Duke of Somerset
Encyclopedia
Duke of Somerset is a title in the peerage of England that has been created several times. Derived from Somerset
, it is particularly associated with two families; the Beauforts who held the title from the creation of 1448 and the Seymours, from the creation of 1547 and in whose name the title is still held.
The only subsidiary title of the Duke of Somerset is Baron Seymour, which is used as a courtesy title for the eldest son and heir of the Duke. The Duke of Somerset's heir's courtesy title is the lowest in rank of all heirs to Dukedoms in the peerages of the British Isles, yet a Lord Seymour's precendence
is higher than his title suggests, by virtue of the seniority of the Dukedom of Somerset (the 4th oldest extant Dukedom).
Several other titles have been held by the Duke of Somerset, but have become extinct. These include: Earl of Kendal (created 1443; extinct 1444), Viscount Rochester (created 1611; extinct 1645), Viscount Beauchamp of Hache (created 1536; forfeit 1552), Earl of Hertford (created 1537; extinct 1552 and created 1559; extinct 1750), Marquess of Hertford
(created 1640; extinct 1675), Baron Seymour of Trowbridge (created 1641; extinct 1750), Baron Percy
(created 1722; separated 1750), Baron Cockermouth (created 1749; separated 1750), Earl of Egremont
(created 1749; separated 1750), and Earl St. Maur (created 1863; extinct 1885).
The ducal seat is Bradley House (Wiltshire)
in Maiden Bradley with Yarnfield, Wiltshire
, with a secondary estate at Berry Pomeroy Castle
, Totnes
, Devon
.
and a loyal supporter of her in the war against King Stephen (during which he earned the epithet of the "Scourge of the West") was given the title Earl of Somerset, in 1141. In the foundation charter of the priory at Bruton he describes himself as "Willielmus de Moyne, comes
Somersetensis". The title was not recognised by Stephen or Henry II
(Matilda's son), and his descendants did not use the title.
(1371/1373–1410) was the eldest son from John of Gaunt's marriage to Katherine Swynford
. He was created Earl of Somerset on 10 February 1397 and on 9 September 1397 he was created Marquess of Somerset following his marriage to Margaret de Holand, daughter of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent
was created Marquess of Dorset on 29 September 1397. In 1399 upon the accession of Henry IV
his marquessates were revoked.
The Commons
petitioned the King for his restoration but he himself objected stating "the name of marquess is a strange name in this realm". He was succeeded as Earl of Somerset by his son Henry Beaufort
(1401–1418), but his early death left the title to his brother John Beaufort
(1404–1444). He was created Duke of Somerset and Earl of Kendal on 28 August 1443. He died on 27 May 1444, possibly through suicide. The dukedom and the Earldom of Kendal became extinct.
The Earldom of Somerset passed to his brother Edmund Beaufort
, Count of Mortain (c.1406–1455). Edmund had been created Earl of Dorset on 18 August 1442 and Marquess of Dorset on 24 June 1443. He was created Duke of Somerset under a new creation on 31 March 1448. However he is usually referred to as the 2nd Duke of Somerset.
The 2nd duke was killed at the First Battle of St Albans
on 22 May 1455 and his titles passed to his son Henry Beaufort
(1436–1464) who had been known as the Earl of Dorset since his father's creation as Duke of Somerset. After the defeat at the battle of Towton
on 29 March 1461 he fled to Scotland
and was attained on 4 November 1461. All his honours and estates were declared forfeit. His titles were restored to him on 10 March 1463 but he deserted the King and was captured and beheaded after the battle of Hexham
on 15 May 1464.
He was unmarried but his illegitimate son Charles Somerset
became the 1st Earl of Worcester
. Henry's titles were forfeited by act of parliament; but his brother Edmund Beaufort
(c.1439–1471) was styled Duke of Somerset by the Lancastrian
s. After the Battle of Tewkesbury
on 4 May 1471 he fled and took refuge in Tewkesbury Abbey
. He was beheaded by the Yorkists, and buried in the abbey church. Upon his death the house of Beaufort became extinct in the legitimate line.
nominated his infant son Edmund to the dukedom of Somerset at his baptism, but the child, just over a year old when he died, was probably never formally created a peer.
