BARONETAGE
Last updated 05/11/2018 (24 Feb 2023)
Names of baronets shown in blue 
have not yet proved succession and, as a
result, their name has not yet been placed on
the Official Roll of the Baronetage.
Date Type Order Name Born Died  Age
Dates in italics in the "Born" column indicate that the baronet was
baptised on that date; dates in italics in the "Died" column indicate 
that the baronet was buried on that date
OAKELEY of Shrewsbury,Salop
5 Jun 1790 GB 1 Charles Oakeley                           26 Feb 1751 7 Sep 1826 75
7 Sep 1826 2 Charles Oakeley                         25 Sep 1778 30 Jun 1829 50
30 Jun 1829 3 Herbert Oakeley                      10 Feb 1791 27 Mar 1845 54
27 Mar 1845 4 Charles William Atholl Oakeley 25 Oct 1828 2 Nov 1915 87
2 Nov 1915 5 Charles John Oakeley          6 May 1862 20 Jul 1938 76
20 Jul 1938 6 Charles Richard Andrew Oakeley 14 Aug 1900 22 Nov 1959 59
22 Nov 1959 7 Edward Atholl Oakeley                 31 May 1900 7 Jan 1987 86
For further information on this baronet, see the
note at the foot of this page.
7 Jan 1987 8 John Digby Atholl Oakeley             27 Nov 1932 19 Dec 2016 84
19 Dec 2016 9 Robert John Atholl Oakeley                    13 Aug 1963
OAKES of the Army
2 Nov 1813 UK 1 Hildebrand Oakes                    19 Jan 1754 9 Sep 1822 68
to     He obtained a new patent in 1815 - see below
9 Sep 1822 Extinct on his death                         
OAKES of Hereford
1 Jun 1815 UK 1 Hildebrand Oakes                    19 Jan 1754 9 Sep 1822 68
9 Sep 1822 2 Henry Oakes                          11 Jul 1756 1 Nov 1827 71
1 Nov 1827 3 Henry Thomas Oakes          4 Jul 1795 30 Sep 1850 55
30 Sep 1850 4 Reginald Louis Oakes                    29 Sep 1847 11 Oct 1927 80
to     Extinct on his death                         
11 Oct 1927
OAKES of Nassau,the Bahamas
27 Jul 1939 UK 1 Harry Oakes                                        23 Dec 1874 8 Jul 1943 68
8 Jul 1943 2 Sydney Oakes                              9 Jun 1927 8 Aug 1966 39
8 Aug 1966 3 Christopher Oakes                10 Jul 1949
OAKSHOTT of Bebington,Cheshire
10 Jul 1959 UK 1 Hendrie Dudley Oakshott,later [1964]
Baron Oakshott [L] 8 Nov 1904 1 Feb 1975 70
1 Feb 1975 2 Anthony Hendrie Oakshott       10 Oct 1929 11 Dec 2002 73
11 Dec 2002 3 Michael Arthur John Oakshott 12 Apr 1932 20 Jun 2014 82
20 Jun 2014 4 Thomas Hendrie Oakshott                   12 Jun 1959
O'BRIEN of Leaghmenagh,Clare
9 Nov 1686 I 1 Donough O'Brien                       1642 17 Nov 1717 75
17 Nov 1717 2 Edward O'Brien                   7 Apr 1705 26 Nov 1765 60
MP for Peterborough 1727-1728
26 Nov 1765 3 Lucius Henry O'Brien           2 Sep 1731 15 Jan 1795 63
PC [I] 1786                                            
15 Jan 1795 4 Edward O'Brien                                17 Apr 1773 13 Mar 1837 63
MP for co.Clare 1802-1826                       
13 Mar 1837 5 Lucius O'Brien                                  5 Dec 1800 22 Mar 1872 71
He subsequently succeeded to the Barony 
of Inchiquin (qv) in 1855 with which title 
the baronetcy remains merged,although,as at
30/06/2014,the baronetcy does not appear on 
the Official Roll of the Baronetage
O'BRIEN of Borris-in-Ossory,Queen's Co.
and Merrion Square,Dublin
25 Sep 1849 UK 1 Timothy O'Brien                                1787 3 Dec 1862 75
MP for Cashel 1846-1859            
3 Dec 1862 2 Patrick O'Brien                             1823 25 Apr 1895 71
MP for Kings County 1852-1885
25 Apr 1895 3 Timothy Carew O'Brien             5 Nov 1861 9 Dec 1948 87
For further information on this baronet, see
the note at the foot of this page.
9 Dec 1948 4 Robert Rollo Gillespie O'Brien 9 Jun 1901 18 Apr 1952 50
18 Apr 1952 5 John Edmond Noel O'Brien              23 Dec 1899 28 Sep 1969 69
28 Sep 1969 6 David Edmond O'Brien                 19 Feb 1902 26 Nov 1982 80
26 Nov 1982 7 Timothy John O'Brien               6 Jul 1958
O'BRIEN of Merrion Square,Dublin
28 Sep 1891 UK 1 Peter O'Brien                              29 Jun 1842 7 Sep 1914 72
He was subsequently created Baron
O'Brien (qv) in 1900 with which title the
baronetcy then merged until its extinction
in 1914                                                     
O'BRIEN of Artona
15 Jan 1916 UK 1 Ignatius John O'Brien                 30 Jul 1857 10 Sep 1930 73
He was subsequently created Baron
Shandon (qv) in 1918 with which title the
baronetcy then merged until its extinction
in 1930                                          
  O'CARROLL of Denton,Yorks
1712 GB 1 Daniel O'Carroll                         4 Nov 1750
4 Nov 1750 2 Daniel O'Carroll                         c 1717 30 Jan 1758
30 Jan 1758 3 John O'Carroll                                  14 Feb 1722 c 1780
c 1780 4 John Whitley O'Carroll             13 Jan 1818
13 Jan 1818 5 Jervoise O'Carroll                 1831
1831 6 John Whitley Christopher O'Carroll 2 Jun 1835
to     On his death the baronetcy became either
2 Jun 1835 extinct or dormant                      
OCHTERLONY of Pitforthy,Angus
7 Mar 1816 UK 1 David Ochterlony                    12 Feb 1758 15 Jul 1825 67
to     He obtained a new patent in 1823-see below
15 Jul 1825 Extinct on his death                         
OCHTERLONY of Ochterlony,Forfar
8 Dec 1823 UK 1 David Ochterlony                    12 Feb 1758 15 Jul 1825 67
15 Jul 1825 2 Charles Metcalfe Ochterlony 21 Dec 1817 11 Aug 1891 73
11 Aug 1891 3 David Ferguson Ochterlony               27 Oct 1848 25 Dec 1931 83
25 Dec 1931 4 Matthew Montgomerie Ochterlony 28 Feb 1880 4 Oct 1946 66
4 Oct 1946 5 Charles Francis Ochterlony                  27 Jun 1891 2 Nov 1964 73
to     Extinct on his death                         
2 Nov 1964
O'CONNELL of Lakeview,Killarney
and Ballybeggan,co.Kerry
29 Oct 1869 UK 1 James O'Connell                            10 Jan 1786 28 Jul 1872 86
28 Jul 1872 2 Maurice James O'Connell                31 Oct 1821 15 Jan 1896 74
