Thomas Osborne, 4th Duke of Leeds, KG, PC, DL, FRS (6 November 1713 – 23 March 1789), styled Earl of Danby from birth until 1729 and subsequently Marquess of Carmarthen until 1731, was a British peer, politician and judge.

Background

He was the older and only surviving son of

Peregrine Osborne, 3rd Duke of Leeds Peregrine Hyde Osborne, 3rd Duke of Leeds (11 November 1691 – 9 May 1731) was a British peer. Early life He was the second son of Peregrine, Earl of Danby and his wife, the former Bridget Hyde, only daughter of Sir Thomas Hyde, 2nd Baronet. ...

and his first wife Elizabeth, youngest daughter of

Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer, KG PC FRS (5 December 1661 – 21 May 1724) was an English statesman and peer of the late Stuart and early Georgian periods. He began his career as a Whig, before defecting to a new Tory ...

. Osborne was educated at

Westminster School (God Gives the Increase) , established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560 , type = Public school Independent day and boarding school , religion = Church of England , head_label = Hea ...

and then

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...

, where he matriculated in 1731. In the same year, he succeeded his father as duke. Osborne received a

Doctorate of Civil Law Doctor of Civil Law (DCL; la, Legis Civilis Doctor or Juris Civilis Doctor) is a degree offered by some universities, such as the University of Oxford, instead of the more common Doctor of Laws (LLD) degrees. At Oxford, the degree is a higher ...

in 1738 and became a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

a year later.

Career

Osborne became a

Lord of the Bedchamber Gentleman of the Bedchamber was a title in the royal household of the Kingdom of England from the 11th century, later used also in the Kingdom of Great Britain. A Lord of the Bedchamber was a courtier in the Royal Household; the term being fir ...

in 1748 and was appointed Justice in Eyre south of Trent in November of the same year. In June 1749, he was made a Knight of the

Order of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George C ...

and in 1756, resigning from his post as justice, was nominated

Cofferer of the Household The Cofferer of the Household was formerly an office in the English and British Royal Household. Next in rank to the Comptroller, the holder paid the wages of some of the servants above and below stairs, was a member of the Board of Green Cloth, ...

. He was sworn of the

Privy Council of Great Britain The Privy Council (PC), officially His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the sovereign of the United Kingdom. Its membership mainly comprises senior politicians who are current or former members of e ...

a year later and became Justice in Eyre north of Trent in 1761, an office he held until 1774. Osborne was a Deputy Lieutenant of the West Riding of the County of Yorkshire.

Family

On 26 June 1740, he married Lady Mary Godolphin, second daughter of

Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin, (3 September 1678 – 17 January 1766), styled Viscount Rialton from 1706 to 1712, was an English courtier and politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1695 and 1712, wh ...

and his wife Henrietta Godolphin (''née'' Churchill), 2nd Duchess of Marlborough, and had by her three sons and a daughter. Osborne died, aged 73 at

St James's Square St James's Square is the only square in the St James's district of the City of Westminster and is a garden square. It has predominantly Georgian and Neo-Georgian architecture. For its first two hundred or so years it was one of the three or fou ...

and was buried in the Osborne family chapel at

All Hallows Church, Harthill, South Yorkshire The All Hallows Church is an Church of England, Anglican parish church in the Diocese of Sheffield, located in Harthill, South Yorkshire, England. It is a Listed building, Grade I listed building. History All Hallows Church was commissioned ...

. He was succeeded in his titles by his third and only surviving son Francis. Among his children were: * Harriot Osborne (13 November 1744 – 14/15 November 1744); *Thomas Osborne, Marquess of Carmarthen (b. 5 October 1747); *

Francis Godolphin Osborne, 5th Duke of Leeds Francis Godolphin Osborne, 5th Duke of Leeds, (29 January 1751 – 31 January 1799), styled Marquess of Carmarthen until 1789, was a British politician. He notably served as Foreign Secretary under William Pitt the Younger from 1783 to 1791. ...

(29 January 1751 – 31 January 1799);''The Register of Births & Baptisms in the Parish of St James within the Liberty of Westminster Vol. IV. 1741-1760''. 29 January 1750.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leeds, Thomas Osborne, 4th Duke Of 1713 births 1789 deaths Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Deputy Lieutenants of the West Riding of Yorkshire Fellows of the Royal Society Knights of the Garter Members of the Privy Council of Great Britain People educated at Westminster School, London

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

104 104 may refer to: *104 (number), a natural number *AD 104, a year in the 2nd century AD * 104 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC * 104 (MBTA bus), Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bus route *Hundred and Four (or Council of 104), a Carthagini ...

Burials at Osborne family chapel, All Hallows' Church (Harthill)