Francis Osborne(1751–1799)
Francis Osborne , fifth Duke of Leeds, born on 29th January, 1751, he was the third and youngest son of Thomas, fourth Duke of Leeds, by his wife Lady Mary Godolphin, youngest daughter and eventually sole heiress of Francis, second Earl of Godolphin.
He was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford, where he matriculated as Marquis of Carmarthen on 11 June 1767, and was created M.A. on 30 March 1769, and D.C.L. on 7 July 1773. At a by-election in March 1774 Carmarthen was returned to the House of Commons for the borough of Eye in Suffolk. At the general election in October 1774 he was returned for the borough of Helston in Cornwall. He voted against Lord North's propositions for conciliating the differences with America in February 1775 and was unseated on petition in the following month. On 15 May 1776 he was called up to the House of Lords in his father's barony, and took his seat on the following day as Baron Osborne of Kiveton in the county of York. On the 31st of the same month he was appointed a lord of the bedchamber, an office which he resigned in December 1777, on being appointed lord chamberlain of the queen's household.
Carmarthen spoke for the first time in the House of Lords during the debate on the address on 31 Oct. 1776, when he opposed Lord Rockingham's amendment in favour of an inquiry into the American grievances. He supported the address at the opening of parliament in November 1777, and on 24 December. in the same year was admitted a member of the privy council. In March 1778 he spoke in favour of the Conciliatory Bills, and in July following was appointed lord-lieutenant of the East Riding of Yorkshire.
He was appointed high steward of Hull on 11 April 1786, vice-admiral of the county of York on 5 March 1795, and colonel of the East Riding regiment of provisional cavalry on 24 Dec. 1796.
in 1789, he succeeded his father as fifth Duke of Leeds. He was elected and invested a knight of the Garter on 15 December, 1790, but was never installed
Leeds married first, on 29th November, 1773, Lady Amelia, only daughter and sole heiress of Robert D'Arcy, fourth Earl of Holderness, afterwards Baroness Conyers in her own right, from whom he was divorced by Act of Parliament on 31st May 1779.
By his first marriage he had two sons and a daughter:
- George William Frederick, born on 21 July 1775, who succeeded his mother as Baron Conyers and his father as sixth Duke of Leeds, became master of the horse to George IV, and died on 10 July 1838
- Mary Henrietta Juliana, born on 6 Sept. 1776, married on 16 July 1801 Thomas,Lord Pelham, afterwards second Earl of Chichester, and died on 21 Oct. 1862.
- Francis Godolphin, born on 18th October, 1777, who was created Baron Godolphin of Farnham Royal, Buckinghamshire, on 14 May 1832, and died on 15 Feb. 1850.
He married secondly, on 11 Oct. 1788, Catherine, daughter of Thomas Anguish, Master in Chancery, by whom he had one son, Sidney Godolphin, born on 16 Dec. 1789, who died on 15 April 1861; and one daughter, Catherine Anne Sarah, born on 13 March 1798, who married, on 1 June 1819, to Captain John White Melville, of the Royal Lancers, of Strathkinness, Fifeshire,
His widow, who was an accomplished musician, became mistress of the robes to Queen Adelaide, and died in Grosvenor Street, London, on 8 Oct. 1837.
He died at his house in St. James's Square, London, on 31 Jan. 1799, aged 48, and was buried in All Saints Church, Harthill, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, on 15th February. He was succeeded by his eldest son, George William Frederick Osborne
Estates in Yorkshire: Harthill, Woodall, Todwick, Thorpe Salvin, Wales, Aston, Killamarsh (Derbys.), Woodsetts, Red Hill, South Anston, North Anston and Conisbrough - accounts for coal mines at Wales and Todwick Common
George William Frederick Osborne, sixth Duke of Leeds, Marquess of Carmarthen, Earl of Danby, married, on the 17th August, 1797, Lady Charlotte, second daughter, by the second marriage, of George, 1st Marquess of Townshend, by Anne, daughter of Sir William Montgomery.
By this marriage, he had Frances Godolphin D'Arcy, Marquess of Carmarthen, who married, April 24,1828, Louisa Catherine, Lady Hervey.