15 Jan 1896 3 Daniel Ross O'Connell             18 Jan 1861 14 May 1905 44
14 May 1905 4 Morgan Ross O'Connell                  20 Jul 1862 27 Apr 1919 56
27 Apr 1919 5 Maurice James Arthur O'Connell 24 Dec 1889 15 Sep 1949 59
15 Sep 1949 6 Morgan Donal Conail O'Connell 29 Jan 1923 25 Jul 1989 66
25 Jul 1989 7 Maurice James Donagh MacCarthy
O'Connell                                10 Jun 1958
O'CONNOR of Sligo
11 May 1622 I 1 Charles O'Connor                    21 Jul 1625
to     Extinct on his death                         
21 Jul 1625
O'DONNELL of Newport House,Mayo
22 Dec 1780 I 1 Neale O'Donnell                     Jan 1811
Jan 1811 2 Neale O'Donnell                     1 Mar 1827
1 Mar 1827 3 Hugh James Moore O'Donnell 1806 29 Jul 1828 22
29 Jul 1828 4 Richard Annesley O'Donnell                       28 May 1808 9 Nov 1878 70
9 Nov 1878 5 George Clendining O'Donnell 15 Jun 1832 22 Jan 1889 56
to     Extinct on his death                         
22 Jan 1889
OGILVIE of Carnoustie,Banff
24 Apr 1626 NS 1 George Ogilvie                                   
After his death the succession is unknown
until about 1800                         
***********************
c 1800 8 William Ogilvie                           8 Jun 1825
8 Jun 1825 9 William Ogilvie                             1810 20 Feb 1861 50
to     On his death the baronetcy became dormant
20 Feb 1861
OGILVIE of Barras,Kincardine
5 Mar 1662 NS 1 George Ogilvie                          c 1680
c 1680 2 William Ogilvie                           25 Jul 1707
Jul 1707 3 David Ogilvie                             c 1740
c 1740 4 William Ogilvie                               Nov 1791
Nov 1791 5 David Ogilvie                                 1729 5 Dec 1799 70
5 Dec 1799 6 George Mulgrave Ogilvie              10 Aug 1779 9 Mar 1837 57
9 Mar 1837 7 William Ogilvie                             c 1785 c 1840
to     On his death the baronetcy became dormant
c 1840
OGILVY of Inverquharity,Forfar
29 Sep 1626 NS 1 John Ogilvy                                  c 1660
c 1660 2 David Ogilvy                                 c 1630 c 1679
c 1679 3 John Ogilvy                                        c 1735
c 1735 4 John Ogilvy                                     Feb 1748
Feb 1748 5 John Ogilvy                                c 1732 15 Mar 1802
15 Mar 1802 6 Walter Ogilvy                             21 Aug 1808
21 Aug 1808 7 John Ogilvy                                  1819
1819 8 William Ogilvy                            c 1765 1823
1823 9 John Ogilvy                                       17 Mar 1803 29 Mar 1890 87
MP for Dundee 1857-1874           
29 Mar 1890 10 Reginald Howard Alexander Ogilvy 29 May 1832 12 Mar 1910 77
12 Mar 1910 11 Gilchrist Nevill Ogilvy             6 Sep 1892 29 Oct 1914 22
29 Oct 1914 12 Herbert Kinnaird Ogilvy          29 Jun 1865 1 Mar 1956 90
1 Mar 1956 13 David John Wilfrid Ogilvy          3 Feb 1914 16 Jun 1992 78
16 Jun 1992 14 Francis Gilbert Arthur Ogilvy 22 Apr 1969
OGILVY of Forglen,Banff
30 Jul 1627 NS 1 George Ogilvy                           11 Aug 1663
He was subsequently created Baron Banff
(qv) in 1642 with which title the baronetcy
then merged until it became dormant in 1803
--------------------------------------------------
24 Jun 1701 NS 1 Alexander Ogilvy                     30 Mar 1727
30 Mar 1727 2 Alexander Ogilvy                     1 Sep 1771
He subsequently succeeded as 7th Lord Banff
in 1746 with which title the baronetcy then
merged until its extinction in 1803
OGILVY-WEDDERBURN of Baltindean,Perth
18 Aug 1803 UK 1 David Wedderburn                            10 Mar 1775 7 Apr 1858 83
For details of the special remainder included 
in the creation of this baronetcy,see the note
at the foot of this page
MP for Perth Burghs 1805-1818
7 Apr 1858 2 John Wedderburn                           1 May 1789 2 Jul 1862 73
2 Jul 1862 3 David Wedderburn                            20 Dec 1835 18 Sep 1882 46
MP for Ayrshire South 1868-1874 and
Haddington Burghs 1879-1882
18 Sep 1882 4 William Wedderburn                            25 Mar 1838 25 Jan 1918 79
MP for Banffshire 1893-1900
25 Jan 1918 5 John Andrew Ogilvy-Wedderburn 16 Sep 1866 10 Mar 1956 89
10 Mar 1956 6 John Peter Ogilvy-Wedderburn 29 Sep 1917 13 Aug 1977 59
13 Aug 1977 7 Andrew John Alexander Ogilvy-Wedderburn 4 Aug 1952
  OGLANDER of Nunwell,Hants
12 Dec 1665 E 1 William Oglander                      18 Oct 1611 9 Aug 1670 58
MP for Yarmouth 1640 and Newport (IOW)
1660-1670                                            
Aug 1670 2 John Oglander                               c 1642 c 1683
c 1683 3 William Oglander                             c 1680 10 Aug 1734
10 Aug 1734 4 John Oglander                               c 1704 11 May 1767
11 May 1767 5 William Oglander                            8 Jul 1733 5 Jan 1806 72
5 Jan 1806 6 William Oglander                          13 Sep 1769 17 Jan 1852 82
MP for Bodmin 1807-1812              
17 Jan 1852 7 Henry Oglander                           24 Jun 1811 8 Apr 1874 62
to     Extinct on his death                 
8 Apr 1874
OGLE of Worthy,Hants
12 Mar 1816 UK 1 Chaloner Ogle                               27 Aug 1816
27 Aug 1816 2 Charles Ogle                             24 May 1775 16 Jun 1858 83
MP for Portarlington 1830-1831
16 Jun 1858 3 Chaloner Ogle                         18 Jul 1803 3 Feb 1859 55
3 Feb 1859 4 Chaloner Roe Majendie Ogle 2 Jun 1843 29 Nov 1861 18
29 Nov 1861 5 William Ogle                             5 May 1823 2 Dec 1885 62
2 Dec 1885 6 Edmund Ogle                              20 Sep 1816 14 Jun 1887 70
14 Jun 1887 7 Henry Asgill Ogle                     2 Sep 1850 5 Mar 1921 70
5 Mar 1921 8 Edmund Ashton Ogle              13 Aug 1857 17 Jun 1940 82
to     Extinct on his death                 
17 Jun 1940
OHLSON of Scarborough,Yorks
24 Jan 1920 UK 1 Sir Erik Ohlson                              19 Jul 1873 20 Mar 1934 60
