Dorothy Osborne (1) (1627–1695)

Dorothy Osborne Temple is famous for the letters she wrote to her future husband, Sir William Temple, 1st Baronet, during their courtship, which began in 1647. She was the youngest of 10 children born to Sir Peter Osborne, Lieutenant-Governor of the Isle of Guernsey under King Charles I, and his wife Dorothy Danvers. She was born at Chicksands Priory in Bedfordshire, later to be the home of another famous letter writer, her great-nephew's wife Sarah Byng Osborn. In 1654, after refusing a string of suitors put forward by her family, and overcoming all objections, Dorothy finally married Sir William. They had 9 children, of whom only 2 survived infancy. She accompanied her husband on his postings as a diplomat to Brussels and The Hague. She was a friend of both Princess Mary of England and Prince William of Orange (later Queen Mary II and King William III) and was an important figure in their marriage negotiations. She made the family home at Moor Park, Surrey, a gathering place for court and government officials. Only her side of their correspondence has survived. The letters, written in a witty, conversational style, provide a valuable portrait for scholars and historians of the life of an upper-class young woman in mid-17th century England. They have been reprinted numerous times since their initial publication in 1888.