General Notes

Thomas Osborne lived in Ashford, Co, Kent, England until 1636.About 1637
he emigrated to America with his family. He was an early settler of New Ha
ven, and was the Colony Tanner in 1643. He moved to East Hampton about 164
9.
From Jerri McCoy - There was another Thomas Osborn, the son ofJohn and Tho
masin Osborn, who was also born at Ashford in1594-5, and baptised the
re on 4 Apr 1594/95. It is possible, but unlikely, that he, and not the s
on of Jeremy, was the American settler. However, circumstantial evidence f
avors Jeremy's son.We know from Jeremy's will that his son Thomas was a ta
nner. The name of Thomas's first son was Thomas, for himself, the next, Je
remy, for his father, the next, Richard, for his brother, th enext, Joh
n, perhaps for his uncle, the next Stephen, a favorite Puritan name, and J
oseph, for his brother. If Thomas was ,instead, the son of John, then he w
aited until his fourth son toname one for his father.
After 1636 Thomas Osborn's family disappears from the Ashford records. Bro
ther Richard Osborn in his 1646 will names his own children and those of h
is other brother Joseph, but makes no mention of Thomas or his children, p
robably because they had removed to America.
Thomas and Richard Osborn arrived in Boston on 26 Jun 1637. They and the e
ntire New Haven Colony stayed in Boston until the spring of 1638 when th
ey continued on to the area where they founded the town of New Haven, Conn
ecticut. The entire trip is described in the book "The colony of New Have
n" by Edward E. Atwater. The book describes life in England at the time, w
hy they wanted to come to American, the trip aboard ship, and the way t
he land in New Haven was divided up.
The History of New Haven County, edited by J. L. Rockey, (1892)tells th
at the party of fifty men and another 200 women and children were pa
rt of the company of the Reverend John Davenport arriving on the Hector a
nd her consort. The company was composed of men of wealth, education and i
nfluence. Almost immediately upon arrival there was civil and religious co
nflict with the current residents of Massachusetts. In the spring of 16
38 the company moved on to settle the colony of New Haven.
The History of New Haven Colony, by Edward R. Lambert (1838)indicates th
at Planter Thomas Osborn was responsible for six persons and had an esta
te valued at 300 pounds. Richard Osborn was responsible for three perso
ns and had an estate valued at 10 pounds. About 1639 he moved to New Have
n, CT. He was an early but not original signer of the Covenant at New Have
n. He was the Colony tanner in 1643. He moved to East Hampton, NY by 165
1. In 1660 he deeded his house and tanyard in New Haven to his son Jeremi
ah Osborn, tanner, of New Haven. In 1677 Thomas gave his house and home l
ot in East Hampton to his son Benjamin. He probably lived with this son un
til his death. Of his children,the first six were baptised at Christ Chur
ch in Ashford Parish,Co. Kent, England, the last three in New Haven, C
T. He died after 1677, when his will is dated, and before 1686, when his s
on Thomas is called Senior. It is possible that Thomas diedduring a vis
it to New Haven rather than at his home in East Hampton.
B,P,M,H,D: "The Gen. Magazine of NJ", v47 #1, "The OsbornFamily", p