20 Mar 1934 2 Eric James Ohlson                             16 Mar 1911 5 Mar 1983 71
5 Mar 1983 3 Brian Eric Christopher Ohlson 27 Jul 1936 19 Mar 2017 80
19 Mar 2017 4 Peter Michael Ohlson                  18 May 1939
OKEOVER of Gateacre,Lancs
12 Feb 1886 UK See "Walker-Okeover"
OLDFIELD of Spalding,Lincs
6 Aug 1660 E 1 Anthony Oldfield                       27 Jul 1626 4 Sep 1668 42
4 Sep 1668 2 John Oldfield                          29 Oct 1659 Aug 1705 45
to     Extinct on his death                 
Aug 1705
OLIPHANT of Newton
28 Jul 1629 NS 1 James Oliphant                           1648
1648 2 James Oliphant                             1659
1659 3 George Oliphant                           c 1691
to     Extinct on his death                 
c 1691
O'LOGHLEN of Drumconora,co.Clare
16 Jul 1838 UK 1 Michael O'Loghlen                    6 Oct 1789 28 Sep 1842 52
MP for Dungarvan 1835-1837. Solicitor
General [I] 1834. Attorney General [I] 1835
28 Sep 1842 2 Colman Michael O'Loghlen 20 Sep 1819 22 Jul 1877 57
MP for co.Clare 1863-1877
22 Jul 1877 3 Bryan O'Loghlen                            27 Jun 1828 31 Oct 1909 81
MP for Clare 1877-1879         
For further information on this baronet,see the
note at the foot of the page containing details
of the MPs for County Clare
31 Oct 1909 4 Michael O'Loghlen                       16 Oct 1866 23 Mar 1934 67
Lord Lieutenant Clare 1910-1922
23 Mar 1934 5 Charles Hugh Ross O'Loghlen 6 Jul 1881 23 Jul 1951 70
23 Jul 1951 6 Colman Michael O'Loghlen 6 Apr 1916 6 Mar 2014 97
6 Mar 2014 7 Michael O'Loghlen 21 May 1945
O'MALLEY of Rosehill,Mayo
2 Jul 1804 UK 1 Samuel O'Malley                          26 Dec 1779 17 Aug 1864 84
17 Aug 1864 2 William O'Malley                          23 Sep 1816 21 Jan 1892 75
to     Extinct on his death                 
21 Jan 1892
O'NEILL of Upper Claneboys
13 Nov 1643 I 1 Brian O'Neill                              late 1670
late 1670 2 Brian O'Neill                                 1694
1694 3 Henry O'Neill                               c 1674 1 Nov 1759
1 Nov 1759 4 Brian O'Neill                                    c 1765
c 1765 5 Randall O'Neill                         Jun 1779
Jun 1779 6 William O'Neill                       c 1754 Mar 1784
Mar 1784 7 Francis O'Neill                                  c 1730 1799
to     On his death the baronetcy became dormant
1799
O'NEILL of Killelagh,Antrim
23 Feb 1666 I 1 Henry O'Neill                          1625 c 1680
c 1680 2 Neill O'Neill                             c 1658 8 Jul 1690
8 Jul 1690 3 Daniel O'Neill                          
to     The baronetcy was forfeited in 1691
1691
O'NEILL of Cleggan,Antrim
17 Jun 1929 UK 1 Robert William Hugh O'Neill             8 Jun 1883 28 Nov 1982 99
He was subsequently created Baron
Rathcavan (qv) in 1953 with which title 
the baronetcy remains merged  
ONSLOW of West Clandon,Surrey
8 May 1674 E 1 Arthur Onslow                              23 Apr 1622 21 Jul 1688 66
MP for Bramber 1640-1648, Surrey 1654-
1655,1656-1658,1659 and 1679-1681 and
Guildford 1660-1679                                
This baronetcy was created as a reversion of the 
baronetcy conferred in 1660 on Sir Thomas Foote
21 Jul 1688 2 Richard Onslow                                23 Jun 1654 5 Dec 1717 63
He was subsequently created Baron
Onslow (qv) in 1716 with which title the
baronetcy remains merged  
ONSLOW of Althain,Lancs
30 Oct 1797 GB 1 Richard Onslow                          23 Jun 1741 27 Dec 1817 76
27 Dec 1817 2 Henry Onslow                                        23 Apr 1784 13 Sep 1853 69
13 Sep 1853 3 Henry Onslow                                        5 Oct 1809 20 Nov 1870 61
20 Nov 1870 4 Matthew Richard Onslow           12 Sep 1810 3 Aug 1876 65
3 Aug 1876 5 William Wallace Rhoderic Onslow 13 Aug 1845 13 Jan 1916 70
13 Jan 1916 6 Roger Warin Beaconsfield Onslow 29 Apr 1880 13 Oct 1931 51
For information on this baronet's death,see
the note at the foot of this page
13 Oct 1931 7 Richard Wilmot Onslow                30 Jul 1906 14 Jul 1963 56
14 Jul 1963 8 John Roger Wilmot Onslow           21 Jul 1932 14 Oct 2009 77
14 Oct 2009 9 Richard Paul Atherton Onslow 16 Sep 1958
OPPENHEIMER of Stoke Poges,Bucks
18 Jan 1921 UK 1 Bernard Oppenheimer                13 Feb 1866 13 Jun 1921 55
13 Jun 1921 2 Michael Oppenheimer             26 Dec 1892 26 Sep 1933 40
For further information on the death of this
baronet,see the note at the foot of this page
26 Sep 1933 3 Michael Bernard Grenville Oppenheimer 27 May 1924 17 Apr 2020 - HB 95
to     Extinct on his death                 
17 Apr 2020
ORBY of Croyland,Lincs
9 Oct 1658 E 1 Thomas Orby                              c 1691
c 1691 2 Charles Orby                           c 1640 c 1716
c 1716 3 Thomas Orby                                  c 1658 11 Feb 1725
to     Extinct on his death                 
Feb 1725
ORDE of Morpeth,Nortumberland
9 Aug 1790 GB See "Campbell-Orde"
ORMSBY of Cloghans,Mayo
29 Dec 1812 UK 1 Charles Montagu Ormsby 23 Apr 1767 3 Mar 1818 50
MP for Carlow 1801-1806
3 Mar 1818 2 James Ormsby 27 Feb 1796 Dec 1821 25
Dec 1821 3 Thomas Ormsby 26 May 1797 9 Aug 1833 36
to     Extinct on his death                 
9 Aug 1833
ORR-EWING of Ballikinrain,Stirling
8 Mar 1886 UK 1 Archibald Orr-Ewing 4 Jan 1818 27 Nov 1893 75
MP for Dumbartonshire 1868-1892
27 Nov 1893 2 William Orr-Ewing 14 Feb 1848 20 Aug 1903 55
20 Aug 1903 3 Archibald Ernest Orr-Ewing 22 Feb 1853 21 Apr 1919 66
For information on the death of this baronet,
see the note at the foot of this page
21 Apr 1919 4 Norman Archibald Orr-Ewing 23 Nov 1880 26 Mar 1960 79
26 Mar 1960 5 Ronald Archibald Orr-Ewing 14 May 1912 14 Sep 2002 90
14 Sep 2002 6 Archibald Donald Orr-Ewing 20 Dec 1938
ORR-EWING of Hendon,Middlesex
27 Jun 1963 UK 1 Charles Ian Orr-Ewing,later [1971]
Baron Orr-Ewing [L] 10 Feb 1912 19 Aug 1999 87
 
