OSBALDESTON, George (?1753-93), of Hutton Bushel, nr. Scarborough, Yorks.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1754-1790, ed. L. Namier, J. Brooke., 1964
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

1784 - 1790

Family and Education

b. ?1753, 1st s. of Rev. John Wickins, rector of Petworth, Suss. by Philadelphia, da. of Robert Mitford of Mitford, Northumb. (by Mary, sis. of William and Fountayne Wentworth Osbaldeston).  educ. St. John’s, Camb. 5 May 1770, aged 17.  m. Jane, da. of Sir Thomas Head of Langley Hall, Berks., 1s.  suc. to part of estates of his gt.-uncle, Fountayne Wentworth Osbaldeston 1770, and took name of Osbaldeston; suc. fa. 1783.

Offices Held

Biography

In November 1783 the Coalition Government offered Osbaldeston a seat at Hedon, but he preferred to stand on his family interest at Scarborough where he asked for Government support.1 His friendship with Lord Fitzwilliam led to the belief that if elected he would oppose Pitt, ‘which he was obliged publicly to explain away previous to his being elected’.2 He stood singly and was returned after a contest.

In William Adam’s list of the new Parliament he was classed with the Opposition. But on 27 May 1784 Daniel Pulteney wrote to Rutland:3 ‘Osbaldeston, who seems very zealous with us, asked me if I thought your Grace would take it ill if he wrote to you to thank you for not having thrown him out at Scarborough ... He says he never was against Mr. Pitt nor means to be.’ His only recorded vote before the Regency was with Government on Richmond’s fortifications plan, 27 Feb. 1786. On 16 Dec. 1788 he is listed as having voted with Pitt on the motion that Parliament should regulate the powers of the Regent, but on 11 Feb. 1789 against the King’s resuming his authority; and in the consolidated list is included among the Opposition. No speech by him is known.

He did not stand in 1790 and died 14 July 1793.

Ref Volumes: 1754-1790

Author: John Brooke

Notes

  • 1. Osbaldeston to Fitzwilliam, 4 Nov. 1783, Fitzwilliam mss, Northants. RO.
  • 2. Rutland to Pitt, 13 Sept. 1786, Pitt-Rutland Corresp. 170.
  • 3. HMC Rutland, ii. 98.