. Another story that was captured on the recordings was when he told of a couple from up north that got their car stuck in a mud hole in front of his house and could not move.  My grandfather hitched up a team of mules and pulled the man’s car out of the mud so he could be on his way. When the man offered to pay him, my grandfather said he did not know what to say or do because that was the thing you just did around where he lived; you helped others in need.[7]

I still miss my grandfather and his stories today. I am currently passing these stories and other information to my children and grandchildren, so they can have a knowledge of who our family is and where we came from.

Osborne Family Coat of Arms with family motto

SPE LABOR LEVIS “One Lightens Labor with Hope”

 

 The Department of the Interior confirming Jonathan Osborne served in Revolutionary War

 

 

 

 

 

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[1] J.J Erwin, MD and Pauline Osborne Lankford,” The Osborne Family,” Letter to family members.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

[4] ” Letter of confirmation of service during American Revolutionary War,” The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Pensions, Washington D.C. August 18, 1917.

[5] Way, Mrs., R.L., Genealogical Committee of the Edward Buncombe Chapter of D.A.R. Asheville, NC

[6] Osborne, Mark R., “Osbornes Moved Into Western N.C. With Other Dissenter.” The Transylvania Times, March 4, 1976

[7] Osborne, Mark T., Interviewed by Carolyn O. Darst (daughter), Recorded on tape for distribution to family members, Summer 1982.