19 Aug 1999 2 Alistair Simon Orr-Ewing 10 Jun 1940
 
ORR-LEWIS of Whitewebbs,Middlesex
12 Feb 1920 UK 1 Frederick Orr Orr-Lewis 11 Feb 1866 18 Nov 1921 55
18 Nov 1921 2 John Duncan Orr-Lewis 21 Feb 1898 13 Nov 1980 82
to     Extinct on his death
13 Nov 1980
OSBALDESTON of Chadlington,Oxon
25 Jun 1664 E 1 Littleton Osbaldeston 30 Dec 1691
MP for Woodstock 1679-1687
30 Dec 1691 2 Lacy Osbaldeston                    c 1659 c 1699
c 1699 3 Richard Osbaldeston          14 Sep 1684 c 1701
c 1701 4 William Osbaldeston c 1687 c 1739
c 1739 5 Charles Osbaldeston c 1690 16 Apr 1749
to     Extinct on his death
16 Apr 1749
OSBORN of Chicksands,Beds
11 Feb 1662 E 1 John Osborn c 1615 5 Feb 1699
5 Feb 1699 2 John Osborn c 1650 28 Apr 1720
28 Apr 1720 3 Danvers Osborn 17 Nov 1715 27 Dec 1753 38
MP for Bedfordshire 1747-1753
27 Dec 1753 4 George Osborn 10 May 1742 29 Jun 1818 76
MP for Northampton 1768-1769, Bossiney
1769-1774, Penrhyn 1774-1780 and 
Horsham 1780-1784
29 Jun 1818 5 John Osborn 3 Dec 1772 28 Aug 1848 75
MP for Bedfordshire 1794-1807 and 1818-
1820, Cockermouth 1807-1808, 
Queenborough 1812-1818 and Wigton
Burghs 1821-1824
28 Aug 1848 6 George Robert Osborn 29 Oct 1813 11 Jan 1892 78
11 Jan 1892 7 Algernon Kerr Butler Osborn 8 Aug 1870 19 Jul 1948 77
19 Jul 1948 8 Danvers Lionel Rouse Osborn 31 Jan 1916 19 Jul 1983 67
19 Jul 1983 9 Richard Henry Danvers Osborn 12 Aug 1958
OSBORNE of Kiveton,Yorks
13 Jul 1620 E 1 Edward Osborne 12 Dec 1596 9 Sep 1647 50
MP for East Retford 1628-1629, York 1640
and Berwick 1640
9 Sep 1647 2 Thomas Osborne 20 Feb 1632 26 Jul 1712 80
He was created Duke of Leeds (qv) in 1694
with which title the baronetcy then merged
until its extinction in 1964
OSBORNE of Ballintaylor,co.Tipperary
15 Oct 1629 I 1 Richard Osborne c 1667
c 1667 2 Richard Osborne 2 Mar 1685
2 Mar 1685 3 John Osborne c 1645 4 Apr 1713
4 Apr 1713 4 Richard Osborne c 1714
c 1714 5 Thomas Osborne c 1715
c 1715 6 Nicholas Osborne c 1685 13 Jan 1719
13 Jan 1719 7 John Osborne 1697 11 Apr 1743 45
11 Apr 1743 8 William Osborne c 1722 Nov 1783
PC [I] 1770
Nov 1783 9 Thomas Osborne 1757 3 Jun 1821 63
3 Jun 1821 10 William Osborne 1817 23 May 1824 6
23 May 1824 11 Henry Osborne c 1761 27 Oct 1837
MP for Enniskillen 1800
27 Oct 1837 12 Daniel Toler Osborne 10 Dec 1783 25 Mar 1853 69
25 Mar 1853 13 William Osborne 16 Oct 1805 7 Jul 1875 69
7 Jul 1875 14 Charles Stanley Osborne 30 Jun 1825 16 Jul 1879 54
16 Jul 1879 15 Francis Osborne 1 Nov 1856 23 Oct 1948 91
23 Oct 1948 16 George Francis Osborne 27 Jul 1894 21 Jul 1960
21 Jul 1960 17 Peter George Osborne 29 Jun 1943
OSBORNE-GIBBES of Springhead,Barbados
30 May 1774 GB 1 Philip Gibbes 7 Mar 1731 Jun 1815 84
Jun 1815 2 Samuel Osborne-Gibbes 27 Aug 1803 13 Nov 1874 71
13 Nov 1874 3 Edward Osborne-Gibbes Nov 1850 29 Sep 1931 80
29 Sep 1931 4 Philip Arthur Osborne-Gibbes 17 May 1884 8 Feb 1940 55
to     Extinct on his death
8 Feb 1940
OSLER of Norham Gardens,Oxford
11 Jul 1911 UK 1 William Osler 12 Jul 1849 29 Dec 1919 70
to     Extinct on his death
29 Dec 1919 For information on this baronet,see the note
at the foot of this page
OTWAY of Brighton,Sussex
30 Sep 1831 UK 1 Robert Waller Otway 26 Apr 1770 13 May 1846 76
13 May 1846 2 George Graham Otway 15 Jul 1816 22 Aug 1881 65
22 Aug 1881 3 Arthur John Otway 8 Aug 1822 8 Jun 1912 89
to     MP for Stafford 1852-1857, Chatham
8 Jun 1912 1865-1874 and Rochester 1878-1885
PC 1885
Extinct on his death
  OUGHTON of Tetchbrook,Warwicks
27 Aug 1718 GB 1 Adolphus Oughton c 1684 4 Sep 1736
to     MP for Coventry 1715-1736
4 Sep 1736 Extinct on his death
 
