Obadiah Bush

Obadiah Newcomb Bush (January 28, 1797 – February 9, 1851) was an American prospector, businessman and ancestor of the Bush political family. He was the father of James Smith Bush, grandfather of business magnate Samuel Prescott Bush, great-grandfather of former U.S. Senator Prescott Bush, great-great-grandfather of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush, and great-great-great-grandfather of George W. Bush and Jeb Bush.

Early life Obadiah Newcomb Bush was born on January 28, 1797, in Penfield, New York. His father, Timothy Bush Jr. (1766–1850), was a blacksmith; his mother was Lydia Newcomb (1763–1835). His paternal grandfather, Capt. Timothy Bush Sr. (1728–1815), was an American Revolution militia captain.

Bush served in the War of 1812.

Career Bush became a schoolmaster in Rochester, New York. He petitioned the New York State Legislature to secede from the Union in a protest against slavery, after which The Rochester Daily Advertiser accused him of encouraging anarchy. Abigail Bush was the wife of his brother Henry.

In 1849, he travelled to California "with the forty-niners during the gold rush".

Personal life and death Bush married Harriet Smith (1800–1867) in Rochester, New York on November 8, 1821. They had seven children, among them James Smith Bush.

Ancestry