Geoffrey Osbaldeston

Geoffrey Osbaldeston (1558-c.1635) was an English-born politician and judge who had a long but rather undistinguished career in Ireland.

[2] The Osbaldestons were related to the Stanleys, Earls of Derby, and Edward seems to have owed his success to their patronage.

[3] In 1601 Alice, Countess of Derby, who acted as his patroness, lobbied on his behalf to obtain an official position for him in Ireland.

He was certainly not the Crown's first choice, being a last minute replacement for Lewis Prowde, a barrister with a much better reputation for legal ability,[4] who was nominated for the position but never took up office, apparently due to chronic ill-health (Prowde later became a judge in Wales, and an MP in the Addled Parliament of 1614).

[4] Unfortunately for Osbaldeston's future career prospects the Lord Deputy of Ireland, Sir Arthur Chichester, soon formed a very poor view of his efficiency,[2] and within two years he was moved to the office of Chief Justice of Connacht;[5] a step which was generally seen as a demotion on the ground of his professional incompetence.