OUSELEY of Claremont,Herts
3 Oct 1808 UK 1 Gore Ouseley 24 Jun 1770 18 Nov 1844 74
18 Nov 1844 2 Frederick Arthur Gore Ouseley 12 Aug 1825 6 Apr 1889 63
to     Extinct on his death
6 Apr 1889
OUTRAM of Bengal,India
10 Nov 1858 UK 1 James Outram 29 Jan 1803 11 Mar 1863 60
For further information on this baronet,see
the note at the foot of this page
11 Mar 1863 2 Francis Boyd Outram 23 Sep 1836 25 Sep 1912 76
25 Sep 1912 3 James Outram 13 Oct 1864 12 Mar 1925 60
12 Mar 1925 4 Francis Davidson Outram 4 Aug 1867 30 Jun 1945 77
30 Jun 1945 5 Alan James Outram 15 May 1937
OWEN of Orielton,Pembroke
11 Aug 1641 E 1 Hugh Owen c Oct 1670
MP for Pembroke 1626,1628-1629 and
1640-1648, Haverfordwest 1640 and
Pembroke 1660-1661
c Oct 1670 2 Hugh Owen c 1645 13 Jan 1699
MP for Pembroke 1676-1679 and 
Pembrokeshire 1679-1681 and 1689-1695
13 Jan 1699 3 Arthur Owen c 1674 6 Jun 1753
MP for Pembrokeshire 1695-1705 and 1715-
1727 and Pembroke 1708-1712
Lord Lieutenant Pembrokeshire 1715-1753
6 Jun 1753 4 William Owen c 1697 7 May 1781
MP for Pembroke 1722-1747 and 1761-1774
and Pembrokeshire 1747-1761
Lord Lieutenant Pembrokeshire
7 May 1781 5 Hugh Owen 16 Jan 1786
MP for Pembrokeshire 1770-1786
Lord Lieutenant Pembrokeshire
16 Jan 1786 6 Hugh Owen 12 Sep 1782 8 Aug 1809 26
MP for Pembroke 1809
8 Aug 1809 7 Arthur Owen c 1740 4 Jan 1817
4 Jan 1817 8 William Owen-Barlow 11 Apr 1775 25 Feb 1851 75
to     Extinct on his death
25 Feb 1851
OWEN of Orielton,Pembroke
12 Jan 1813 UK 1 John Lord Owen 1776 6 Feb 1861 84
MP for Pembroke 1809-1812 and 1841-1861
and Pembrokeshire 1812-1841 Lord Lieutenant
Pembrokeshire 1823-1861
6 Feb 1861 2 Hugh Owen Owen 25 Dec 1803 5 Sep 1891 87
MP for Pembroke 1826-1838 and 1861-1868
5 Sep 1891 3 Hugh Charles Owen 1826 4 Apr 1909 82
4 Apr 1909 4 John Arthur Owen 5 Feb 1892 20 Sep 1973 81
20 Sep 1973 5 Hugh Bernard Pilkington Owen 28 Mar 1915 22 Feb 2002 86
to     Extinct on his death
22 Feb 2002
OWEN of Weir Bank,Berks
2 Feb 1920 UK See "Cunliffe-Owen"
  OXENDEN of Dene,Kent
8 May 1678 E 1 Henry Oxenden 28 Apr 1614 Aug 1686 72
MP for Winchilsea 1645-1648, Kent 1654-
1655 and 1656-1658 and Sandwich 1660-1661
Aug 1686 2 James Oxenden 4 Apr 1641 29 Sep 1708 67
MP for Sandwich 1679-1685,1689-1690 and 
1701-1702 and Kent 1698-1700
29 Sep 1708 3 Henry Oxenden c 1645 Feb 1709
Feb 1709 4 Henry Oxenden 10 Jul 1690 21 Apr 1720 29
MP for Sandwich 1713-1720
21 Apr 1720 5 George Oxenden 26 Oct 1694 20 Jan 1775 80
MP for Sandwich 1720-1754
20 Jan 1775 6 Henry Oxenden 5 Sep 1721 15 Jun 1803 81
15 Jun 1803 7 Henry Oxenden 14 May 1756 22 Sep 1838 82
22 Sep 1838 8 Henry Chudleigh Oxenden 24 Jun 1795 14 Aug 1889 94
14 Aug 1889 9 Henry Montagu Oxenden 20 Jun 1826 Sep 1895 69
Sep 1895 10 Percy Dixwell Nowell Dixwell-Oxenden 6 Jun 1833 12 Jul 1924 91
to     Extinct on his death
12 Jul 1924
Sir Edward Atholl Oakeley, 7th baronet
Sir Atholl was educated at Clifton and Sandhurst, and commissioned in the Oxfordshire and
Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Early in life he developed a fascination for wrestling, his interest
being awakened when he was beaten up by a ruffian in a bar. Although only 5ft 9in tall, he
built up his body by drinking eleven pints of milk a day for three years. This diet had been
recommended to him by the former world heavyweight wrestling champion, George 
Hackenschmidt. It was later discovered that there had been a misprint - the correct amount
was one pint a day.
Oakeley preferred to wrestle men who were larger than himself. On one occasion his opponent
was a 7ft 6in Turkish wrestler; Oakeley forced him to concede using a hold which several other
wrestlers were required to untangle. He was the heavyweight champion of Great Britain from
1930 to 1935, of Europe in 1932 and he returned undefeated from an American tour in 1933.
After he broke his shoulder in 1935, Oakeley turned to wrestling management. Among his stable 
of wrestlers was Gargantua, a 50-stone German with a 90-inch chest, for whom special 
travelling arrangements had to be made with British Rail.
For further reading, see Oakeley's autobiography, Blue Blood on the Mat, published by Stanley
Paul, London in 1971.
Sir Timothy Carew O'Brien, 3rd baronet
Sir Timothy spent much of 1908 and 1909 in court, being the defendant in a slander case 
against him by Alexis Charles Burke Roche, son of Lord Fermoy. In July 1891, Roche had
allegedly sold a horse to Sir Timothy, but the horse proved to be a "broken-winded nag,"
and when Sir Timothy attempted to return the horse, Roche refused to accept it or to
refund the purchase price.
On 17 March 1908, it was alleged that Sir Timothy, while attending a hunt meeting at 
Duballow, rode up to Roche and, in the hearing of a number of other people, used the following
words - "You are a liar, a thief and a swindler. You live by swindling and, to my knowledge,
you have lived by swindling for 20 years." Not surprisingly, Roche sued Sir Timothy for slander,
while Timothy defended the matter on the grounds of justification.
The trial commenced in the Cork Assizes in May 1908 and continued until July, when the jury
was discharged after one of the jurors advised the judge that Sir Timothy had been in direct
communication with him regarding the case, the implication being that such contact was an 
attempt to influence the juror. Sir Timothy was found guilty of contempt of court and fined
£300. He was also ordered to pay all of the costs of the aborted trial.
The first trial was, however, not without one moment of hilarity. One of the witnesses, a
Colonel Williamson, stated in evidence that he was present when Sir Timothy spoke to Roche.
Williamson stated that he rode up to Sir Timothy's horse and "caught hold of his bridle and
gave him a chuck in the mouth, and chucked him back." Sir Timothy's counsel asked whether
he meant the horse or Sir Timothy, to which the witness replied "The horse. Sir Timothy had
no bridle on that day."
The re-trial commenced in June 1909 and, after nine days of sitting, the jury found in favour
of Roche, awarding him however, derisory damages of only £5. Once again, however, Sir
Timothy was forced to pay costs, an amount which left him practically broke.
Sir Timothy was a fine cricketer who played for England in five test matches between 1884
and 1896.
The special remainder to the baronetcy of Wedderburn (later Ogilvy-Wedderburn)
created in 1803
From the "London Gazette" of 16 August 1803 (issue 15612, page 1041):-
'The King has been pleased to grant the Dignity of a Baronet of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland unto David Wedderburn, of Baltindean, in the County of Perth, Esq; and to
the Heirs Male of his Body lawfully begotten, with Remainder to the Heirs Male of the Body of
Sir Alexander Wdderburn, of Blackness, deceased.'
Sir Roger Warin Beaconsfield Onslow, 6th baronet
 
 
Sir Roger was found dead in October 1931 with a gunshot wound in his head at his home at
Hengar, St. Tudy, Cornwall. The subsequent inquest was reported in 'The Scotsman' on 15
October 1931:-
'A verdict of suicide while of unsound mind was returned by the Bodmin coroner at the inquest
yesterday on Sir Roger Onslow, Baronet, who was found shot on Tuesday morning in his 
bedroom at his residence at Hengar, St. Tudy, Cornwall.
'Mr. Richard Onslow, of Hawkstor, Bilsland, told the Coroner that his father had recently worried
over financial matters and over the political situation.
'Gerald Henry Hodge, the butler who discovered the tragedy, said Sir Roger always kept a 22-
bore rifle in his room to shoot rabbits from his bedroom window.
'A doctor said he had attended Sir Roger for many years for neurasthenia and neuritis, which
was accompanied by intense pain.'
Sir Michael Oppenheimer, 2nd baronet
Sir Michael was killed in an air-crash at Baragwanath Airport, near Johannesburg, South
Africa, on 26 September 1933. His death was reported in 'The Times' the following day:-
'Major C. K. Cochran-Patrick, D.S.O.,M.C., a distinguished War-time pilot, and Sir Michael
Oppenheimer, Bt., were killed this morning when their aeroplane crashed at Baragwanath
aerodrome.
'The two men were leaving for Rhodesia in Major Cochran-Patrick's aeroplane, a six-seater
twin-engined De Havilland Dragon, which took off behind an aeroplane bound for Lourenço
Marques. Circling around the aerodrome, Major Cochran-Patrick at 250ft. attempted a
sharp vertical turn in order to wave goodbye to friends. His machine lost speed, and as it
fell the pilot tried to swing around, and crashed with the engines running at full speed. As the
aeroplane struck the ground it burst into flames. Among those who saw the accident was Major
Cochran-Patrick's wife.
Mr. Stanley People, ground engineer for De Havillands, was in the Lourenço Marques aeroplane,
and he landed a hundred yards from the wreck. Realizing he was first on the scene, Mr. People,
protected by goggles and a flying helmet, dashed into the flames and pulled Major Cochran-
Patrick's body clear. Protecting his head with a woman's jumper, he rushed back for the body
of Sir Michael Oppenheimer. Major Cochran-Patrick was killed outright in the crash, but Sir
Michael Oppenheimer tried to crawl out of the machine in a dying condition.
'Major Cochran-Patrick had a distinguished War record in the Royal Flying Corps and was
described by Lord Trenchard as one of the finest flyers on the Western front. He had lately 
been engaged in air survey work.'
Sir Archibald Ernest Orr-Ewing, 3rd baronet  [UK 1886]
Sir Archibald committed suicide whilst on a visit to his nephew. The inquest was reported in "The
Times" on 24 April 1919:-
An inquest on the body of Sir Archibald Orr-Ewing, who was found shot in a plantation near 
Noseley Hall, Leicestershire, where he was visiting his nephew, Sir Arthur Hazlerigg [later 1st
Baron Hazlerigg], was held yesterday.
'The evidence has to the effect that Sir Archibald Orr-Ewing had been ordered a rest, and that
he went to Noseley Hall a week ago from his London residence. While at Noseley he had been
depressed, but there was nothing to suggest that he contemplated suicide. On Monday, after
breakfasting with Sir Arthur Hazlerigg, he went for a walk, and did not return. Next morning he
was found dead in a plantation on the estate. There was a large wound in his head, and a heavy
revolver, fully loaded, with one cartridge discharged was lying near his right hand.
Brigadier-General Norman Orr-Ewing, his eldest son, said his father had served at home during the
war in connection with the National Reserves and Coast Defences. Later he undertook work in
Vickers's munition factory at Erith and other places. He worked hard, carrying shells and coal and
doing other odd jobs. The work was exceptionally hard and affected his health, the result being
that the doctor ordered him a complete change. He was greatly attached to his younger son,
who was killed during the war.
'The jury returned a verdict of "Suicide whilst temporarily insane owing to depression following a
nervous breakdown due to overwork."
Sir William Osler, 1st baronet
Osler (pronounced Oh-sler) has been described as the "Father of Modern Medicine." The
following biography appeared in the April 1958 issue of the Australian monthly magazine
"Parade":-
"He loved his fellow-men and they loved him" wrote one of Sir William Osler's admirers shortly 
after "The Great Physician's" death in 1919. Unconsciously perhaps, the author of that tribute
pointed to the subtle quality in Osler's life that made him one of the most revered disciples of
Hippocrates, in this or any other age. True, Osler did contribute materially to advance mankind's
knowledge of several deadly maladies; and he was a masterly upholder of the noblest tenets of
his craft. But they were not the sole reasons why he left his memory etched so deeply in the
minds of his contemporaries. 
'The secret of Sir William Osler's fame was his warm and human personality; he knew how to 
get on with people, and his very presence was a heartening tonic. Only those in the last throes
of a struggle for life with Death itself could fail to sense a warmth, of vitality, and heightened
well-being as he stood quietly by their bedside or wandered through his wards marking his 
course with skilled advice, kindly words if encouragement, and a rippling wake of merriment. And 
among his subordinates and assistants, Osler inspired a devotion akin to fanaticism. Although he
was free and easy with them his geniality itself commanded respect without any apparent effort
on his part.
 