The illegitimate son of Henry VIII
, Henry Fitzroy
(1519–1536) was created Earl of Nottingham
, and Duke of Richmond
and Somerset on 18 June 1525. He died without heirs on July 22, 1536 so his titles became extinct.
Robert Carr (c.1590–1645) son of Sir Thomas Ker of Ferniehurst, became a favourite
of King James I
. On 25 March 1611 he was created Viscount Rochester, and subsequently a privy council
lor. On the death of Lord Salisbury
in 1612 he began to act as the king’s secretary. On the 3 November 1613 he was created Earl of Somerset. He died in July 1645, leaving a daughter, Anne. His titles became extinct.
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
(c.1506–1552), brother of Henry VIII
's wife Jane Seymour
, became Lord Protector
of England during Minority
between 1547 and 1549. Edward married twice; he divorced his first wife Catherine Fillol (disowning her and her children) around 1535 and married Anne Stanhope
who bore him nine children. He was created Viscount Beauchamp of Hache in 1536 and Earl of Hertford in 1537. In 1547 he made himself Duke of Somerset. His position as Lord Protector was usurped by John Dudley, Earl of Warwick (later Duke of Northumberland
). His titles were forfeited and he was beheaded on 22 January 1552. He had bought Berry Pomeroy Castle
from Sir Thomas Pomeroy, in 1547, although he probably never visited it.
In 1644 Charles I
granted the earldom of Glamorgan to Edward Somerset
(1613–1667). He was a descendant of Charles Somerset, the illegitimate son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset. In return for obtaining military help from Ireland
he promised Edward the title of Duke of Somerset. Under the Commonwealth
Edward was banished from England and his estates were seized. At the Restoration
his estates were restored, and he claimed the dukedom of Somerset as promised to him by Charles I. The claim was rejected by the House of Lords
and so was the title of Earl of Glamorgan.
Edward Seymour
(1538–1621) was a son of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, from his second marriage. He had been created Earl of Hertford, in 1559 under Elizabeth
. The Earl of Hertford's grandson William Seymour
(1588—1660) secretly married Lady Arabella Stuart (1575–1615) on 22 June 1610. She was the niece of Lord Darnley
, a cousin of James I and next in succession to both Scottish and English thrones. Both William and Arabella were imprisoned but managed to escape. William fled to Paris
, but Arabella was recaptured. She was imprisoned in the Tower of London
where she died in 1615. William returned to England shortly after her death and inherited his father's titles in 1621. He was made Marquess of Hertford
in 1640 and on 13 September 1660, shortly before his death on 24 October, the title of Duke of Somerset was restored to him and the Seymour family. He had outlived his three eldest sons and the dukedom passed to William Seymour
(1654–1671) who was the son of Henry Seymour, Lord Beauchamp
(1626–1654), the 2nd duke's third son. The 3rd duke died unmarried and the title passed to John Seymour
(bef. 1646–1675) the last surviving son of the 2nd Duke. On his death without issue in 29 April 1675 the marquessate of Hertford became extinct. His cousin Francis Seymour, 3rd Baron Seymour of Trowbridge
(1658–1678) became 5th Duke of Somerset. Francis was the eldest surviving son of Charles Seymour
(1621–1665), whose father Sir Francis Seymour
(c. 1590–1664), a younger brother of the 2nd Duke of Somerset, had been created Baron Seymour of Trowbridge in 1641.
When the 5th Duke died unmarried in 1678, the title passed to his brother, Charles Seymour
(1662–1748), youngest son of the 2nd Baron Trowbridge. The 6th Duke, was known as "the Proud Duke", was a favourite of Queen Anne. He first married Lady Elizabeth Percy
, daughter of Joceline Percy, 11th Earl of Northumberland
(1644–1670). She died in 1722 and in 1725 he married Lady Charlotte Finch (1711–1773), daughter of Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham
. The 6th duke died 2 December 1748, at Petworth House
, Sussex
at age 86 leaving the title to his son from his first marriage Algernon Seymour
(1684–1750).
