Leeds, Thomas Osborne, Duke of, 1631-1712

Biography

Thomas Osborne, Earl of Danby, Marquis of Carmarthen, and Duke of Leeds was born on February 20, 1631/32, the son of Sir Edward Osborne and his wife, Anne. He spent his early years at the family estate of Kiveton in Yorkshire and succeeded his father as second baronet in 1647. In 1661 he was appointed High Sheriff of Yorkshire, probably through the influence of the Duke of Buckingham, his patron. He served as a member of Parliament for York (1665-73), Joint Commissioner of Public Accounts (1667); Joint Treasurer of the Navy (1668-71), and Treasurer of the Navy (1671-73). His administrative skills earned him the favor of Charles II and in 1673 he was appointed to the office of Lord High Treasurer. A year later, he was created Earl of Danby.

As chief minister to Charles II, Danby became one of the most powerful men in English politics during the 1670s. Proud and ambitious, the Earl had few friends. Instead, he concentrated his efforts on organizing a Court party which served the Cavalier and Church interests. He was active in foreign affairs and attempted to secure the permanent adoption of a Protestant and anti-French policy. However, he failed to gain the support of Charles II, who directed the Lord Treasurer to accept subsidies from France as the price for English neutrality in the wars fought by Louis XIV.

In 1678, Danby pressed for an investigation into an alleged conspiracy against the king, the government and the Protestant religion, an episode which became known as the Popish Plot. He was responsible for securing a warrant to obtain copies of the papers of Edward Coleman, a suspected intriguer, an action which had consequences for his own political security.

The Popish Plot gave Danby's enemies a chance to strike. In December 1678, the Privy Council ordered the seizure of political and diplomatic papers belonging to Ralph Montagu, the former ambassador in Paris. The papers contained highly damaging letters written by the Lord Treasurer which revealed the French subsidy to an outraged House of Commons. Danby was accused of high treason and charged with endeavoring to introduce arbitrary government. He was described as "popishly affected" and was said to have concealed the Plot. Danby was committed to the Tower of London and refused bail by the House of Commons. He resigned from his office as Lord Treasurer in March 1679.

Danby remained in the Tower for five years, during which time he made unremitting efforts to secure his freedom, appealing to both the king and Parliament. He finally was released on bail in 1684. The order of impeachment against him was annulled a year later.

In subsequent years, Danby took an active part in opposition to the government. He was one of the seven noblemen to sign an invitation to Prince William of Orange in 1688. After the Revolution, he served as the Lord President of the Council (1688-99). He was disliked by many of his fellow courtiers, one of whom described the earl as "a thin, ill-natured ghost that haunts the king" (DNB, p. 1195).

In 1689 he was created Marquis of Carmarthen and in 1694 he became Duke of Leeds. He served as the Lord Lieutenant of the West Riding (1674-79, 1689-99), the East Riding (1691-99), and of the North Riding (1692-99). He married, in 1653, Bridget, 2nd daughter of Montagu Bertie, 2nd Earl of Lindsey, and had five daughters and three sons, among them Edward, Viscount Latimer (1655-89), and Peregrine, 2nd Duke of Leeds (1659-1734). He died on July 26, 1712 at the age of 81 and was buried at Harthill, in Yorkshire.