'Osler was a physician whose whole life work was devoted to clinical work. Not for him the 
clientele of wealthy private patients, the quickly-made fortune and the leisure of society life.
He never took up private practice. He was interested in curing for curing's sake, and spent a 
great part of his time at the bedside of non-paying patients in public hospitals. One medical
officer who was associated with him for several years wrote that Osler had "the greatest 
contempt for the doctor who made financial gain the first object of his work"; and if Osler did
not say as much in words he said it by the code he followed in his professional life.
'In lieu of princely fees he extracted respect and admiration amounting in hundreds of cases to
veneration from his many thousands of patients - concerning his relations with whom many
anecdotes are told. One, typical of many, concerns a young man afflicted with tuberculosis
and worried to distraction over the future of his wife and children. The patient in question wrote
this account of the consultation he had had with Dr. Osler:-
 
"He talked to me a few moments very ardently about a book he had been reading; then he 
stopped abruptly, stood up and, putting his hands in his pockets, looked at me intently and 
said 'You could, of course, dear boy, have an easier time if you went to the mountains, but you
get as much good here if you actually live out of doors, and your heart will be easier about your
wife and kiddies. It will mean a great deal of self-discipline. Try it for a month and then come
back and we will see if we are playing a winning game without too high stakes.' There was not
a week during that trial month that some little gift or note of encouragement from him failed
to reach me." That was written 30 years after the incident - so long endured the kindly 
thoughts of Osler engendered by his own kindliness.
 
'This great physician, whose art was founded in a deep understanding of human nature, was
almost lost to the world at an early age when, as a baby, he was nearly drowned on a pail of
milk on the Canadian farm where he was born. The story goes that on the day one of his 
sisters was born, his distraught father, in order to keep him out of the way, tied him to a tree
next to young calf. A pail of milk was nearby, and young William was fiercely contesting it with
the calf when he fell head first into it. Only the prompt action of his father, who emerged from
the house to see what the calf was bellowing about, saved the future medico from an untimely
end.
  
'Osler was the eighth child and youngest son of Featherstone Lake Osler, a British naval officer
who had given up the sea to spread the Gospel in the hinterland of Canada. At the little
settlement of Tecumseh on July 12, 1849, the future Sir William was born. In 1857, when William
was eight, Canon Featherstone Osler left Tecumseh, where he had lived on the edge of the 
wilderness for nearly 20 years, to settle at Dundas, a little town with a grammar school, to
which young William was sent to be taught "the three R's." [Tecumseh is today a small town
to the east of Windsor, Ontario] Its master patiently endured the boy's exuberant high spirits
for some years, but one evening William arrive home to tell his mother he had been expelled.
 
'The boarding-school at the little town of Barrie was the next step up the scholastic ladder. 
There he made himself extremely unpopular with the teaching-staff by forming a gang of enter-
prising youths who were known far and wide as "Barrie's Bad Boys." Later on he was sent to
Weston, described by one of his biographers as a "provincial Eton," where countless canings
by an apparently humourless headmaster failed to curb his natural high spirits.
 
'While at Weston Osler achieved the doubtful distinction of being arrested and put in gaol for
"assault and battery." There was no love lost between him and the dour school matron, a
jaundiced female who considered all boys to be spawned of the devil. One day she upset a 
bucket of slops over one of the students on the staircase, and Osler and his pals determined 
upon revenge. That evening after the matron had retired to her sitting-room, Osler and nine 
companions prepared a mixture of molasses, pepper and mustard and put it on a stove in a room
beneath her sitting-room. When the mixture boiled, foul-smelling fumes poured up through the
ceiling into the matron's lounge. Half-suffocated and "all of a dither," the woman stuffed the
hole through which the evil fumes were pouring with bits of cloth. The boys underneath 
promptly pushed them out with sticks. The matron began to scream wildly for help, and before
the boys could get away the headmaster was upon them. He whisked them off to his room and
gave them all a good hiding. But the story did not end there. The outraged matron complained
to the police with such vehemence that they issued a warrant against the ten culprits and
arrested them. They spent the next three days in gaol, and when they appeared before the
magistrate in Toronto, William's older brother, Featherstone Osler, a rising young barrister, 
undertook their defence.  They were finally all let off with a fine of one dollar and a reprimand
from the Bench. 
 
'While at Weston, Osler made the acquaintance of two men who were to have a profound 
influence on his life. They were his class teacher, "Father" Johnston, a Protestant clergyman
who was warden of the college, and Dr. James Lovell, a medical practitioner from nearby 
Toronto. The two men were both ardent naturalists and young Osler came to accompany them
on their explorations through the woodlands of Weston in search of unusual biological specimens
buried prehistoric remains.
 
