Osborne Peasgood

The ashes of Osborne Peasgood and his wife are buried in the west cloister of Westminster Abbey. He was Sub-Organist of the Abbey and when Sir Ernest Bullock, Organist, left in 1941 Osborne (or Ossie as he was affectionately known) acted as the Abbey Organist until the newly appointed organist, William McKie, returned from war service in 1946. The inscription on the grave reads:

Osborne Harold Peasgood C.V.O. D.Mus, Sub-Organist 1924-1941 and 1946-1962, Acting Organist 1941-1946. Died 25 January 1962 aged 59 years. Also Dora his wife died 1968

He was a son of Robert and Laura Peasgood and was born on 5th March 1902 in London. He was educated at Kilburn grammar school and the Royal College of Music (where he was later a professor). In 1936 he became Doctor of Music and did some teaching at Reading university.

During his time at the Abbey he played the organ at the 1937 and 1953 coronations and at the wedding of Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) in 1947. During the war he was an Air Raid Warden described as 6 feet 1 inch in height, blue eyes, dark brown hair.

His wife was Dora Livesey. Their daughter Anna Gillian was baptised in the Abbey in 1939 and married Douglas Ramsey there in 1968. At his death one of the Abbey clergy recalled that he was loved by everyone, was also an engineer, a fisherman, a good tennis and golf player, with a deafening laugh. A wafer box for use at services in the Lady Chapel was given in his memory by George and Mary Woodward.