Hearken to me... look unto the rock whence ye are hewn.
The Prophet Isaiah 51:1
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Those who never look back to their ancestors,
will never look forward to posterity.
BurkeGreetings from the Ole South! This site is dedicated to finding and sharing information concerning all COLBURN and COBURN ancestors and their descendants. Through the years, the surname has been spelled in various ways:
-- COALBORNE- COBERN - COBOURN - COBURN - COEBOURNE -
- COLBERN - COLBORN - COLBORNE - COLBOURN - COLBOURNE -
- COLBURN - COLBURNE - COLEBORN - COLEBURN - COULBORN -
- COULBORNE - COULBOURN - COULBOURNE - COULBURN --
And with some interesting twists--COCKBURN (pronounced "Coburn") forebears of Irish descent who adopted the anglicized COLBURN and KALKBRENNER forebears of German descent who likewise adopted the anglicized COLBURN.
In particular, this site is devoted to the COLEBURN families who settled in and around Perry County and Bibb County, Alabama in the early 19th century, having migrated there from the Old Ninety-Six District and Edgefield County area of South Carolina in the 1820s-1830s. Other South Carolina Colburn "cousins" migrated to McNairy County, Tennessee circa 1830. As time and server space allow, we will do our best to be as inclusive as possible and cover all major threads of COBURNs-COLBURNs:
- The Dracut COLBURNs: Descendants of Edward COLBOURNE b. 1618 who landed at Boston, MA on 30 Oct 1635 and settled in Dracut, MA
- The Edgefield COLBURNs: Descendants of William, Daniel, Henry, John and Agnes COLEBURN who migrated from the old 96th District and Edgefield County, SC to Perry County, AL and McNairy County, TN
- The Preston COBURNs: Descendants of Thomas COEBOURNE d. 1698 and Elizabeth UNKNOWN, Ulster Scots who settled in Chester County, PA in 1681. Descendants later settled in what is now Monongalia, Preston, and Harrison Counties, WV
- The Somerset COLBURNs: Descendants of William COULBOURNE d. Jan 1688/89 of Somersetshire, England who settled on the lower Eastern shore of Somerset County, MD
Sam Davis
O Southland! Bring your laurels,
And add your wreath, O North!
Let glory claim the Hero's name
And tell the world his worth.
--Ella Wheeler Wilcox.
As is true with countless other families, the Civil War had a devastating effect on the Colburns of the Old South. Many fathers, husbands, sons and brothers paid the supreme price in defense of their Motherland. Like a falling star, untold lives were extinguished. Like the last rosebud of the season kissed by an early frost, untold, young budding lives were changed forever. Colburns who made the supreme sacrifice are lovingly remembered on our War Memorial Tribute page.The Reconstruction era brought about migrations all over the Southland. Like so many families, Colburns, too, left "the Heart of Dixie" in search of new beginnings. The following generations saw Colburn families planting new roots all across the South and indeed the entire country. Our charge is this--to honor our beloved forebears and, in so doing, to make their memory to be eternal. May God guide us in our noble quest.
I was born in September, 1953 on the Dahomey Plantation in Bolivar County, Mississippi and attended school in Washington County, Mississippi. Thus, my roots began in the heart of the flat, fertile Mississippi Delta. However, my paternal great-grandparents, Delana BARNETT and David COLBURN, were joined together in Perry County, Alabama. One of their sons, Andrew Jackson (Jack) COLBURN, rushed home one day and abruptly announced to his young wife, "Get our stuff together. We're getting out of here." With those words, mysteriously, under cover of night, Jack moved his family in an ox-drawn wagon to the rural, hill country of Calhoun County, Mississippi in the late 1800s. With the move, the family temporarily assumed the use of the surname COLMAN or COLEMAN. It was only after Jack's death that the family resumed the use of their true surname, COLBURN. Family members left behind in Alabama and stories of life in Perry County before the sudden move to Mississippi were never discussed. Who, what, when, where--suspense, intrigue, mystery--such is the addicting attraction of genealogy! About the Site Coordinator and Webmaster
To complete the puzzle, we need all the pieces! You are encouraged to share Colburn (and other allied families) family history and genealogy materials, traditions, photographs, recipes, etc. Submissions can be made by e-mail. Upon reception of new materials, I will get the information formatted and posted as soon as possible. Queries and corrections are also welcome. If you need assistance in submitting your contributions, feel free to contact me. I or one of the other researchers will be glad to help. JDC, Dayton, TN Please Share and Participate
J. David Colburn
324 Back Valley Road
Dayton, Tennessee 37321Copyright 1998 J. David Colburn
Created 24 Dec 1998 -- Updated 11 Jan 1999