Algernon had been created Baron Percy in 1722. After succeeding his father as 7th Duke of Somerset he was created Earl of Northumberland in 1749. The Earldom of Northumberland having become extinct with the passing of his maternal grandfather in 1670. The remainder of the earldom was to pass to Sir Hugh Smithson
, husband of Algernon's daughter Elizabeth Seymour (bef. 1730–1776), whilst the titles Baron Cockermouth and Earl of Egremont were remaindered to the children of his sister, Lady Catherine Seymour (1693–1731). Without male issue, on his death in February 1750 these titles therefore passed to different families in accordance with the remainders in the patents of their creation. The earldom of Hertford, the barony of Beauchamp, and the barony of Seymour of Trowbridge became extinct; and the dukedom of Somerset, together with the barony of Seymour, devolved on his distant cousin.
Sir Edward Seymour, 6th baronet of Berry Pomeroy
(1701–1757) became the 8th Duke of Somerset in 1750. The 1st baronet was Edward Seymour (1556–1613) grandson of the 1st Duke of Somerset, son of Edward Seymour (1527/1535–1593) who was the 1st duke's eldest son from his first marriage to Catherine Fillol. The 6th baronet was thus 7 generations removed from the 1st Duke. The 4th Baronet had been speaker of the House of Commons
during the reign of Charles II
and he moved the family home from Berry Pomeroy Castle
in Devon to Bradley House in Maiden Bradley
. Upon the death of the 8th duke he was succeeded by his eldest son Edward Seymour
(1717–1792). He died unmarried and was succeeded by his brother Webb Seymour
(1718–1793) who became the 10th Duke. His son Edward Adolphus Seymour (1775–1855) was a noted mathematician and became the 11th Duke upon his father's death. He changed the family name to St. Maur but Seymour was still very often used.
The 11th duke was succeeded by his eldest son Edward Adolphus Seymour (1804–1885) who was created Earl St. Maur of Berry Pomeroy in 1863. His eldest son Edward Adolphus Ferdinand Seymour
(1835–1869) was known as Lord Seymour until 1863 when he took his father's new creation as a courtesy title. Commonly known as Ferdy, he was an adventurer who joined Garibaldi
's army under the assumed name of Capt. Richard Sarsfield. In 1866 he began a relationship with a 17-year-old maid called Rosina Swan. The Earl took Rosina with him during his travels, returning to England with her in 1868 to live near Brighton
. Ferdy and Rosina had two children; a girl named Ruth (1867–1953) was born whilst the couple were in Tangier
and a boy named Richard Harold St. Maur (1869–1927) was born in Brighton shortly before the death of his father. Had the earl married Rosina, Harold would have been the heir to his grandfather's dukedom and for this reason Harold tried to find proof that the couple had married whilst they were living in the Netherlands, offering reward of £50 for evidence to support the claim, but was unsuccessful.
The 12th Duke died on 28 December 1885 aged 81 outliving both of his sons and the title passed to his aged unmarried brother Archibald Henry Algernon Seymour (1810–1891), when he died a few years later, the youngest brother Algernon Percy Banks St. Maur (1813–1894) became the 14th Duke. Three and a half years later he was dead. His son Algernon Seymour
(1846–1923) became the 15th Duke. He died without children and the title passed to his distant cousin Edward Hamilton Seymour (1860–1931). He was the great great grandson of Francis Seymour, Dean of Wells (1726–1799), youngest son of the 8th duke. He was succeeded by his son Evelyn Francis Seymour (1882–1954) who passed the title on to his son Percy Hamilton Seymour (1910–1984). The title is currently held by his son John Michael Edward Seymour who was born in 1952. The current heir to the title is Sebastian Seymour, Lord Seymour who was born in 1982.
The heir apparent
is the present holder's eldest son Sebastian Seymour, Lord Seymour (b. 1982).
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, it is particularly associated with two families; the Beauforts who held the title from the creation of 1448 and the Seymours, from the creation of 1547 and in whose name the title is still held.
