Peter Osborne (1584–1653) facts for kids

Sir Peter Osborne (born 1584, died 1653) was an important English official and a member of Parliament. He lived at Chicksands in Bedfordshire. During the English Civil War, he served as the Royal Governor of Guernsey.

Biography of Sir Peter Osborne

Early Life and Career

Sir Peter Osborne was born in 1584. He was the oldest son of Sir John Osborne. His grandfather, also named Peter Osborne, had an important job. He was the Keeper of the Privy Purse for King Edward VI. This meant he managed the King's personal money. His grandfather also held the job of Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer. This was a special role in the government's money department, and it could be passed down to his family.

Sir Peter's younger brother was Francis Osborne, a famous writer. In 1611, Peter Osborne was made a knight. He married Dorothy Danvers. Her brother was a powerful man, the Earl of Danby. Because of this connection, Sir Peter got an important job.

Governor of Guernsey

In 1621, Sir Peter was made Lieutenant-Governor of Guernsey. This meant he was the second-in-command. He also had a "reversion" on the main governorship. This meant he would become the full Governor if the Earl of Danby died.

Sir Peter also served in Parliament. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Corfe Castle. He served in King James I's last Parliament in 1624. He also served in King Charles I's first Parliament in 1625. When his father died in 1628, Sir Peter inherited his father's good job in the Exchequer. The Exchequer was the government department that handled royal money.

Challenges in Guernsey

On Guernsey, Sir Peter worked with his brother-in-law to make the island stronger. They wanted to protect it from a possible attack by France. However, the islanders had to pay for the soldiers. This made many people on Guernsey very unhappy. Sir Peter tried to use martial law, which is military rule, to control the unrest in 1628.

One historian noted that Sir Peter did not try to be liked by the people of Guernsey. He did not agree with their religious or political beliefs. He often spoke openly about his opinions.

English Civil War

These problems likely led Guernsey to support Parliament when the English Civil War began. But Sir Peter Osborne stayed loyal to King Charles I. He held Castle Cornet for the King. This castle was very strong and hard to capture. It was under constant attack, but Sir Peter defended it.

Castle Cornet was very important. It controlled the entrance to St Peter Port harbour. It also helped support the nearby island of Jersey, which was still loyal to the King.

In 1644, the Earl of Danby died. Sir Peter then became the full Governor of Guernsey. He stayed at Castle Cornet until 1646. By then, the main fighting in England was over. He appointed Sir Baldwin Wake as the new lieutenant-governor. Sir Peter then handed the castle over to him. Sir Baldwin Wake continued to hold the castle until October 1651. Then, he finally surrendered it to the Parliamentary forces.

Later Life

After leaving Guernsey, Sir Peter Osborne went abroad. He lived in St Malo for a time. Meanwhile, Parliament took control of his property in England. Later, he returned to Chicksands. He was very poor by then. Sir Peter died in 1653.

However, his family's luck changed when the King returned to power in the Restoration. His oldest son, John, was given the special title of a baronet in 1662.

Family

Sir Peter Osborne and his wife, Dorothy Danvers (1590–1660), had eight sons and four daughters. One of their daughters was Dorothy Osborne. She married Sir William Temple. Dorothy is famous for her interesting "Letters," which were published in 1888.

His oldest son was Sir John Osborne (1615–1698). He received a new grant for the job of remembrancer to the lord-treasurer. He was also a gentleman of the privy chamber for King Charles II. This was an important role in the King's household. Sir John was made a baronet on February 11, 1661. He died on February 6, 1698.