The Osborns came from Long Island to Little Egg Harbor. Richard Osborn, Sr., and his brother, Roger Osborn, were living in Egg Harbor before the year 1715, and it is probable they were here at a much earlier date. Richard Osborn, Sr., purchased Osborn's Island (then called by the Indians, Monhunk Island) of Henry Jacobs Falkinburg, Sr. There he cleared a farm on which he ended his days, and at his death left the place to his only son, Richard Osborn, Jr., and here he resided during his life, leaving the farm to his only surviving son, Thomas Osborn, after whose death his daughter, Rhoda Lamb became the proprietor. This farm has never been out of the Osborn family since it first came into it. This island is noted for its fishery, and also for its pleasant situation, its southern border being washed by the waters of Little Egg Harbor Bay.

It was on this island that on the night of the 14th of October, 1778, the British landed with the intention of making war on Little Egg Harbor - laying waste and burning all before them. The British force consisted of two hundred and fifty men, commanded by Captain Ferguson. Immediately after landing from their barges, they marched to the dwelling house of Richard Osborn, Jr., and demanded a pilot to lead them over to the main land. Some one of the British officers presented a sword to the breast of Thomas Osborn, (the son of Richard Osborn) and ordered him to pilot them to the house where Count Pulaski had stationed a guard, and young Osborn was compelled to accede to their demand. On his way across the salt marsh young Osborn begged of the captain to spare the lives of his neighbors. When the British commenced the attack on Pulaski's men, Thomas Osborn, the Briton's pilot, ran and hid himself in the adjacent swamp, where his ears were pained with the heart-rending shrieks and dying groans of the bayoneted soldiers. When Pulaski returned from following the British to their barges, Thomas Osborn came out from his hiding place, and gave himself up to Pulaski's band, telling them how he had been forced to pilot the British; but they did not credit his statement, suspecting him of being a Tory, and therefore a willing guide. They seized him and tied him to a tree that stood on the battle ground, and the enraged soldiers struck him many times and attempted to bayonet him, but were prevented by their officers. They then took him and his father, (an aged man, and both of them members of the Society of Friends,) whom they suspected of assisting and giving the British information of the whereabouts of the American troops, and put them in prison at Trenton. They were kept in confinement for some time, part of the time in a dungeon, but as no charges could be made to stand against them, they were honorably discharged and furnished with the following pass:

"Permit the bearers, Richard and Thomas Osborn, to pass to their homes at Egg Harbor; they being examined before the Judges at Trenton, and not found guilty, are therefore discharged and at liberty.

Some years after the above-described transactions, Thomas Osborn and a prominent and influential man of Tuckerton were rival candidates for a township office. At that time in New Jersey a privileged class of females were allowed the right of suffrage, and this being the case, Osborn's opponent rode about the township on an electioneering tour, and especially did he visit the lady voters of the place, asking them to favor him with their votes, saying to them, "Thomas Osborn is not worthy of the office, he is a Tory who piloted the British to the assault on the American soldiers," &c. But the ladies being acquainted with Osborn and knowing the falsity of his rival's assertions, on the day of the town meeting marched up to the polls and each one of them deposited in the ballot box a ticket bearing the name of Thomas Osborn, and by this means he was elected to the office instead of his opponent. This I learned from one of the lady voters, who lived to the age of about ninety years. This is a sample of female voting in New Jersey seventy-five years ago.

In the year 1715, when the first Monthly Meeting of Friends was established at Little Egg Harbor, Richard Osborn, Sr., and Jean, his wife, were among the Elders of the Meeting.

Richard Osborn, Sr.'s children were Richard, Mary, Hannah, Abigail and Jean.

First branch of Richard Osborn, Sr.'s family: - Richard Osborn, Jr., married Phebe Pearsall, of Long Island, and spent his days on Osborn's Island. His children were Thomas, Hannah, Ann, Mary, Phebe and Abigail.

Thomas Osborn married a widow by the name of Rhoda Dunn, her maiden name was Silver, and she was a native of Salem county, N.J. She was the mother of the wealthy Nathan Dunn, the originator of the celebrated Chinese Museum, which in the year 1839 attracted so much attention in the city of Philadelphia. Early in life Nathan Dunn went to China and engaged in the "tea trade," by which business he amassed a large fortune, and while thus employed he conceived the idea of a Chinese Museum, and in accordance with this idea he collected enough Chinese articles to establish a large museum; the collection consisting of a little of almost everything movable pertaining to the "Celestial Empire," and which excited the wonder and admiration of Americans and Europeans. After exhibiting his museum in Philadelphia, he embarked with it for Europe, but shortly after his arrival he died in the city of Vienna. After his return from China he built "Dunn's Cottage" in the town of Mount Holly, where his half sister, Rhoda Lamb, resides. Nathan Dunn never married. When I have been viewing "Dunn's Cottage," and its beautiful surroundings, I have thought why was it that Nathan Dunn had to die and not live to enjoy the comforts and pleasures of his sumptuous home. The trees he had planted have grown to be noble specimens of their kind - looking as though a century might have rolled away since they were planted; those magnificent Magnolia trees with their immense and beautiful blossoms are almost to beautiful for this world; and the evergreens have spread themselves like "green bay trees."

