John Osborne (barrister)

[2] His notable independence of mind, and his hostility to all former Jacobites, Protestant as well as Roman Catholic, even those who had pledged their loyalty to the new King William III, made him as unacceptable to the new regime as he had been to the old.

However Osborne, as a Protestant, could not have expected to hold the position for long under King James II, who was determined to promote as many Roman Catholics as possible to high office.

[1] Given his radical family background, it was natural for Osborne to support King William III in his struggle against James II.

[5] He was nominated for the office of Chief Justice of the Irish Common Pleas, but William III personally vetoed his appointment in favour of Richard Pyne.

In open defiance of this policy and without instructions from the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and without consulting the Attorney General, Osborne began proceedings for treason against all landowners, even Protestants, who had been loyal to James II.

Outraged pleas from those thus accused were addressed to the London government, backed by petitions from men of influence like William King, the Bishop of Derry and future Archbishop of Dublin, who wrote that Osborne's conduct had "startled the whole Kingdom".

[2] The result of this controversy was a stern letter from the Secretary of State, the Earl of Nottingham, to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Henry Sydney, informing him of the King's strong personal disapproval of Osborne's proceedings, which had given "great fear" to precisely those Irish subjects whom the King was seeking to win over to his side.

He was prepared to recommend pardons for those convicted of treason, but expected in return to receive the fees payable for the fiants necessary to obtain them.

[2] He gave even greater offence to the Crown by his conduct in the Irish House of Commons, to which he had been elected as member for County Meath in 1692.

This Parliament had been called partly to ratify the Treaty of Limerick, which gave favourable terms to the defeated Roman Catholic supporters of James II.

[2] His prestige had sunk so low that his office was offered to Sir John Meade, who had previously been regarded as ineligible for any Crown appointment on the grounds that his wife was a Roman Catholic.