PRINCETON 1-0470

ARTHUR HERBERT OSBORN
FOUR GREENHOLM
PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY

July 20, 1955

Mr. James M. Osborn
77 Edgehill Road
New Haven 11
Conn.

Dear Mr. Osborn:

In some mysterious way the enclosed letters were
delivered to me in this mornings mail. Apparently the
envelope which is postmarked New Haven February 28th,
1955 first went to a hotel in Cairo and was then for-
warded to the Stafford Hotel in London who in turn sent
it to me. Why it took five months to do this I do not
know. I have just returned from a three months visit
to London during which I stayed at the Stafford which
may explain why they forwarded it to me as our last name
is the same.

Speaking of the name... I come of a branch of the
Osborn family all of whom have lived in New Haven since
it was founded. My great-grandfather Thomas Osborn was one
of the first settlers in the colony in 1638, having come
from Boston with the Rev. John Davenport at that time.

My father William F. Osborn was born there as were
all my grandparents. His only sister married Wilbur F. Day.
His first cousin was Nod Osborn owner and editor of the
New Haven Register. My grandfather was Walter Osborn son
Eli Osborn who in turn was the son of David Osborn etc.
All the family including my father and mother and my two
brothers are buried in the old Grove Street Cemetery. I
mention these relationships by way of introduction. It may
be that you and I have a common ancestor in the distant
past.

Trusting these papers will reach you safely, I remain

PRINCETON 1-0470

August 12, 1955

James Marshall Osborn, Esq.
77 Edgehill Road
New Haven, Conn.

Dear Mr. Osborn:

Your letter of August 7th interested me greatly for two
reasons.

First; to learn that Tom Osborn, student conductor of the Princeton University Band is your son. I have had the pleasure of meeting him many times in connection with matters pertaining to the band and often wondered if we might not be distantly related. The band is one of my pet hobbies, having organized the first student band way back in 1920. In my time... I graduated in 1907... Princeton, like most of the other colleges, did not have a band. As I had been interested in music both before and after graduation it was natural that I should undertake the formation of a band.

Secondly; I was much interested to learn that we have a common ancestor in Thomas Osborn. I have a very complete history of our branch of the Osborn family which I compiled some years ago with the assistance of Donald Lines Jacobus, the well known genealogist of New Haven. As it goes into a great deal of detail, space does not permit me to include it in a letter. However, I will give you a short summary of some of the high spots...

Our first ancestor of whom there is a definite record is a Thomas Osborn of Ashford, Kent, England. He was born there in 1539 and is buried in the churchyard of St. Marys Church in Ashford in 1611. Jeremy (or Jeremiah) Osborn one of his children is our next grandparent. He was also born in Ashford in 1570 and was buried in the same graveyard in 1620.

I spent a few days in Ashford last May when I had the pleasure of meeting the Vicar of St. Marys who verified these dates from the church records. Both the baptisms and burials are entered in a very old book bound in calfskin and written with a quill pen on parchment. The writing is remarkably clear considering that the entries were made over 400 years ago. I am endeavoring to have the pages photographed and if it can be done successfully will let you know.