Peter Osborne (Keeper of the Privy Purse) facts for kids

Peter Osborne (1521–1592) was an important English government official. He served as the Keeper of the Privy Purse for King Edward VI. This was a time when big changes were happening in how the government managed its money. Peter Osborne supported religious reforms. His career slowed down during the reign of Queen Mary. But it picked up again under Queen Elizabeth, when he became a Remembrancer in the Exchequer. He often worked closely with his relative by marriage, Lord Burghley. He was also a Member of Parliament seven times between 1559 and 1589.

Peter Osborne's Life Story

Early Life and Education

Peter Osborne was born in 1521. He was the second son of Richard Osborne, a London grocer, and Elizabeth Coke. His family had lived in Purleigh, Essex, for a long time.

Peter had an older brother, John, and two sisters. One sister, Anne, married Edward Saxilby, who became a Baron of the Exchequer. Peter also had a good friend named Henry Marwood.

Peter went to King's College, Cambridge, but he didn't finish his degree. He later studied law at Lincoln's Inn in 1543. He became close friends with John Cheke, a famous Greek professor at Cambridge. Peter also knew John Dee, a well-known scholar. He helped Dee connect with important people like William Cecil.

Working for King Edward VI

In July 1551, Peter Osborne got a permanent job as Clerk of the Faculties. Around late 1551, he became the Keeper of the Privy Purse for King Edward VI. This meant he managed the King's personal money.

From 1552 to 1553, he also worked as a Remembrancer to the Lord-Treasurer in the Exchequer. The Exchequer was like the government's finance department. His job was to keep records and manage money for the government.

During King Edward VI's reign, the way public money was handled changed a lot. Peter Osborne's role became very important. He helped manage large sums of money for the King's projects, like building forts. His office became a central place for managing government finances.

In 1553, Peter's mother, Elizabeth, died and made him the only executor of her will. His brother John also died that year.

During Queen Mary's Reign

Peter Osborne had worked closely with those who supported religious reform under King Edward. Because of this, his career slowed down when Queen Mary came to power. Many of his friends, like John Cheke, went into exile. However, it seems Peter Osborne himself did not leave England.

Anne Osborne, née Blythe (1536–1615)

By 1552, Peter Osborne married Anne Blythe. Her father was a professor of medicine at Cambridge. Anne's aunt, Mary Cheke, was the first wife of William Cecil (later Lord Burghley). These family connections were very helpful for Peter Osborne. Peter and Anne had a very large family with 11 sons and 11 daughters! Their oldest son, John, was born around 1554.

After John Cheke was forced to change his religious views in 1557, he and Osborne were given some lands together. Cheke died in the same year at the Osbornes' house in London. Peter Osborne was a close friend of Cheke's. He helped raise Cheke's son, Henry. Peter also ended up with some important old manuscripts, possibly from the library of John Leland.

Working for Queen Elizabeth I

When Queen Elizabeth came to the throne in 1558, Peter Osborne was ready to serve her. In 1559, he was given his job back as the Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer in the Exchequer.

In 1560, he helped manage a project to improve the quality of silver coins. He also received the manor of South Fambridge in Essex. He was involved in talks to create a company for mining, which later became the Society of Mines Royal.

Peter Osborne was a financial advisor to the government. He believed in free trade. Many of his letters to Lord Burghley still exist. They discuss topics like trade, shipping, and customs. In 1571, his oldest son, John Osborne, became Auditor of the Exchequer.

In 1572, when Lord Burghley became Lord Treasurer, Peter Osborne planned to write a book about trade history. He also wrote a guide about what each officer in the Exchequer should do. This book was later published.

Peter Osborne was a Member of Parliament for several areas, including Tregony (1559), Horsham (1562–3), Guildford (1571), Plympton (1572), Aldeburgh (1584, 1586), and Westminster (1589). He also served on commissions to find people who were homeless or held different religious beliefs.

Trust and Recognition

Many important people trusted Peter Osborne. In 1567, Sir Thomas Wroth, a friend of King Edward VI, made Osborne a trustee for his property. Dr. Walter Haddon, another friend, left gifts to Peter and Anne Osborne in his will. In 1575, Archbishop Matthew Parker named Peter Osborne as one of the main executors of his will. This shows how much he was respected.

Several books were dedicated to Peter Osborne. These included a book about peace of mind by John Bernard (1568), a translation of Virgil's poems by Abraham Fleming (1575), and a book about sadness by Timothie Bright (1586). Bright wrote that he dedicated his work to Osborne because he supported learning and good people.

Peter Osborne was also involved in solving disputes. In 1571, he helped investigate accusations against a customs officer and found him innocent. In 1586, he helped settle a payment dispute for the Merchant Taylors' School.

He bought the manor of Chicksands in Bedfordshire. His son John inherited it and was the first of the family to live there. In 1587, Peter Osborne became the guardian of his friend Henry Cheke's five children.

Final Years

In 1588, Peter Osborne was asked to help manage the money for Sir Francis Drake's and Sir John Norreys's expedition against Spain. He continued working for the Exchequer until he died. In December 1591, he wrote to Lord Burghley about the importance of exporting coal.

Peter Osborne died on June 7, 1592. He was buried at St Faith under St Paul's church in London. A memorial was put up for him, but it was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. The memorial said he was an "honest and wise man." It also mentioned that his wife, Anne, who died in 1615, was the mother of their 22 children.

Peter Osborne's Family

Peter Osborne and his wife Anne Blythe had 11 sons and 11 daughters. Here are some of their notable children:

• Sir John Osborne (c.1554-1628) was the oldest son. He followed in his father's footsteps and became Remembrancer of the Exchequer. He inherited Chicksands and was buried in Campton church. He was also a Member of Parliament. His son, Sir Peter Osborne (1584–1653), became the Royal Governor of Guernsey. Another son, Francis Osborne (1593–1659), was a writer.
• Christopher Osborne (c. 1557–1600) was the second son. He was also a Member of Parliament for Helston, Cornwall.
• Henry Osborne (born c. 1558) worked in the Exchequer like his father.
• Richard Osborne was a merchant. He died without children.
• Anne Osborne married Edmond Bell. They had five sons.
• Katherine Osborne (died 1615) married Sir Thomas Cheek.
• Maudlin Osborne married Ambrose Rous. They had fifteen children.
• Elizabeth Osborne married Sir Edward Duncombe.
• Susan Osborne married William Tuthill.

A portrait of Peter Osborne from Queen Elizabeth's time used to be at Chicksands Priory. A famous portrait of King Edward VI, painted in 1547, was given to Peter Osborne. It stayed in his family until 1982, when it was bought by the National Portrait Gallery, London.