'Under the influence of these two men his mind turned towards medicine, and after studying in a
desultory fashion for an arts degree, he began his medical studies at Toronto in 1868. Dr, Lovell
was Osler's early instructor, and teacher and pupil became one in their passionate interest in
research. Dr. Lovell's granddaughter wrote that "Osler literally lived in our house. He adored 
grandfather, and the latter loved him like a son. Mother says her life was a perfect burden to
her with parcels arriving which might contain a rattlesnake, a few frogs, toads, or dormice. She
found quite a large snake meandering through the study one afternoon, and when she 
protested violently the two told her she should not have been there!"
'Osler was a tireless research worker, probing and experimenting all the time, and the main
recollection of his fellow-workers is "that he was always dissecting." He spent every spare hour
in the dissecting-room, cutting up and examining cadavers. 
'In 1870, shortly after Dr. Lovell's departure to the West Indies, Osler left Toronto to study at
McGill University, Montreal, the leading medical school in Canada. He remained there two years,
getting practical experience in medicine, working at various times as clerk, dresser, and nurse at
Montreal Hospital, then "an old coccus [a form of bacteria] and rat ridden building." In 1872 he
left for Europe to spend the next two years studying at foreign universities and in widening his
experience in all spheres of medicine and surgery. During his two years in Europe he studied in
Britain, France, Germany and Austria. 
'Shortly after his return to Canada he was appointed lecturer at McGill University. He also
worked for a small salary in the smallpox ward of the Montreal General Hospital, and when a 
special hospital was built in 1876 for smallpox cases, Dr. Osler, now enjoying a growing fame as 
a research worker, was immediately appointed pathologist. It was now that he laid the 
foundation of his career as a great clinician. His clear vision, his quick grasp of a situation, his 
simple and unaffected manner, his obvious sincerity, and his professional honesty won him 
considerable fame in medical circles not only in Canada but also in the United States, and in 
1884 he was offered. and accepted the Professorship of Clinical Medicine at the University of
Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. 
'He was also given an appointment at the local hospital, and soon became one of the most 
popular, as well as one of the professionally most respected doctors in the city. His patience
with the really ailing was inexhaustible, but he had very little patience with people suffering
from imaginary diseases who wasted his time. One woman who visited him he immediately 
summed up as a fraud. "I just can't sleep," she complained. "I keep twitching and jerking my 
feet and my hands fly out of the covers and all the fingers go like spiders and my toes curl up.
"I hope your husband sleeps in another bed," said Osler, with a twinkle in his eyes. "I shall not
discuss that with you. My husband loves me," the woman indignantly replied. "Poor devil," the
doctor sighed, just loud enough for the angry woman to hear.
In 1889 Dr. Osler left Philadelphia to take up an appointment at the then recently founded Johns
Hopkins University and its adjoining hospital in Baltimore. His term there was marked by two 
two events of outstanding importance in his life. One was the publication of his "Practice of
Medicine," the most important book on medical practice that had been written up to that time;
and the other was his marriage to the widow of one of his professional colleagues, Mrs. Grace
Linze Gross. Before her marriage she had been a Miss Revere, and she was a great grand-
daughter of Paul Revere, hero of the American Revolution. In 1893 their first son was born, but
to his parents' great sorrow the little fellow lived only a week. The next child - also a boy- was
born some two years later, and in honour of his patriot ancestor he was christened Revere - 
although his father, who was British to the core, took him promptly to the British Consulate to
have him registered as a British subject. 
 
In spite of his honoured and exalted position in the medical world Dr. Osler retained throughout 
his life the spirit of rollicking jollity which had marked his boyhood and youth. Even his wife was
not spared from his passion for "pulling legs" and cracking jokes. One day he burst excitedly into 
the house and announced to his wife that a mutual friend of theirs was expecting a child. 
"That's terrible. Why, she's over 50," replied Mrs. Osler worriedly; and in a flurry of bonnets and 
coats she rushed to Mrs. X's house to find her friend "all joy and unconfined." The story was a 
complete fabrication, one of the whimsical Osler jokes. On another occasion he invited a well-
known physician to lunch. Throughout the whole meal this physician and Mrs. Osler shouted to 
one another at the top of their voices. Dr. Osler had told his wife that the visiting medico was
as deaf as a post and could not hear a word unless she shouted loudly, and to the physician he
had said that his wife was very deaf and could not hear unless she was shouted at.
 
'But these humorous interludes were only occasional diversions from the seriousness with which 
he pursued his medical activities. He published several volumes on chorea, on cancer, on angina
pectoris, and made notes on a great variety of pathological conditions that he had observed in
his clinical work. He travelled extensively in Europe and North America, lecturing and studying,
and became as famous on one side of the Atlantic as he was on the other. He gave himself and
everything that was his to his work. When in 1904 the Hospital at Baltimore lost about $400,000
through a fire, he wrote to the President of the Hospital Board offering to place his salary for 10
years at the disposal of the trustees. His offer was not made use of, as the American millionaire
oil baron and philanthropist, John D. Rockefeller, came to the rescue with a cheque.
'That same year Osler received a letter from the authorities at Oxford University offering him the
position of Regius Professor of Medicine. The pressure of work in Baltimore was breaking down 
his health, for his consultations at the hospital were greater than any private practice, and he 
gladly accepted the offer. A few months later he took up his residence in the dignified old 
English University town, in the country which was to be his home until his death. He visited
America and Canada frequently, but although he received many offers from universities of 
appointments there, he chose to remain at Oxford. In 1911 he was created a baronet, and 
thereafter he sometimes jokingly signed himself in his letters to friends as "Sir Billy."
'In 1913 he paid a visit to America to lecture at various universities and hospitals. This was to 
be his last, for the following year the Great War broke out. Though aging now, he gave his 
services without stint throughout the great conflict. He saw the most terrible examples of man's 
inhumanity to man, but there was no room in his own heart for hatred, and when, after the 
Germans first used gas in Flanders, and the British public angrily demanded reprisals, he wrote
the following characteristic letter to the Press:- 
"The cry for reprisals illustrates the exquisitely hellish state of mind into which war plunges
sensible men. I refuse to believe that as a nation, howsoever bitter the provocation, we shall
stain our hands in the blood of the innocents. In this matter let us be free from blood-guiltiness,
and let not the undying reproach of humanity rest on us as on the Germans."
'The death of his only child, Revere, in action in 1917 crushed him completely. In 1919 he fell ill
with pneumonia, at his age a particularly dangerous ailment. He knew it was the end, but with
scientific detachment he recorded and charted every progression of the disease, as though he
were his own patient. On December 29 he died peacefully in his bed, leaving behind him the
record of a life selflessly devoted to humanity.'
 
 
Sir James Outram, 1st baronet
The following biography of Sir James Outram appeared in the January 1956 edition of the
monthly Australian magazine "Parade":-
   
'In the early 1820s a reign of terror enveloped the central lands of India to the south of the
Aravalli Hills of Rajputana. Night was turned into day by the glare of burning villages, and the 
roads were littered with corpses. Over an area of several thousand square miles the country
was being rapidly depopulated by a hit-and-run campaign of robbery and murder conducted by
a numerically small but particularly vicious tribe of hill people known as the Bhils, or Bowmen.
Small, but powerful and active with astonishing powers of endurance, the Bhils were masters of
all the crafts of guerrilla warfare, hunting having been their main means of subsistence for 
centuries. Knowing every contour of the wild country they raided like the palms of their hands, 
they came down from their hills by night, armed with axes and bows, and with the stealthiness
of panthers, struck where least expected against their enemies the Marathas, vanishing back
into the hills before dawn, leaving a trail of carnage and destruction behind.
 
