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Back in England
Puritans & Pilgrims
Revolutionary Era
Civil War Era
Modern Era
100
The name Osborne is derived from the Norse name of  Asbjorn, which means this


God Bear

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Quick fact: To intimidate their foes, Vikings would the dress in bear skin and summon the God Bear to help them win. 

100

In February of 1634, Richard Osborn boarded this Puritan ship bound for America 


The Hopewell

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Quick facts: Richard only 22 years old when he moved to America. It’s doubtful the Puritan movement was his primary motivation to move, more likely it was due to him being the second son meaning he wouldn’t inherit the Baron titles and lands. 

100
During the American Revolution, Deacon Daniel Osborn’s home miraculously survived this battle


Burning of Fairfield 

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Quick facts: Since most of the homes were destroyed, it’s possible that Deacon Daniel was a loyalist so the English sparred his home. However, he is buried in Fairfield Cemetery with a Revolutionary war flag. Maybe he was a double agent! 

100

While 2nd in command on a vessel sailing through Cape of Good Hope in the 1840’s, Peter Morse II was accused of this crime


Mutiny on the high sea

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Quick facts: The Captain was drunk and gave orders that would've likely killed everyone, so Peter told everyone not to listen and he took over. After charged with Mutiny, a young missionary aboard named Charles Finnery stepped in got the charges dropped saying Morse saved their lives. Finnery later became President of Oberlin College and offered free tuition for Peter’s kids. Peter did move to Ohio where he was postmaster for 9 years, but did not send his kids to Oberlin. Maybe the offer still stands today! 

100
Agnes Devens Osborne, wife of Thomas Mott Osborne, had a newphew named Charles Devens who pitched for the Yankees in the early 1930’s, even winning a World Series alongside these baseball legends. 


Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig

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Quick facts: His future wife’s father didn’t approve of his daughter marrying a baseball player, so he retired after 3 years and became a lawyer. 

200

Sir Peter Osborne acquired this priory after most English monasteries were dissolved in the 16th century. Osborne’s would live there for another 360 years


The Chicksands Priory 

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Quick fact: Chicksands Priory was owned by the Osborne’s from 1576-1936. Today the land is a RAF base, but some of the original monastery still exist. If you get a chance to visit, make sure to say hi to the resident ghost, Dorothy Osborne. 

200
In 1635, Anthony Morse II, along with his brother William, arrived in America aboard this Pilgrim ship


The James

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Quick facts: The Morse brothers were listed as Shoemakers, which was a rather low paying trade at the time in England, so their motivation was likely financial. 

200
At the age of 17, Daniel Osborn fought under this famous commander at the Battle of Germantown in 1777. 


George Washington 

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Quick facts: Daniel was also one of the responders to the Lexington/Concord alarm, rushing to free Boston with Paul Revere 


200
The D.M. Osborne Co. grew rapidly after the Civil War and eventually became the 3rd largest equipment manufacturer in this industry by the end of the 19th century


Farm equipment  

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Quick facts: After David Munson Osborne died in 1886, then TMO ran the business until he sold to International Harvester, giving TMO the opportunity to pursue his interests in political and societal reform 

200

In 1912, Thomas Mott Osborne went undercover as a prisoner named “Tom Brown” at Auburn Prison before taking over as Warden at this famous prison in 1914. 


Sing Sing

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Quick facts: The phrase “sent up the river” refers to prisoners going up the Hudson River and left at Sing Sing

300
To avoid confusion with another Baronet named Osborne in the mid 1500’s, Sir John Osborne made this change 


Dropped the ‘e’ Osborne

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Quick fact: David Munson Osborne added the ‘e’ back 300 years later

300
In 1679, Elizabeth Morse (Anthony II’s sister in law) earned this wicked nickname.


“The Witch of Newbury”

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Quick facts: Elizabeth was arrested, imprisoned, and acquitted between 1679-1681, over a decade before the Salem Witch Trials began in 1692



300
Abel Morse held the title of Captain during this war between 1744-1748 


King Georges War

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Quick facts: King George’s War was one of the 4 wars we call the French Indian Wars

300
During the Civil War, George Washington Morse was a Lieutenant with the 2nd Massachusetts Infantry and fought in these two famous battles


Antietam and Gettysburg 

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Quick facts: After being released from a POW camp at Belle Isle prison in early September 1962, he immediately rejoined the 2nd Massachusetts just in time to fight at Antietam

300
Before starting Pebble Beach in 1919, Samuel Finley Brown Morse was a member of this Yale secret society.


Skull and Bones

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Quick facts: He was also captain of the football team at Yale, beating Harvard 6-0 in his senior year. 

400
Sir Peter Osborne held the title of Remembrancer of the Treasury for this famous English King 


King Henry VIII 

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Quick fact: After Henry VIII died, he held positions in Edward VI and Queen Elizabeth too

400
In 1654, Richard Osborn was granted 80 acres of land in Fairfield CT for his service in this war


The Pequot Indian War (1636-1638)

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Quick facts: He was present during at the Mystic Massacre where 300 Pequot Indians, including women and children, were killed in a surprise attack in the middle of the night.

400

Anthony Morse II, the first Morse to come to America, is the Great-Great-Great grandfather of this famous inventor born in 1791


Samuel Finley Breese Morse, inventor of the Telegraph and Morse Code

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Quick facts: If you’re a Baby Boomer, Anthony II would be your 8X Great Grandfather, and 9x Great Grandfather if you’re GenX or Millennial



400
David Munson Osborne’s wife, Eliza Wright, was the daughter of Martha Coffin Wright organized this womens suffrage convention in 1848 along with her sister Lucretia Mott and friend Susan B. Anthony. 


The Seneca Falls Convention 

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Quick facts: Martha and Lucretia became good friends with Harriet Tubman and even convinced her to live out her years in Auburn with them. Lucretia’s house in Auburn was even part of Harriet Tubman’s Underground Railroad. 

400

While Lithgow Osborne had several important government roles, no title was as fancy as his wife Lillie Suzanne Raben Levetzau’s title. 


Countess of Denmark

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Quick facts: While Lithgow was running for Mayor in Auburn, Lillie once addressed a crowd as “peasants of Auburn”. 

500

In the mid 1400’s, John Osborne esq. built a large house in Hartlip Place and named it this, giving a clue to his Viking roots. 


Dane House  

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Quick facts: This is the strong evidence that our ancestors were Vikings who settled in England. 

500

On June 4th 1639, Richard Osborn along wit other Free Planters, met in New Haven to sign this document that helped established the first civil government of Connecticut.


The Fundamental Agreement of Connecticut

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Quick facts: The basic purpose of the agreement seems to establish rules to protect planters and farmers



500
After Peter Morse’s first wife Abigail Brown passed away, he married this woman


Sarah Brown, Abigail’s sister

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Quick facts: The Brown sisters may have been cousins with the famous abolitionist John Brown. John Brown was friends with Lucretia Mott, so it’s possible the Morse and Osborne paths crossed at some point. 

500

In 1878, while vacationing at Osborne House in the Isle of Wright, Queen Victoria made the first one of these ever


A long distance phone call, from Isle of Wright to London

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Quick facts: Queen Victoria died in 1901 at Osborne House. 

500

During WW2, Lithgow Osborne was appointed by FDR to this position


Ambassador to Norway

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Quick facts: Lithgow was also the Mayor of Auburn, NY