The ducal family of Leeds can be linked to the Osbornes of Surrey through the armorial provenanace. Kelly's Handbook of the Titled, Landed and Official Classes or Burkes Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage both give details of the lineage of the Dukedom.

This line can be traced to Ashford in Kent in the 15^th century and was to produce great noblemen who exerted much influence over the centuries on the history of England. During the reign of Henry V1 (1422-1461) John Osborne of Canterbury occurs in Kentish gentry. Edward Osborne, the eldest of three sons of Richard Osborne of Ashford, who in turn was the son of Richard, came to London and was apprenticed to a clothworker, one William Hewitt, from 1547. Hewitt was an old school chum of Richard who had recently died and Edward was brought to London by his widowed mother. The masters house was on Old London Bridge and perched some fifty feet above the river. A servant "Tib" was gossiping out of the window one day, holding Anne, the Master's only child, on the window cill. The sudden appearance of Osborne startled the servant and the child fell into the river. Osborne immediately dived in and saved the Maiden. From that point on Ned Osborne's future was secured. Seeking approval to marry Ann, William Hewitt is quoted as sayong "He that shall save, The same shall have". Osborne married Anne in 1559.[1] Osborne went on to inherit the wealth of the Hewitt family estates in Kiveton and Hartshill, becaming Lord Mayor of London in 1583.

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN - LONDON BRIDGE

From this fortuitous beginning it was Ann and Edward Osborne's great grandson Thomas, who became Lord Treasurer of England and Chief Minister to Charles II and First Duke of Leeds in 1694. Osborne descendants never reached such heights of power again although many continued to be politically active as well as prosperous. The year 1549 saw the start of a connection with the Isles of Scilly that was to last 282 years, as Governors of the Islands

The penultimate Duke of Leeds was John Francis Osborne who succeeded in 1927. The family seat was Hornby Castle in Yorkshire. He died in 1963 leaving a daughter Camilla, wife of Nigel Dempster deceased, the columnist. The Dukedom passed briefly to an elderly cousin in Rome , Sir Francis d'Arcy Godolphin Osborne, who died in 1964, leaving an extinct barony.