January 21st, 1566-7, 9 Elizabeth (when the said daughter was twenty-three years of age) was buried in the church of St. Martin Orgar (of which he was a parishioner) in the ward of Candlewick-street, near Alice his beloved wife, according to his will (dated on the 27th of that month) wherein he constituted his said daughter, with her husband Edward Osborne, Thomas Huet his brother, of Bilby in Derbyshire, Esq. and his nephew Henry Hewet, executors. He was a benefactor to divers hospitals in London, and to the poor of the several parishes. He bequeathed to the poor in the hospital of St. Thomas in Southwark, whereof he was president, 201.; and to every poor maiden's marriage, that shall be wedded in the parish of Wales, or Harthill, in com. Ebor, within a year after his decease, 6s. Sd. each. He bequeathed to his nephews, Henry, and William Huet, sons of his brother Thomas Huet, his mansion and dwelling in Philpot Lane in London. Sir Edward Osborne was sheriff of London in 1575, and Lord Mayor in 1582, when he was knighted at Westminster. He served in parliament for the city of London 1585, and dying in 1591, was buried in St. Dionis Back-church, near Fenchurchstreet. Besides the said Anne, Sir Edward Osborne had another wife, Margaret, who was buried near him, in 1602, having been secondly wedded to Robert Clarke, Esq. a Baron of the Exchequer. But it was only by the first that he had issue, viz. Sir Hewit Osborne, born anno Dom. 1567; Edward, who died unmarried anno 1625; Anne, wife of Robert Offley, of London, and Alice, married to Sir John Peyton, of Iselham in com. Cantab. Knight and Baronet. Sir HEWIT Osborne was knighted by the Earl of Essex, at Menoth in Ireland, in 1599, having valiantly behaved against the rebels there. He married Joice (daughter of Thomas Fleetwood, of the Vache, Bucks, Esq. master of the mint, and sister to Sir William Fleetwood, of Cranford in Middlesex, receiver of the court of wards) who survived him, and was afterwards married to Sir Peter Frechevile, of Staveley in Derbyshire, Knight; but by her first husband had issue a son Edward, and a daughter Alice, married to Christopher Wandesford, of Kirklington in Yorkshire, Esq. Lord Deputy of Ireland, and ancestor to the late Earl of Wandesford. He died 1614. EDWARD Osborne succeeding his father, Sir Hewit was In MS. Regr. Octo. marked in Coll. Arms is this entry in St. Giles, Cripplegate." Xtd. 23d Aug. 1594, Hewet, Son of Hewet Osborne, Gent." c created a Baronet on July 13th, 1620, having before received the honour of knighthood. In 1629, when Thomas Lord Viscount Wentworth, afterward Earl of Strafford, was made lord president of the North, Sir Edward Osborne was made vice-president of the council to Charles I. for the north of England; and upon the breaking out of the grand rebellion, in 1641, was lieutenantgeneral of the forces raised in his defence in that part of the country, upon the recommendation of the said Earl of Strafford, who had a very great opinion of his loyalty and capacity, as may be seen in that nobleman's printed letters. Sir Edward, first, married Margaret, eldest daughter of Thomas Viscount Fauconberg, and by her had a son Edward, a promising youth, who was unfortunately killed, by the fall of some chimneys of York manor (Sir Edward's habitation as vice-president of the North) on October 31st, 1638, when his other two children narrowly escaped the same misfortune, being then passing through the great chamber to their brother's apartment. Sir Edward's second wife was Anne, widow of William Midleton, of Stockeld in Yorkshire, Esq. and daughter to Thomas Walmsley, of Dunkenhalgh in the county of Lancaster, Esq. (by Eleanor his wife, daughter and coheir to Sir John Danvers, of Dantsey in the county of Wilts, Knight, by Elizabeth his wife, youngest daughter of John Nevil, Lord Latimer, and coheir to her brother, John Lord Latimer, who died without issue) and by her left issue Sir Thomas Osborne, created Duke of Leeds, &c. and Charles Osborne, who died unmarried; which d Sir THOMAS, First Duke of LEEDS, faithfully adhering to the royal interest, and co-operating with many others, in order to the happy restoration of Charles II. was afterwards, by that King, made treasurer of the navy, in the year 1671; and on May 3d, 1672, one of the privy-council. The next year, on June 19th, he was constituted lord high treasurer of England; and his Majesty, as a farther testimony of his most gracious esteem by letters patent, bearing date August 15th, 25 Car. II. advanced him to the degree of a Baron of this realm, by the title of Baron of Kiveton, in com. Ebor. and Viscount Latimer, and to his heirs male. Also by other letters patent, 27th Junii the year following, was further advanced to the dignity and title of Earl of Danby; likewise Viscount of Dumblaine in Scotland, by patent dated July 19th, Drake's Hist. and Antiq. of York, p. 370. C. Ped of Danby. 27 Car. II. On April 21st, 1677, having been elected a Knight. of the most noble Order of the Garter, he was installed on the 29th of the same month. Burnet speaks of him, as "A gentleman of Yorkshire, whose estate was much sunk." He goes on, "He was a very plausible speaker, but too copious, and could not easily make an end of his discourse. He had been always among the high cavaliers: and missing preferment he had opposed the court much, and was one of Lord Clarendon's bitterest enemies. He gave himself great liberties in discourse, and did not seem to have any regard to truth, or so much as to the appearances of it; and was an implacable enemy: but he had a peculiar way to make his friends depend on him, and to believe he was true to them. He was a positive, and undertaking man: so he gave the King great ease, by assuring him all things would go according to his mind in the next session of parliament. And when his hopes failed him, he had always some excuse ready to put the miscarriage upon. And by this means he got into the highest degree of confidence with the King, and maintained it the longest, of all that ever served him. e” In 1674 Burnet says "The Earl of Danby set up to be the patron of the church-party, and the old cavaliers ;" he adds that, "he