Lambert Osbaldeston

Lambert Osbaldeston (1594–1659), sometimes written Osbolston was headmaster of Westminster School.

Life

He was born in London in 1594, the second son of Lambert Osbaldeston, a haberdasher, of London, by his wife Martha Banks. Educated at Westminster School, he was elected to a scholarship at Christ Church, Oxford, in 1612. His name does not, however, appear in the matriculation register of the university until 20 October 1615, when he is described as the son of a "gentleman" born in London, and aged 21. He was admitted a student of Gray's Inn, London, on 25 October 1615. He graduated B.A. at Oxford on 13 June 1616, and took his M.A. on 20 April 1619. On 7 December 1621 he had a joint patent (with John Wilson) from the dean and chapter of Westminster of the headmastership of Westminster School, which was renewed to him alone on 27 January 1625/6. He was incorporated in the degree of M.A. at Cambridge in 1628.

In July 1629 he became prebendary of the tenth stall in the collegiate church of Westminster Abbey, and on the 18th of the same month he was collated by his friend John Williams, Bishop of Lincoln to the prebend of Biggleswade in Lincoln Cathedral. He was also a prebendary of Ilton in Wells Cathedral, and in 1637 he was presented to the rectory of Wheathampstead, with the chapel of Harpenden, Hertfordshire.

In 1638 certain letters written by him were found in the house of Bishop Williams at Buckden. In these letters an unnamed person was irreverently styled "the little urchin" and "the little meddling hocus pocus." There can be no reasonable doubt that the person referred to was the