Sunday, December 12, 2010

The Legacy of James P Osborn



James Paulding Osborn
James Paulding Osborn was born on a leap day, Friday, February 29th 1856 in Pawling, NY. He was the first son of George Washington Osborn and Mary Slocum, and their second child.


George and Mary's family expanded to eventually have many children:
Helen A Osborn, Born 24 May 1854 - Died 27 Aug 1942
James himself, Born 29 Feb 1856 - Died 13 April, 1926
George Travis Osborn, Born 17 May, 1858 - Died 18 Oct 1863
John A Osborn, Born 12 Apr 1860 - Died 1944
Edgar B Osborn, Born 16 Dec 1863 - Died 21 Sept 1950
Mary Ida Osborn, Born 15 Apr 1865 - Died 26 Apr 1927
Zadie Osborn, Born 23 Dec 1869 - Died July 1962
Charles H Osborn, Born 2 Aug 1871 - Died 13 June 1959

I have yet to find this family in the 1860 and 1870 census.


On June 25, 1877 when James was 21, he married 15 year old Jennie Barrett, who was born 5 June 1862 , daughter of Sarah Knox and Solomon Barrett. In the 1880 Census, James is listed as a farm laborer for Mr. Newton Cook, in Pawling, Dutchess County, NY. Jennie is listed as married and living next door with her sister Byronette Barrett.

Jennie Barrett Osborn

Jennie and James had 8 children, six of which lived to adulthood:
Edward Francis Osborn, Born 15 Sept 1880 - Died 23 April 1965
Mary Francis Osborn, Born Nov 1882 - Died 12 Dec 1942
George Washington Osborn, Born 27 Jan 1884 - Died 23 Feb 1960
James Franklin Osborn, Born Apr 1885 - Died 5 Jan 1970
Sarah Osborn, Born 27 Aug 1886 - Died 4 Oct 1952
Earl Osborn, Born 29 Jan 1888 - Died 17 Aug 1983
Jennie Bell Osborn, Born about 1890 - Died 5 Feb 1895
Albert Osborn, Born 19 Apr 1891 - Died 1891

Family legend says the family grew so fast, Jennie's sister Lucinda came to live with her to help with the children. As there is no 1890 census, this is hard to prove, however it does seem logical in hindsight. Jennie Barrett Osborn Died 3 Feb 1893 at the age of 30 in Pawling, Dutchess Co, NY.

Lucinda Barrett Osborn

On November  9, 1893, when James was 37 he married 21 year old Lucinda Barrett who was born 21 Oct 1872, daughter of Sarah Knox and Solomon Barrett.

She and James  had 8 children who all lived to adulthood:
Clayton John Osborn, Born 22 Dec 1893 - Died 21 Apr 1975
Elsie Jane Osborn, Born 27 Oct 1894 - Died 2 May 1984
Solomon Barrett Osborn, Born 9 Feb 1896 - Died 27 Jul 1982
Nancy Dean Osborn, Born 27 Apr 1897 - Died 16 Nov 1957
William Dean Osborn, Born 7 May 1898 - Died 15 Nov 1937
Chloe Ann Osborn, Born 24 Jun 1899 - Died 39 Nov 1995
Elizabeth Amelia Osborn, Born 27 Nov 1901 - Died 11 Jul 1966
Isabel Osborn, born 28 Jan 1903 - Died 19 July 1974.


In the 1900 Census, James and his family are living in Somers, Westchester County, New York. The oldest three children of Jennie and James have moved out, leaving 10 children in the house.

In 1909, Elsie Barrett Beach, sister of Jennie and Lucinda dies leaving a baby, Weston Beach only a month old. Weston (later nicknamed Pete) joins the Osborn family and was raised like a brother to the rest of the children. His father Frank would not let him be formally adopted, so his last name remained Beach.

By the 1910 census, all of Jennie's children have moved out of the home and the family has moved back to Pawling, Dutchess County, New York. In 1920, Only the girls and Weston are living with James and Lucinda, still renting in Pawling.

In Dec of 1923, the local paper says the family has moved into one of the two houses James has bought behind the Pawling Central Baptist Church. This puts the family right in the middle of the town.

James Paulding Osborn died of pneumonia on April 13 1926, at the age of 70. He left behind him his wife Lucinda, who lived until Oct 22, 1955 as well as all fourteen of his children, Weston Beach, and at least 30 Grandchildren.

I am still gathering information and pictures of James' descendants. I know I am missing a lot of folks, particularly from Jennie's family, but also some from Lucinda's. Today in 2010, I know of 296 descendants, not counting spouses from James in just 6 generations. That’s quite a legacy to leave behind.

Sources for the above include:
Birth, Marriage, and Death Certificates
Obituaries, Funeral Programs,Tombstones & Cemetery Records
1900, 1910,1920, 1nd 1930 Censuses
WW1 Selective Service Registration records
Social Security and Connecticut Death Indexes
Newspaper articles in Various papers
Records of Lucy Ryea Smith, Donald A Osborne, Elsie Osborn Douglas, Robert H Dykeman, and Louanne Brown Barrett

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