was directed by Sir William Temple in all his notions of foreign affairs; for no man ever came into the ministry, that understood so little of the affairs of Europe, as he did." In 1675, he was attacked by the house of commons; but in vain." In 1677, he saw his ruin was inevitable, unless he could bring the King off from the French interest." For this purpose he brought about the marriage between the Princess Mary, and the Prince of Orange. In 1678, he is accused of treating with France for a pension to King Charles; and became in consequence "the most hated minister that had ever been about the King. All people said now, they saw the secret of that high favour he had been so long in; and the black designs, that he was contriving." He was soon after impeached of high treason; but in 1679, a new parliament was summoned; and Lord Danby resolved to leave the treasury at Lady-day; and when the new house fell upon him, he took out a pardon from the great seal: notwithstanding which the commons prosecuted him, and a bill of attainder was brought in; but before it had passed, he delivered himself up, and was sent to the Tower, where he lay five years; and whence, • Burnet's Hist. O. T. vol i, p. 350. in 1684, he was bailed, at the same time with the Popish Lords. He afterwards took an active part in bringing about the Revolution; and was of course in great credit with the Prince of Orange. In 1689, he was accordingly created MARQUIS OF CARMARTHEN. In 1690, an attempt was made to revive the impeachment against him; for he was believed to have the greatest credit with the King and Queen, and was again falling under an universal hatred." In 1695, an impeachment against him was again voted for receiving presents from the East India Company; but was let drop. On May 4th, 1694, he was created DUKE OF LEEDS, "to colour the dismissing him from business," says Burnet, "with the increase of title." He was, in that reign, Lord Lieutenant of the East, West, and North Ridings in the county of York, of the city of York and county of the same; as also Custos Rotulorum for the East Riding of Yorkshire, and the liberties of Rippon and Cawood in the said county; and governor of his Majesty's town and fortress of Kingston-upon-Hull. In the reign of Queen Anne, after the union, he was sworn of her Majesty's privy-council. He distinguished himself at the trial of Dr. Henry Sacheverell, in February and March, 1709-10; and on that occasion spoke with great freedom concerning the Revolution, which he concurred so signally in bringing about. He lived to a very advanced age, in which, by a regular course of life, he preserved a wonderful vigour of mind and body to the last. He was a good judge of men, and left a great fortune, which was raised by good economy, as his friends say, who add, that he was a strict observer of justice, and an able statesman. He died in the eighty-first year of his age, on July 26th, 1712, at Easton, in the county of Northampton (the seat of his grandson, the Earl of Pomfret) being on his journey to his seat in Yorkshire. The celebrated John Dryden, Esq. dedicated to him, when Earl of Danby, his Tragedy of All for Love. f His Grace married the Lady Bridget, second daughter (by the first wife) of Montagu Bertie, Earl of Lindsey, Lord Great Chamberlain of England, and by her (who died January 7th, 1704, and was buried at Kiveton in Yorkshire) had three sons, Edward, f “The peerage,” says Lord Orford, "vindicates this peer by a dedication of Dryden; which one must allow is authority to such a book; for nothing can exceed the flattery of a genealogist, but that of a dedicator." Park's R. and N. A vol iv p. 45. VOL. I. Le Neve's Mon. Angl. vol, iv. p. 69. S Thomas, and Peregrine; and six daughters, whereof Lady Elizabeth died unmarried; Anne, the second, was married to Robert Coke, of Holkham in the county of Norfolk, Esq. ancestor to the late Earl of Leicester, and secondly, to Horatio Walpole, Esq. and died on August 5th, 1722, aged sixty-four, without issue; Bridget, the third, first to Charles Fitzcharles, Earl of Plymouth, natural son of King Charles II. by Mrs. Catherine Pegge, but by him had no issue, and secondly, to Dr. Philip Bisse, Bishop of Hereford; she died May 9th, 1718; Catherine, to James Herbert, of Kingsey in Bucks, Esq. son and heir of James Herbert, a younger son of Philip Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery; Martha, to Edward Baynton, Esq., and secondly, to Charles Granville, Earl of Bath; and the Lady Sophia, the youngest, first to Donatus Lord O'Brien, grandson and heir to Henry Earl of Thomond, and afterwards to William Fermor, Lord Lempster. His eldest son, Edward Lord Latimer, was one of the gentlemen of the bedchamber to Charles II. He married ↳ Elizabeth, eldest daughter to Simon Bennet, of Beechampton in com. Bucks, Esq. and by her, who died May 1st, 1680, had two sons, who died young, and departed this life himself, in January, 1688, without other issue; and Thomas, his brother, dying before him in his infancy, Peregrine the youngest son, succeeded his father in his honours. PEREGRINE, SECOND DUKE OF LEEDS, was in his father's lifetime created Viscount Dumblaine in Scotland, on the surrender of his father's patent; and being called up by writ to the house of peers in England, on March 19th, 1689-90, i took his place by the title of Lord Osborne of Kiveton. And having experienced himself in maritime affairs, and commanding in several expeditions at sea, was on many occasions distinguished for his gallant behaviour, especially in the unfortunate expedition at Cameret, where he was ordered with seven men of war to the bottom of that bay, to batter a fort and two batteries on the west side of it, and to cover the landing of the soldiers; where his conduct and bravery were very remarkable. In 1695, he commanded a squadron off the Isles of Scilly to secure our trade, and convoy our merchants. "He was," says Burnet," an extravagant man both in his pleasures and humours; he was slow in going to sea; and when he was out, he fancied the French fleet was coming up to him; which proved to be only Willis's History of Buckingham, p. 146. i Journal. Dom, Procer. |