Obadiah Hand was born 22 DEC 1768, son of Samuel Hand and Miss Lum. On 15 JAN 1792, he married Sarah Britton, who was born 10 NOV 1759 in Britton Neck, S. C., daughter of Daniel Britton and Mary Goddard.

Obadiah Hand was born and reared on Staton Island, NY. Early in life he travelled south and settled in South Carolina long enough to marry Sarah Britton, twice widdowed and from a prominent South Carolina family of Britton Neck north of Charleston. Obadiah and Sarah moved eventually to Clarke Co., MS, where Sarah passed away 31 MAR 1826. After Sarah Britton, Obadiah Hand married three more times, Mrs. Pittman, Mrs. Hendrick, and Martha L. Clanton. Obadiah outlived all but Martha. After the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek was signed with the Indians in 1830, opeining up land for settlement in North Mississippi and Northwest Alabama, Obadiah and family settled on a farm along the Tombigbee River in Sumter Co., AL. Here Obadiah Hand passed away 7 AUG 1837.

The children of Obadiah Hand and Sarah Britton are:

1. John Britton Hand, b. 19 DEC 1794, d. 24 JAN 1843, m. 12 MAY 1818, Sarah Ann Everett b. 2 MAY 1803, d. 28 DEC 1866.
   
   

2. Sarah Hand, b. 11 MAY 1797, d. 2 JUL 1824, m. John Fagan Everett b. 1784 d. 1842. John Fagan Everett and Sarah Hand had daughter, Martha Eliza Everitt, who married Robert Leighton Crawford. They had daughter Frank Armstrong Crawford, (1838-1885) who became second wife of Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt. Since Obadiah Hand was Cornelius's Uncle (on his mother's side), then Cornelius married his 1st cousin, twice removed.
   
   
3. Mary Ann Hand, b. 13 NOV 1800, d. 1824, m. 30 APR 1818 John H. Horne.