The only subsidiary title of the Duke of Somerset is Baron Seymour, which is used as a courtesy title for the eldest son and heir of the Duke. The Duke of Somerset's heir's courtesy title is the lowest in rank of all heirs to Dukedoms in the peerages of the British Isles, yet a Lord Seymour's precendence
Order of precedence
An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance of items. Most often it is used in the context of people by many organizations and governments...
is higher than his title suggests, by virtue of the seniority of the Dukedom of Somerset (the 4th oldest extant Dukedom).
Several other titles have been held by the Duke of Somerset, but have become extinct. These include: Earl of Kendal (created 1443; extinct 1444), Viscount Rochester (created 1611; extinct 1645), Viscount Beauchamp of Hache (created 1536; forfeit 1552), Earl of Hertford (created 1537; extinct 1552 and created 1559; extinct 1750), Marquess of Hertford
Marquess of Hertford
The titles of Earl of Hertford and Marquess of Hertford have been created several times in the peerages of England and Great Britain.The third Earldom of Hertford was created in 1559 for Edward Seymour, who was simultaneously created Baron Beauchamp of Hache...
(created 1640; extinct 1675), Baron Seymour of Trowbridge (created 1641; extinct 1750), Baron Percy
Baron Percy
The title Baron Percy has been created several times in the Peerage of England. The first, in 1066 a Feudal Barony rather than a peerage, became extinct in 1299. The second, in 1299, became extinct in 1517. The third, in 1557, became extinct in 1670. The present creation was in 1722, by writ of...
(created 1722; separated 1750), Baron Cockermouth (created 1749; separated 1750), Earl of Egremont
Earl of Egremont
Earls of Egremont was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1749, along with the subsidiary title of Baron Cockermouth, for Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset, with remainder to his nephews Sir Charles Wyndham, 4th Baronet, of Orchard Wyndham, and Percy Wyndham-O’Brien...
(created 1749; separated 1750), and Earl St. Maur (created 1863; extinct 1885).
The ducal seat is Bradley House (Wiltshire)
Bradley House (Wiltshire)
Bradley House or Maiden Bradley House is a country house in Maiden Bradley with Yarnfield, Wiltshire.Around 1688 Sir Edward Seymour, 4th Baronet deserted his family home at Berry Pomeroy Castle in Devon and used the money derived from stripping that castle to fund improvements to a new house at...
in Maiden Bradley with Yarnfield, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, with a secondary estate at Berry Pomeroy Castle
Berry Pomeroy Castle
Berry Pomeroy Castle, a Tudor mansion within the walls of an earlier castle, is near the village of Berry Pomeroy, in South Devon, England. It was built in the late 15th century by the Pomeroy family which had held the land since the 11th century. By 1547 the family was in financial difficulties...
, Totnes
Totnes
Totnes is a market town and civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
.
Creation of Empress Matilda
William de Mohun of Dunster (?–c. 1155) a favourite of Empress MatildaEmpress Matilda
Empress Matilda , also known as Matilda of England or Maude, was the daughter and heir of King Henry I of England. Matilda and her younger brother, William Adelin, were the only legitimate children of King Henry to survive to adulthood...
and a loyal supporter of her in the war against King Stephen (during which he earned the epithet of the "Scourge of the West") was given the title Earl of Somerset, in 1141. In the foundation charter of the priory at Bruton he describes himself as "Willielmus de Moyne, comes
Comes
Comes , plural comites , is the Latin word for companion, either individually or as a member of a collective known as comitatus, especially the suite of a magnate, in some cases large and/or formal enough to have a specific name, such as a cohors amicorum. The word comes derives from com- "with" +...
Somersetensis". The title was not recognised by Stephen or Henry II
Henry II of England
Henry II ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry, the great-grandson of William the Conqueror, was the...
(Matilda's son), and his descendants did not use the title.
Beaufort creation
John BeaufortJohn Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset
John Beaufort, 1st Marquess of Somerset and 1st Marquess of Dorset, later only 1st Earl of Somerset, KG was the first of the four illegitimate children of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, and his mistress Katherine Swynford, later his wife...
(1371/1373–1410) was the eldest son from John of Gaunt's marriage to Katherine Swynford
Katherine Swynford
Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster , née Roet , was the daughter of Sir Payne Roet , originally a Flemish herald from County of Hainaut, later...