Thomas Osborn and Rhoda, his wife's children were Phebe, Palmyra and Rhoda. Thomas Osborn spent his days on Osborn's Island.

Phebe Osborn died unmarried. Palmyra Osborn in the year 1818 married Gideon Birdsall, of the State of New York. I am not able to name all of Gideon Birdsall's children. He has a son Thomas and a daughter Rhoda Ann Coffin, who resides with her aunt, Rhoda Lamb, of Mount Holly.

Rhoda, daughter of Thomas Osborn, married Restore Lamb, a minister in the Society of Friends of the Hicksite branch of that denomination, and she is a well-known and highly respected minister in the same Society, having traveled extensively in a ministerial capacity. She has been a minister for a long period of years.

Lucy Ann Evans was a pious and eminent minister in the Society of Friends, and once in a religious meeting held in the old Friends' Meeting House at Tuckerton, N.J., she suddenly arose and spoke in a very solemn and impressive manner as follows: "It is with trembling and great weakness that I arise to break the silence of this meeting, but the fear of offending my God causes me to stand upon my feet. There is something that rests upon my mind to communicate to some one now present (perhaps myself) 'Set thine house in order for thou shalt die and not live,' and I also believe there are those present who are under the preparing hand of the Lord for deep trials that await them ere long; but fear not, for thou shalt have joy and rejoicing in the end." Before the close of the meeting, Thomas Osborn (father of the above-named Rhoda Lamb - then Osborn) was stricken with appolexy and died on the spot, and the other part of Lucy Ann Evans' prophecy was equally applicable to his daughter Rhoda who was present. When the funeral train had arrived at the place of burial, and the coffin had been lowered into the grave, and at the end of the solemn pause which Friends observe at such times, Rhoda Osborn, the daughter of the deceased, stepped out and preached a very impressive sermon over the grave of her father. This was her first sermon, and from that time to the present she has proclaimed "The glad tidings of great joy." Thomas Osborn died about the time of the separation of the Society of Friends which took place in the year 1827.

When Rhoda Osborn married Restore Lamb the name of the Osborns of Little Egg Harbor became extinct.

Most of the Osborns married and left their native place and I cannot trace them. I dare say there is a large number of the Osborn posterity but in other names.

Second branch: - Mary, daughter of Richard Osborn, Sr., in the year 1723 married William Satterthwaite, of Chesterfield, N.J. When Satterthwaite and his wife went to his home in Chesterfield, Jean Osborn, Jr., went with them to reside in Chesterfield, where it is likely she married and spent the residue of her life.

Third branch: - Hannah, daughter of Richard Osborn, Sr., in the year 1739 married Joseph Parker, Sr., being his second wife, and it said she had no children and died soon after her marriage.

Fourth branch: - There is no account of the marriage or death of Abigail, daughter of Richard Osborn, Sr.

Marriages of Richard Osborn, Jr.'s daughters: - Hannah, daughter of Richard Osborn, Jr., in the year 1776 married Isaac Pedrick, of Salem county, N.J.

Ann, daughter of Richard Osborn, Jr., in the year 1778, married Jacob Somers.

In the year 1768, Mary, daughter of Richard Osborn, Jr., married William Leeds, of Atlantic county, N.J.

Phebe, daughter of Richard Osborn, Jr., in the year 1770, married Henry Willits, their children being Samuel, Thomas, Martha, Ann and Phebe.

Roger Osborn, brother of Richard Osborn, Sr., was a bachelor. He located lands in Egg Harbor, and kept house in his own peculiar bachelor style. He died in the year 1749, leaving a will in which he had bequeathed a legacy to the Society of Friends of Egg Harbor.

In the year 1736, there was a Richard Osborn, of Long Island, who married Christian, daughter of Evi Belangee, Sr., of Egg Harbor. This Richard Osborn was a relative of the Osborns of Egg Harbor, and after his marriage he went to reside on Long Island.

Abigail, daughter of Richard Osborn, Jr., married John Sooy, and among their children were Thomas, Osborn, Sarah and Elizabeth.

Thomas Sooy married in Salem county.

Osborn Sooy was blind and died unmarried.

Sarah Sooy married Curtis Wilson.

Elizabeth Sooy married first John Bartlett, and second James Arnold.