Colonial Origins

The Roses were in the New World almost from the beginning of the Colonial period. Unfortunately, we have not been able to document our line of Roses before the mid 1700's. Present research is focused on a Bennett Rose who left records in King George County, Virginia as early as 1752 He may have been the Bennett Rose who appears in North Carolina as early as 1772. This N. C. Bennett Rose is thought to be the father of Abner Rose, the first of our line for which we have reasonable evidence. Abner Rose named one of his sons Bennet Rose. The elder Bennett probably migrated into North Carolina sometime between 1765 and 1772. In 1772 a Bennett Ross was listed in the Surry County tax records. We have no proof that this was actually Bennett Rose but the court records definitely show he was in that county by 1775. The 1777 tax returns show he lived in the same district as Abner Rose. Bennett Rose died between Nov. 1778 and Feb. 1779. The 1784-7 State Census of Surry County, N.C. lists Abner Rose but it also lists a Sarah Rose. She is the only other Rose in the census of that County. We suspect, without direct proof, that Sarah may have been the mother of Abner and therefore widow of Bennett . In her family is 3 males under 21 or over 60 and 4 females.