. He was created Earl of Somerset on 10 February 1397 and on 9 September 1397 he was created Marquess of Somerset following his marriage to Margaret de Holand, daughter of Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent
Thomas Holland, 2nd Earl of Kent
Thomas Holland , 2nd Earl of Kent, 3rd Baron Holand KG was an English nobleman and a councillor of his half-brother, King Richard II of England.-Family and early Life:...
was created Marquess of Dorset on 29 September 1397. In 1399 upon the accession of Henry IV
Henry IV of England
Henry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
his marquessates were revoked.
The Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
petitioned the King for his restoration but he himself objected stating "the name of marquess is a strange name in this realm". He was succeeded as Earl of Somerset by his son Henry Beaufort
Henry Beaufort, 2nd Earl of Somerset
Henry Beaufort, 2nd Earl of Somerset was the eldest son of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, and the grandson of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster and Katherine Swynford....
(1401–1418), but his early death left the title to his brother John Beaufort
John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset
John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, KG was an English noble and military commander.-Family:Baptised on 25 March 1404, he was the second son of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset and Margaret Holland, and succeeded his elder brother Henry Beaufort, 2nd Earl of Somerset to become the 3rd Earl of...
(1404–1444). He was created Duke of Somerset and Earl of Kendal on 28 August 1443. He died on 27 May 1444, possibly through suicide. The dukedom and the Earldom of Kendal became extinct.
The Earldom of Somerset passed to his brother Edmund Beaufort
Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset
Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, KG , sometimes styled 1st Duke of Somerset, was an English nobleman and an important figure in the Wars of the Roses and in the Hundred Years' War...
, Count of Mortain (c.1406–1455). Edmund had been created Earl of Dorset on 18 August 1442 and Marquess of Dorset on 24 June 1443. He was created Duke of Somerset under a new creation on 31 March 1448. However he is usually referred to as the 2nd Duke of Somerset.
The 2nd duke was killed at the First Battle of St Albans
First Battle of St Albans
The First Battle of St Albans, fought on 22 May 1455 at St Albans, 22 miles north of London, traditionally marks the beginning of the Wars of the Roses. Richard, Duke of York and his ally, Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, defeated the Lancastrians under Edmund, Duke of Somerset, who was killed...
on 22 May 1455 and his titles passed to his son Henry Beaufort
Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset
Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset was an important Lancastrian military commander during the English Wars of the Roses. He is sometimes numbered the 2nd Duke of Somerset, since the title was re-created for his father after his uncle died...
(1436–1464) who had been known as the Earl of Dorset since his father's creation as Duke of Somerset. After the defeat at the battle of Towton
Battle of Towton
In 1461, England was in the sixth year of the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars between the Houses of York and Lancaster over the English throne. The Lancastrians backed the reigning King of England, Henry VI, an indecisive man who suffered bouts of madness...
on 29 March 1461 he fled to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and was attained on 4 November 1461. All his honours and estates were declared forfeit. His titles were restored to him on 10 March 1463 but he deserted the King and was captured and beheaded after the battle of Hexham
Battle of Hexham
The Battle of Hexham marked the end of significant Lancastrian resistance in the north of England during the early part of the reign of Edward IV....
on 15 May 1464.
He was unmarried but his illegitimate son Charles Somerset
Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester
Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester was the legitimised son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset and Joan Hill.-Biography:He was born around 1460 to Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset and Joan Hill...
became the 1st Earl of Worcester
Earl of Worcester
Earl of Worcester is a title that has been created five times in the Peerage of England. The first creation came in 1138 in favour of the Norman noble Waleran de Beaumont. He was the son of Robert de Beaumont, 1st Earl of Leicester, by Elizabeth of Vermandois, and the twin brother of Robert de...
. Henry's titles were forfeited by act of parliament; but his brother Edmund Beaufort
Edmund Beaufort, 4th Duke of Somerset
Edmund Beaufort, 4th Duke of Somerset, 6th Earl of Somerset, 3rd Marquess of Dorset, 3rd Earl of Dorset was an English nobleman and military commander during the Wars of the Roses....
