History indicates that Sir Arthur Onslow never visited the colonies, never owned any property in Onslow County, and may well never have been apprised prior to his death, that our earliest settlers had named our county in his honor.
Nevertheless, in 1730 they chose to pay tribute to the distinguished English man.
Sir Arthur Onslow, the eldest son of Foot Onslow, and the great- grandson of Sir Richard Onslow, was born at Chelsea on October 1, 1691.
Of a distinguished English family, Sir Arthur was educated at Winchester and entered Windham College, Oxford, as a fellow commoner on October 12, 1708, but took no degree. In 1713, he was called to the bar and in 1737 he was recorder of the borough of Guilford and high steward or administrator of Kingston-on-Thames. In 1728 he became one of the senior and governing members of the Inner Temple, or court.
At the opening of a new parliament on January 23, 1728, Sir Arthur, then 35, was unanimously elected Speaker of the House of Commons, which he held for more than 33 years.
Sir Arthur's biographers have called him "a man of unblemished integrity and much ability."
Sir Arthur Onslow died on February 17, 1768 at the age of 76, and was buried at Thames Dutton, Surry. His body was later moved to the burial place of the Onslow family at Merrow Church in Surrey.
"The Heritage of Onslow County" as published by the Onslow County Historical Society, 1983.
