Henrietta Livingston
| Born December 12, 1793, in Virginia |
Died January 22, 1885 Buried in Dorton-Buttery Cemetery, Mendota, Washington County, Virginia Daughter of Peter Livingston and Elizabeth Head |
Married Solomon Osborne on October 18 (or 17), 1814, in Washington County, Virginia |
Children |
1. Frances Osborne |
Frances died at 17 years of age 2. Susannah Osborne |
Married Joseph Barker on September 3, 1844, in Scott County, Virginia 3. Tabitha Osborne |
Born July 19, 1822 4. Polly Osborne |
Born approx. 1828 in Virginia 5. Elizabeth Osborne |
Born approx. 1829 in Virginia 6. Sarah Osborne |
Born approx. 1830 in Virginia 6. Katherine Osborne |
Born approx. 1832 in Virginia 7. James W. Osborne |
Born approx. 1827 in Virginia 8. Solomon L. Osborne |
Born approx. 1834 in Virginia 9. John S. Osborne |
Born January 27, 1836, in Virginia 10. Nancy Osborne |
Born approx. 1818 in Virginia 11. Delilah Osborne |
Died at an early age Wending his way over the lofty Blue Ridge Mountains in the year 1812, Solomon Osborne (grandson of Enoch Osborne) was destined to find fortune and, most important of all, a wife. Down in the Holston Valley, young Solomon elected to work for Peter Livingston. It was there that he chanced to meet Henrietta, beautiful daughter of Mr. Livingston, his employer. A two-year courtship developed a love that blossomed into a marriage among these beautiful hills. Henrietta became Solomon's bride on October 14, 1814. They built a home at the foot of Clinch Mountain, three miles west of the town of Mendota and near the station now known as Silicia. |
The house was built of logs cut and hewn in the dense forests of the mountain. The floor was of "punchions", or large, flat pieces of timber split from the large trees. The sections of timber were cut to fit on joists to make the floor level. The chimney was made of stone and mud to a height of about 10 feet. It was finished out with sticks and mud to the desired height. The house was only one story and consisted of one room. All the cooking was done in the huge fireplace with rude cooking utensils. However, the meals were well cooked and very palatable. The Osbornes raised sheep and spun their own yarn, wove their own cloth known as "linsey", and cut and made their own clothes. They also grew flax from which toe was made. The toe then was spun into linen thread and then woven into a cloth. From the cloth the men folks got their pants. Thus, it is easy to see how toe breeches came to be known. To wear a pair of breeches was like wading through a briar patch. To separate all the sticks from the fiber was an impossibility. There were two spinning wheels in the Osborne cabin, also a loom, a heckle and a skutcher. The latter was used to break flax and separate the sticks from the fiber. Cotton also was raised, but the supply was small due to the slow method of parting the fiber from the seeds. There was not enough cotton for home consumption. Clapboards split from white oak trees formed the roof of the cabin. For cooking, there were an iron pot of three gallons capacity, an iron tea kettle and a small, round iron stove known as a "baker". The "baker" had a round lid that fitted on top of the oven, also a place on it for holding hot coals and ashes. All the bread and cake was baked in the oven. To cook a stack, or layer cake, required a whole day. Thank you, Beth Dolan Karita, for supplying the above information. For more information on this branch of the family you may contact Beth by email. |
Beth Dolan Karita is the eldest of four children of Ruth Ellen DeVoe and Jack Dolan. Her brothers and sister are Jack Dolan, Jim Dolan and Amy Dolan. Ruth Ellen DeVoe's father was James DeVoe, whose mother's sister was Nancy H. Osborne (1866 - 1956). Beth said that she received information from her uncle, Ruben M. Page (1843 - 1902?). Ruben Page was a Judge of Washington County, Abingdon, Virginia. Abingdon, Virginia, is nestled in the mountains of southwest Virginia in an area of unparalleled natural beauty that is rich in tradition. Chartered in 1778, Abingdon is a Virginia historic landmark. Additional information was found on the following web site: www.irkil.com/osborne/va. I am sorry but I was unable to find an email address for this site or who has authored the site. If anyone else learns who has this site, I would love to have their name and email address. |