(c.1439–1471) was styled Duke of Somerset by the Lancastrian
House of Lancaster
The House of Lancaster was a branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. It was one of the opposing factions involved in the Wars of the Roses, an intermittent civil war which affected England and Wales during the 15th century...
s. After the Battle of Tewkesbury
Battle of Tewkesbury
The Battle of Tewkesbury, which took place on 4 May 1471, was one of the decisive battles of the Wars of the Roses. The forces loyal to the House of Lancaster were completely defeated by those of the rival House of York under their monarch, King Edward IV...
on 4 May 1471 he fled and took refuge in Tewkesbury Abbey
Tewkesbury Abbey
The Abbey of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Tewkesbury in the English county of Gloucestershire is the second largest parish church in the country and a former Benedictine monastery.-History:...
. He was beheaded by the Yorkists, and buried in the abbey church. Upon his death the house of Beaufort became extinct in the legitimate line.
Later creations
In 1499 Henry VIIHenry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
nominated his infant son Edmund to the dukedom of Somerset at his baptism, but the child, just over a year old when he died, was probably never formally created a peer.
The illegitimate son of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, Henry Fitzroy
Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset
Henry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset was the son of King Henry VIII of England and his teenage mistress, Elizabeth Blount, the only illegitimate offspring whom Henry acknowledged.-Childhood:...
(1519–1536) was created Earl of Nottingham
Earl of Nottingham
Earl of Nottingham is a title that has been created seven times in the Peerage of England.-Earls of Nottingham, First creation :* John de Mowbray , 5th Baron Mowbray-Earls of Nottingham, Second creation :...
, and Duke of Richmond
Duke of Richmond
The title Duke of Richmond is named after Richmond and its surrounding district of Richmondshire, and has been created several times in the Peerage of England for members of the royal Tudor and Stuart families...
and Somerset on 18 June 1525. He died without heirs on July 22, 1536 so his titles became extinct.
Robert Carr (c.1590–1645) son of Sir Thomas Ker of Ferniehurst, became a favourite
Favourite
A favourite , or favorite , was the intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. In medieval and Early Modern Europe, among other times and places, the term is used of individuals delegated significant political power by a ruler...
of King James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
. On 25 March 1611 he was created Viscount Rochester, and subsequently a privy council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
lor. On the death of Lord Salisbury
Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury
Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, KG, PC was an English administrator and politician.-Life:He was the son of William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley and Mildred Cooke...
in 1612 he began to act as the king’s secretary. On the 3 November 1613 he was created Earl of Somerset. He died in July 1645, leaving a daughter, Anne. His titles became extinct.
Seymour creation
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp of Hache, KG, Earl Marshal was Lord Protector of England in the period between the death of Henry VIII in 1547 and his own indictment in 1549....
(c.1506–1552), brother of Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
's wife Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII. She succeeded Anne Boleyn as queen consort following the latter's execution for trumped up charges of high treason, incest and adultery in May 1536. She died of postnatal complications less than two weeks after the birth of...
, became Lord Protector
Lord Protector
Lord Protector is a title used in British constitutional law for certain heads of state at different periods of history. It is also a particular title for the British Heads of State in respect to the established church...
of England during Minority
Edward VI of England
Edward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
between 1547 and 1549. Edward married twice; he divorced his first wife Catherine Fillol (disowning her and her children) around 1535 and married Anne Stanhope
Anne Stanhope
Anne Seymour, Duchess of Somerset was the second wife of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, who held the office of Lord Protector during the first part of the reign of his nephew King Edward VI, through whom Anne was briefly the most powerful woman in England...
who bore him nine children. He was created Viscount Beauchamp of Hache in 1536 and Earl of Hertford in 1537. In 1547 he made himself Duke of Somerset. His position as Lord Protector was usurped by John Dudley, Earl of Warwick (later Duke of Northumberland
Duke of Northumberland
The Duke of Northumberland is a title in the peerage of Great Britain that has been created several times. Since the third creation in 1766, the title has belonged to the House of Percy , which held the title of Earl of Northumberland from 1377....
