EARLY SETTLERS IN AMERICA
EARLY SETTLERS IN AMERICA
Thomas Steevens, 1400 acres at.Lancaster Co., 2 Sept. 1652, p. 120. Upon S. E. side of Farnom Creek., extending N. N. E. from land of Leroy Griffin to the head of Creek, to land of Thomas Griffin &c. Transfer of 28 persons, as follows:
Robert Savidge, Richard Eules, Edward Gibbs, Ra. Waddington, Tho. Quinee, Elizabeth
Sutton, Sarah Powell, Thomas Sanders, Provost Nelson, Frank Monkes, Henry Purchase,
Alice Travabin(?), Symon Ogbourne, Thomas Browne, Richard Dibbins, Jane Fenton,
John Miles, Thomas Hewes, Jane Willis, Grace Legg, Mr. Wm. Whitby.
Extensive researches have been undertaken to trace the origin of Symon in the UK and it seems likely (though not proven) that Symon came from the City of Gloucester in the west of England, where several generations of Symon Ogbournes lived before this date. The following references to a line of Symons in Gloucestershire have been found, although research has been hampered due to the absence of a number of church registers of births and marriages in the early part of the 17th century.
A study of the surnames in the group to try to establish clues to the origin in England of these people, but the surnames proved to be common in widespread parts of the country, e.g. from Cornwall to Lancashire.
| A reference to a Symon Ogborne, aged about 20 of Hardwicke, Gloucestershire is found in "Men & Armour for the County of Gloucester" in 1608. This record was compiled on the King's instructions to identify the men available and fit to fight in a war with France. |  |
 17th century Tombstones in Elmstone Hardwicke churchyard |
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Two daughters were born to a Symon Ogborne and christened in the Gloucester City church of St Mary Lode in the 1620s:
Anne OGBURNE C: 10 Jan 1622. Father: Simon OGBURNE
Susanna OGBORNE C: 15 Mar 1628. Father: Symon OGBORNE
The registers for for St Mary de Lode parish actually commence from 1675, and the Bishop’s transcripts have therefore been searched for the above entries. 1619, half of 1621, 1627, and 1630 - 1636 are missing.
An excerpt from 'AS I WAS TOLD' by Rubyn Reynolds Ogburn 1958 - Chapter IV dealing with the 'EARLY OGBOURNES' which includes much information about Symon can be downloaded in text file form (37k) Click whilst holding down shift key
Samuel and John Ogborne - New Jersey - 1684 established themselves in New Jersey and raised families. These two men who may have been related represent the beginning of lines of Ogbourne/Ogburns in the USA from whom many are descended. Extensive details of Samuel and John and their descendants are set out in a document prepared at the turn of the present century entitled "The Ogbornes of Monmouth County" a large part of which is reproduced in this web site (See links below). No reference to Samuel or John has been so far found in ship's passenger lists to America.
There is the possibility that John is the same John Ogborne of Cecil Co. who on 24 Setember 1677 sold his right to 50 acres of land due to him for time of service spent (part of a grant to promote settlement of Maryland) [Maryland Patents liber 17, Folio 321]
Or is the William Ogborne of Baltimore Co. related ? He was transported to Maryland in 1663 along with 19 other servants by Tho. Thurston. and was assigned 100 acres on the Bush River on the west side of Chesapeake Bay on 29 June 1672? It seems strange that a name which was and is so uncommon in England crops up as often in the new world. Others could have been encouraged to follow the example of other family members.
Quakers ?
Samuel married Jane Curtis, an English Quaker emigrant, in 1684 and Jane's Quaker origins are well documented. Image of Quaker birth register (extract) 1661 -1663 (24k)
This original Quaker record of Bugbrooke, Northamptonshire (Village Views) shows her birth on 11 February 1661, and the two sisters who accompanied her to New Jersey. The Northamptonshire area was the cradle of Quakerism in England from its origins in the 1640s.
September 1998 - The village of Bugbrooke, Northamptonshire, England is writing a history of the village for the milllenium and wishes to obtain additional information about emigrants from the village. Please e-mail the website editor if you are a Curtis descendant for more information.
"The Ogbornes of Monmouth County" sets out a view that 'the Ogborns were formerly very wealthy potters, in Wales, and drifted from there into England, from whence they were driven, being Quakers, by the persecution of those good people and that they settled in New Jersey in 1684." However there is no supporting evidence for this account, (Quaker records are well preserved in the UK, but show no trace of Samuel or John and their families.
Origins near London ?
However research shows the following possible connections with families living in what is now the western outer suburbs of London, England.
| Marriage June 15 1625 Samuel Ogborne married Dorothie Pope at Hillingdon, Middlesex.
Children of the above christened: Marriage February 13 1625 John Ogborne married Ellin Smythe at Uxbridge, Middlesex Children of the above christened:
John 4 July 1627 (The above entries are in the Church of England registers) |
Ogbornes had been living in the Uxbridge area for some time, the marriage of Barnard Ogborn and Cyceley Legeard being recorded in Uxbridge in 1546, and a number of others into the early 18th century. Barnard’s will records that he lived at a house called the ‘Oystredge Feather’ in Uxbridge.
No records of Samuel or John’s marriages are to be found in that area, but more research needs to be undertaken to confirm that there are no deaths in infancy recorded there to eliminate that possibility.
In New Jersey Samuel died in 1694, and John in 1719/20. Both ages are consistent with a fit to the above mentioned Christenings, though John at 95 years of age is less credible than Samuel, who would have been 61 when he died. No other occurrences of the name Samuel Ogbourne or similar have been found in records in the UK, and whilst short of a proven connection the above appears to be the strongest clue to the origins of the Samuel and maybe John Ogbourne who settled in New Jersey in the 1680s.
The Ogbournes of Monmouth County
A detailed narative of John Ogbourne and Samuel Ogborne and their descendants was published at the turn of the century, and is reproduced here John Ogborne and descendants (9k) and Samuel Ogborne & descendants (22k) A chart showing a line of descendants of John Ogborne to the present day has been published by Anthony Gick click here to view
Staten Island connection?
On the other hand conflicting reports of Samuel's arrival In New Jersey exist - another account says "Samuel Ogborne of Burlington is the ancestor of this particular branch of the family. The names of his sons, Samuel and William Ogborne, appear in the records of Gravesend, Staten Island at the time of their moving there where William bought the lands of Captain Richard Stillwell in 1681, and sold his land to Daniel Lake in 1683, and moved to Achter Kol at Elizabeth Town in East Jersey."
