Not a great deal is known about our earliest Osburn ancestors, and although we have found the named spelled, Osborn, Osborne, Orsborn, Orsborne, etc. our branch seems to have settled on the Osburn spelling and for continuinity I am using that spelling when there is a doubt as to which spelling the family used.

William Osburn, was born about 1777 in South Carolina, possibly in Laurens County. He is found on the census there in 1810, but by 1820 had moved to Jackson County, Tennessee, where he stayed until about 1838 when the family began their moves to Union County, Illinois. Some time around 1800/1801 William married Sally, her last name and parents are unknown at this time. William and Sally had several children, not all of their names are known to us at this time, but census records have helped us arrive at an approximate number (children may have died between census recordings that we know nothing about). Their children that we know are

• Henry Osburn, born abt 1804; died bet 1850 - 1860
  married Frances Cole
• Harrison Osburn, born abt 1810; died aft 1840
• Daughter Osburn
• Son Osburn
• Son Osburn
• Daughter Osburn
• Sylvester W. Osburn, born Abt 1819, Tennessee; died aft 1860
  married 1. Sally; 2. Elizabeth Reimer
• Daniel S. Osburn, born Abt 1821, Jackson County, Tennessee
  died 2 March 1864,Benton Barracks, St Louis County, Missouri
  married 1. May Daws; 2. Mary "Polly" Sheppard

William and family has been found on these census records

1810

South Carolina

Laurens County

Line 11

Page 180

M252/61

William Osbourn	xxx	xxx
Age Groups	Males	Females
Under 10	2	2
10-15	1	0
16-25	0	1
26-44	1	0
45+	0	1 -- a Mother - maybe?

1820

Tennessee

Jackson County

Page 151

M33/123

William Orsburn	xxx	xxx
Age Groups	Males	Females
under 10	1	2
10-15	1	0
16-18	1	not counted
16-25	1	0
26-44	1	1
45+	0	0

1830

Tennessee

Jackson County

Page 148

M19/177

William Orsburn	xxx	xxx
Age Groups	Males	Females
under 5	0	1
5-10	1	0
10-15	1	2
15-20	1	1
20-30	0	0
30-40	0	0
40-50	1	1

1840

Tennessee

Jackson County

Page 254

M704/524

William Orsbon	xxx	xxx
Age Groups	Males	Females
under 5	0	0
5-10	0	0
10-15	1	0
15-20	1	1
20-30	1	1
30-40	0	0
40-50	0	0
50-60	0	1
60-70	1	0

In 1836 the county of Jackson was layed off into Districts, District 2 where our Osburn's were living was described as
"The Second District shall be bounded as follows to wit: beginning on the south bank of Cumberland River at the mouth of the Buck Branch which is a corner of the First Dstrict turning thence up the Buck Branch with it meanders and out at the head thereof to the top of the ridge between said branch and Doe Creek thence along the extreme top of the ridge between the Horse Shoe Bend and Doe Creek to the head of the Rocky Branch thence down the Rocky Branch with its meanders to Cumberland River thence crossing the river and down the same on the north side thereof with it several meanders to the bluff between the mouths of Indian and War Trace Creeks which is a corner of the 3rd District thence with the line of the 3rd District along the extreme top of the ridge between said creeks to the dividing ridge between Indian and Jennings Creek another corner of the 3rd District thence with the line of the 4th District along the extreme top of the ridge between the waters of Jennings Creek on the north and Indian, Bullards, Trace, Cub, and Hensleys Creeks on the south, to Cumberland River thence across the river to the beginning within which bounds the election shall be held at Jehu Sees." As you can see from the district map located at the TN GenWeb page for Jackson County our family was located in the middle of the county.

1850	Illinois	Union County	West Pt of Dist 2	Page 150B
13 August 1850	Lines 15-16	Dwelling 72	Family 72	M432/130

William Osborne	73	Farmer	SC
Sally	69	xxx	SC