). His titles were forfeited and he was beheaded on 22 January 1552. He had bought Berry Pomeroy Castle
Berry Pomeroy Castle
Berry Pomeroy Castle, a Tudor mansion within the walls of an earlier castle, is near the village of Berry Pomeroy, in South Devon, England. It was built in the late 15th century by the Pomeroy family which had held the land since the 11th century. By 1547 the family was in financial difficulties...
from Sir Thomas Pomeroy, in 1547, although he probably never visited it.
In 1644 Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
granted the earldom of Glamorgan to Edward Somerset
Edward Somerset, 2nd Marquess of Worcester
Edward Somerset, 2nd Marquess of Worcester , styled Lord Herbert of Ragland from 1628–1644, was an English nobleman involved in royalist politics and an inventor...
(1613–1667). He was a descendant of Charles Somerset, the illegitimate son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset. In return for obtaining military help from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
he promised Edward the title of Duke of Somerset. Under the Commonwealth
Commonwealth of England
The Commonwealth of England was the republic which ruled first England, and then Ireland and Scotland from 1649 to 1660. Between 1653–1659 it was known as the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland...
Edward was banished from England and his estates were seized. At the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
his estates were restored, and he claimed the dukedom of Somerset as promised to him by Charles I. The claim was rejected by the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
and so was the title of Earl of Glamorgan.
Edward Seymour
Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford
Sir Edward Seymour, 1st Baron Beauchamp of Hache and 1st Earl of Hertford, KG was the son of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, by his second wife Anne Stanhope....
(1538–1621) was a son of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, from his second marriage. He had been created Earl of Hertford, in 1559 under Elizabeth
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
. The Earl of Hertford's grandson William Seymour
William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset
Sir William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, KG was an English nobleman and Royalist commander in the English Civil War....
(1588—1660) secretly married Lady Arabella Stuart (1575–1615) on 22 June 1610. She was the niece of Lord Darnley
Lord Darnley
Lord Darnley is a title associated with a Scottish Lordship of Parliament first created in 1356 and tracing a descent to the Dukedom of Richmond in England. Outside the Peerage of Scotland, another Earldom of Darnley was created in the Peerage of Ireland in 1729.The first baron was Sir John...
, a cousin of James I and next in succession to both Scottish and English thrones. Both William and Arabella were imprisoned but managed to escape. William fled to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, but Arabella was recaptured. She was imprisoned in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
where she died in 1615. William returned to England shortly after her death and inherited his father's titles in 1621. He was made Marquess of Hertford
Marquess of Hertford
The titles of Earl of Hertford and Marquess of Hertford have been created several times in the peerages of England and Great Britain.The third Earldom of Hertford was created in 1559 for Edward Seymour, who was simultaneously created Baron Beauchamp of Hache...
in 1640 and on 13 September 1660, shortly before his death on 24 October, the title of Duke of Somerset was restored to him and the Seymour family. He had outlived his three eldest sons and the dukedom passed to William Seymour
William Seymour, 3rd Duke of Somerset
William Seymour, 3rd Duke of Somerset was the son of Henry Seymour, Lord Beauchamp and Mary Capell.He died in 1671, unmarried and childless and was succeeded by his paternal uncle John Seymour....
(1654–1671) who was the son of Henry Seymour, Lord Beauchamp
Henry Seymour, Lord Beauchamp
Henry Seymour, Baron Beauchamp of Hache was an English nobleman, third son of William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset.On 28 June 1648, he married Mary Capell; they had one son and one daughter. Like his father, he was a Cavalier...
(1626–1654), the 2nd duke's third son. The 3rd duke died unmarried and the title passed to John Seymour
John Seymour, 4th Duke of Somerset
John Seymour, 4th Duke of Somerset was an English peer and MP.He was the only surviving son of William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset and Lady Frances Devereux and entered Grays Inn in 1666. He succeeded his nephew as the 4th Duke of Somerset in 1671. He married in 1656 Sarah, daughter and...
(bef. 1646–1675) the last surviving son of the 2nd Duke. On his death without issue in 29 April 1675 the marquessate of Hertford became extinct. His cousin Francis Seymour, 3rd Baron Seymour of Trowbridge
Francis Seymour, 5th Duke of Somerset
Francis Seymour, 5th Duke of Somerset , known as 3rd Baron Seymour of Trowbridge between 1665 and 1675, was an English peer....
