Encyclopedia of Connecticut biography, genealogical-memorial ...

Hingham, Massachusetts, the following
year, and in New Haven, Connecticut,
1639. John Osborne was an early settler
of East Windsor, Connecticut, where
he owned nearly one thousand acres of
land, and died October 27, 1686. He married,
May 19, 1645, Ann Oldage, a daughter
of Richard Oldage. She died August
28, 1669.
Their eldest child, John Osborn, was
born January 10, 1646, in East Windsor,
was a sergeant of the militia company,
and married, October 14, 1667, Abigail
Eggleston, born June 12, 1648, died July
30, 1689, fourth daughter of Begat and
Mary (Talcott) Eggleston.
Their eldest son, John Osborn, born
1668, was probably the strongest man in
New England, and interesting incidents
of his career are related. On one occa-
sion an athlete came from Virginia to
seek a contest with John Osborn, but
after seeing the latter lift a barrel of cider
and drink from the bung hole, retired in
discomfiture. John Osborn married, December
7, 1696, Elizabeth Gibson, who
died May 8, 1735.
Their eldest child, Benjamin Osborn,
born October 20, 1700, died February 21,
1777. His wife, Priscilla, died May 23,
1774.
Their youngest son, Thomas Osborn,
was born March 25, 1737, in Windsor.
His wife was probably a Canfield.
Their eldest child, Thomas Canfield
Osborn, was born September 12, 1776, was
a farmer in Harwinton, Connecticut,
where he died April 21, 1854. He mar-
ried, June 7, 1798, Susanna Hotchkiss,
born July 18, 1773, in Cheshire, Connecticut,
died December 2, 1856, in Harwin-
ton.
Their son, Ruben Canfield Osborn, was
born September 15, 1821, in Harwinton,
and died August 22, 1883, in Hartford,
Connecticut. He married in the spring
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
360
of 1846, Olive Barber, born March 5,
1825, died December 17, 1893, in Hartford.
In 1846 he located in Newington,
where he purchased a farm. Soon after
he engaged in the insurance business in
Hartford. For some years he lived at
Newington Station, and moved to Hart-
ford in April, 1875. Mr. Osborn and wife
were members of the Newington Congre-
gational Church, admitted July 4, 1858.
He was a Republican in principle, and
served as justice of the peace while New-
ington was still a part of Wethersfield.
An industrious and sagacious business
man, he accumulated a competence.
Newton Osborn, son of Ruben Canfield
and Oliva (Barber) Osborn, was born
June 28, 185 1, in Newington, Connecti-
cut, and grew up in that town, attend-
ing the local schools, afterward being a
student at the Goldthwaite School in
Longmeadow, Massachusetts, and the
Munson Academy at Munson, Massachusetts.
At the age of sixteen years, he
abandoned formal study to assist his
father in the insurance business. In
time, Newton Osborn became agent for
Hartford county, representing various insurance
companies, and was accustomed
to travel over the county every month,
rain or shine, cold or hot, using a horse
and buggy for transportation. He had an
insurance office on Pearl street, Hartford,
and for over thirty years pursued his
travels. He resides in the house in which
he was born, a building at one time used
as a girls' seminary. Mr. Osborn has
been active in the home life of his town,
which he was elected to represent in the
General Assembly in 1883, and again in
1887. He is independent in political matters,
with Republican preferences, and
has been chosen to various positions of
responsibility because of his well-known
sagacity and probity. He served several
years as selectman and also as town