John is said to be born in Ireland, VA, or NC, but the fact is, we don't know where he was born.  He simply appears in Rowan [now Burke] Co., NC, in 1762.

John is also said to be the son of these parents:
Father:  John ROSE
Mother:  Lucy BENNETT
but I've found no evidence to support such a connection.

1.  Marriage Record:

2.  Census Index:  Colonial America, 1607-1789 (Broderbund CD-310):

1762

Rose, John

NC

Rowan Co.

The records on this CD consist of many kinds of records (e.g., tax lists, voter lists, census lists, etc.).  They don't tell you on the CD what kind of list it was, but a search in Rowan Co., NC, should turn up whatever it is.  By the way, there are six or seven John ROSEs in other NC counties.

3.  1790 Census Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #8 of 11; extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

1790

NC

Burke Co.

10th Comp.

Roll M637_7

p. 101

Ln. 13R

Jno Rose Senr

1-2-3

These data indicate:

Gender and Type	Age Class	Therefore Born	Individuals Inferred
1 free white males	16 or over	in or bef. 1774	= John
2 free white males	15 or under	1774-1790	= Son = Son
3 free white females	all ages	in or bef. 1790	= Mary = Daughter = Daughter

Listed one line above son, John ROSE, Jr.  Son Isaiah ROSE (2-2-4) is on the same page (L19 of 10th Comp.)

4.  1800 Census Index/Images (online at Ancestry.com, Image #X; extracted by Diana Gale Matthiesen):

1800

-

- Co.

- Twp.

Roll -

p. -

Ln. -

-

-

-

These data indicate:

.  Archive of the ROSE-L Mailing List (online at RootsWeb.com):

.  Archive of the STREET-L Mailing List (online at RootsWeb.com):

Mary STREET married John ROSE. Living in Burke Co., NC, by the 1770s. Children included John Jr., Levi, Isaac, possibly Benjamin, et al.  Lineage well documented from John Jr., downwards, but John Sr. remains a "brick wall."  All that is known, for certain, is that he was arrested in 1777 in Burke Co., NC, for "Loyalist Activities," then pardoned.

.  Public Member Tree (online at Ancestry.com).  Twelve files there make our subject the son of John &  Lucy (BENNETT) ROSE.  Two files make the elder John ROSE the son of the Wethersfield, CT, ROSEs.  I've found no evidence to support either claim.

.  OneWorldTree (online at Ancestry.com).

.  WorldConnect / Ancestry World Trees (online at RootsWeb.com/Ancestry.com).