'For years the British administration in Bombay had sought in vain to halt their depredations. In
1825, admitting at last the futility of trying to check the Bhils by force, it was decided to try
different methods - to enlist their martial spirit in the service of the Raj. It was a difficult 
project, for no Britisher had as yet penetrated the innermost fastness of their mountain
jungles. Accordingly, no one envied a young, 22-years-old adjutant, James Outram, when he 
was chosen to lead a small force into the heart of the Bhil country, to enjoin an end to their
raids of plunder, rape and slaughter, and to recruit, if he could, a regiment of them into the
service of the Crown. 
'Outram, a native of Derbyshire, had come out to India five years before as a cadet and had 
been posted to service in Poona. His main claim to distinction up to this time was that he had
contracted practically every ailment to which Britishers in India were prone. But in spite of his
frequent bouts of sickness, he had shown enterprise and energy that had gained his elevation
to adjutant's rank before he was 18; and though he was to have to continue the fight against 
ill-health for the rest of his life, his assignment against the Bhils was to be the beginning of a
remarkable military career that was to gain him the title of "The Bayard of India." "A fox is a
fool, and a lion a coward by the side of Sir James Outram," it was later said of him midway
through his career when a series of outstanding feats of courage and military craft had gained
him a knighthood.
'Before tackling the Bhils Outram, characteristically, made a thorough study of their history. He
found that although the tribesmen had been branded as outlaws, they had once been a 
comparatively peaceful nation. Persecution by the Marathas and the arrogant attitude of 
certain government officials, he decided, had stung them into their present hostility. Outram's
first attempt to establish peaceful contact with the Bhil tribal chiefs failed completely. The
savages withdrew to their jungle hideouts at his approach, and the only answer his messengers
received were volleys of arrows. 
'Meanwhile, their raidings continued. Finally, he decided there was no hope of getting them to
talk peace until they had been given a taste of their own medicine, so he resolved to turn the
tables by making a raiding foray into Bhil country. He had only 30 men at his command, to 
match against that many hundreds; but at the head of this ridiculous force he led a night 
assault on the mountain men's strongholds. He knew he had no chance of penetrating their
outposts by stealth, so he ordered his men, as they wound their way through the dense jungle,
to create as much din as they could, by firing off their muskets, banging drums and blowing
bugles.
'The ruse succeeded as Outram had planned. Convinced that an entire British corps was upon
them, the Bhils abandoned their caves and fled into the hills in total disorder. Casualties among
Outram's troops numbered less than a dozen. In a series of sorties that dealt the hill robbers a
salutary lesson, Outram then renewed his overtures of peace. Slowly and hesitatingly, a few of
the tribal chiefs came down from the hills to meet their "conqueror." They found a handsome,
unassuming young Englishman, who treated them with a charm and courtesy they had never
before experienced. The chiefs were even more impressed when they discovered that Outram 
was well informed of, and sympathised with, their numerous grievances, and asked to be 
allowed to live among them as a guest to learn more of their problems. On receiving some vague
assurances, he dismissed his entire force; and when the chiefs returned to the hills, Outram
went with them - alone. 
'Courage was the one quality the Bhils admired above all others, even in their enemies, and the 
way Outram came to live among them marked him in their eyes as a man of singular courage. 
For almost a year young Outram lived among them, on the same food, under the same primitive
conditions, studying their ways and wants, their mode of life, religious beliefs, and customs.
Next to courage, skill in hunting was the quality in a man they admired most, and he drove his
none too robust constitution to breaking point in hiking over miles of rugged terrain until he was
as skilled in hunting and bush craft as the best of them - a fact that they acknowledged by
dubbing him the "Tiger­killer."
'By his qualities as a man and his scrupulous regard for their customs and appreciation of their
grievances, Outram won the complete confidence of the Bhil chieftains. His triumph cost him the
permanent ruin of his health through jungle fevers and skin diseases, but he won them over to
keeping the peace, and began to recruit among them one of the few native forces destined to
remain loyal to the British Raj in the later mutiny in India. He set out to build up his Bhil force by
drilling and equipping about 150 prisoners he had captured in his campaign of bluff in the jungle
  and bringing them into the Bhil country. The smart bearing and attractive appearance of the
uniformed tribesmen impressed the young tribal warriors, and many flocked to join the new unit.
 
'By early 1827 Outram had raised and trained a complete light infantry corps of Bhils. The unit
received its baptism of fire the same year on a punitive campaign against some of its fellow
tribesmen who had returned to the old ways of robbery and plunder. The corps fought with 
such courage and faultless discipline that it attracted the attention of the Bombay Government,
and from then on, Outram and his Bhil troops were used against any of the hill people breaking
the peace. Though he could never get his tongue around the native dialects, Outram gained
a personal influence over the wild hill people that his colleagues in Bombay described as 
"marvellous." This was but the beginning, however, of a career that went from triumph to
triumph. 
 
'Into the remainder of his life Outram crammed enough glory and danger to satisfy half a dozen
soldiers of fortune. He fought in the first and second Afghan wars, and was engaged in 
innumerable exploits around India's north-west frontier. His part in the capture of Kabul, capital
of Afghanistan, alone was a military epic crammed with courageous adventure. Outram did a
good deal of his reconnaissance work alone, disguised as an Afghan "pir" or friar. On one of
these lone patrols he met an escorted group of ladies from the Afghan Khan's harem who were
fleeing from the advancing British troops. "Seeing my religious get-up," he relates, "the ladies
began to unburden their troubles on me. At least I think they did, for though I listened
sympathetically and nodded my head at intervals I could not understand a single word of what
they were saying." 
 
'Outram found time in the intervals between his almost ceaseless campaigning to write a number
of newspaper articles demanding better conditions and more considerate treatment for the
Indian native soldiers, or sepoys. These articles brought him into conflict with the army 
command. The "brass hats" in Bombay looked upon any sort of reform measures in the army as
"mollycoddling" and opposed Outram at every turn. As a consequence his promotion was 
retarded, and he was still only a major in 1839 when he was attached to the command of Sir
Charles Napier in Sind. 
 
Nevertheless, when he had anything to say, he said it, without fear or favour, even to the point
of criticising Sir Charles' policy that led to war in Sind. Yet, during the fighting he heroically and
brilliantly defended the residency at Hyderabad with a small force against attack by some 8,000
Baluchis; and afterwards it was Sir Charles who dubbed him the Bayard of India. Subsequently,
Outram's outspoken exposure of corruption in Government administration in Baroda again 
brought him into disfavour with the Bombay authorities, and strings were pulled to secure his 
dismissal. But his military prowess had to be admitted even by his enemies, and he went on to 
become resident at Lucknow, and to annex the province of Oudh to the British crown.
'At 54 he added to his triumphs in India by leading a victorious expedition against Persia. It was
a lightning war, and within six months he was back in India in answer to the call, "We want all
our best men here." What he long feared and warned against had happened. The sepoys had
revolted at last against continual bad treatment; the great Indian Mutiny was on. His first task
to relieve General Havelock, penned in at Cawnpore by an overwhelming force of mutineers.
 
'At the head of two divisions of Bengalis, Outram battered his way through the besiegers and
relieved Havelock in the nick of time. In admiration of the brilliant deeds of General Havelock, he
placed himself under his command, and as leader of a force of cavalry performed miracles of
valour in the subsequent advance to the relief of Lucknow. During the campaign his men united
in recommending that he be awarded the Victoria Cross; but he refused it on the ground that
those who recommended it were under his command. The mutiny subdued, however, the Home
Government bestowed on him the special thanks of both houses of Parliament, the dignity of a
baronetcy, and a pension of £1000 a year. 
 
'Two years later, in 1860, his shattered health finally broke altogether, and he was forced to
relinquish his command and return home. Before he died three years later public testimonials
had erected statues to his honour in London and Calcutta, and he had the satisfaction of
seeing repaired most of the evils and injustices under which native troops in the Indian Army
had long suffered, and against which he had ceaselessly campaigned.'
 
 
Copyright @ 2003-2018  Leigh Rayment