(1658–1678) became 5th Duke of Somerset. Francis was the eldest surviving son of Charles Seymour
Charles Seymour, 2nd Baron Seymour of Trowbridge
Charles Seymour, 2nd Baron Seymour of Trowbridge was the son of Francis Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Trowbridge, whom he succeeded in the barony in 1664....
(1621–1665), whose father Sir Francis Seymour
Francis Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Trowbridge
Francis Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Trowbridge was an English statesman, a Member of Parliament raised to the peerage by Charles I and a Royalist during the English Civil War....
(c. 1590–1664), a younger brother of the 2nd Duke of Somerset, had been created Baron Seymour of Trowbridge in 1641.
When the 5th Duke died unmarried in 1678, the title passed to his brother, Charles Seymour
Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset
Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset , sometimes referred to as the "Proud Duke". The son of Charles Seymour, 2nd Baron Seymour of Trowbridge, and Elizabeth Alington , he succeeded his brother Francis Seymour, 5th Duke of Somerset, to the dukedom when the latter was shot in 1678...
(1662–1748), youngest son of the 2nd Baron Trowbridge. The 6th Duke, was known as "the Proud Duke", was a favourite of Queen Anne. He first married Lady Elizabeth Percy
Elizabeth Seymour, Duchess of Somerset
Elizabeth Percy, Duchess of Somerset , major heiress, was born Lady Elizabeth Percy, the only surviving child of the 11th Earl of Northumberland and deemed Baroness Percy in her own right. She carried the earldom of Northumberland to her son Algernon...
, daughter of Joceline Percy, 11th Earl of Northumberland
Joceline Percy, 11th Earl of Northumberland
Josceline Percy, 11th Earl of Northumberland, 5th Baron Percy was an English peer.Percy was the eldest son of Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland and his second wife, Elizabeth Howard, daughter of Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk...
(1644–1670). She died in 1722 and in 1725 he married Lady Charlotte Finch (1711–1773), daughter of Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham
Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham
Daniel Finch, 2nd Earl of Nottingham, 7th Earl of Winchilsea PC , was an English Tory statesman during the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries.-Early life:...
. The 6th duke died 2 December 1748, at Petworth House
Petworth House
Petworth House in Petworth, West Sussex, England, is a late 17th-century mansion, rebuilt in 1688 by Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset, and altered in the 1870s by Anthony Salvin...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
at age 86 leaving the title to his son from his first marriage Algernon Seymour
Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset
General Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset was the son of Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset and his wife, Elizabeth...
(1684–1750).
Algernon had been created Baron Percy in 1722. After succeeding his father as 7th Duke of Somerset he was created Earl of Northumberland in 1749. The Earldom of Northumberland having become extinct with the passing of his maternal grandfather in 1670. The remainder of the earldom was to pass to Sir Hugh Smithson
Hugh Percy, 1st Duke of Northumberland
Hugh Percy, 1st Duke of Northumberland, KG, PC was an Engish peer, landowner and art patron.He was born Hugh Smithson, the son of Langdale Smithson and grandson of Sir Hugh Smithson, 3rd Baronet from whom he inherited the baronetcy in 1733...
, husband of Algernon's daughter Elizabeth Seymour (bef. 1730–1776), whilst the titles Baron Cockermouth and Earl of Egremont were remaindered to the children of his sister, Lady Catherine Seymour (1693–1731). Without male issue, on his death in February 1750 these titles therefore passed to different families in accordance with the remainders in the patents of their creation. The earldom of Hertford, the barony of Beauchamp, and the barony of Seymour of Trowbridge became extinct; and the dukedom of Somerset, together with the barony of Seymour, devolved on his distant cousin.
Sir Edward Seymour, 6th baronet of Berry Pomeroy
Edward Seymour, 8th Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 8th Duke of Somerset was a British nobleman....
(1701–1757) became the 8th Duke of Somerset in 1750. The 1st baronet was Edward Seymour (1556–1613) grandson of the 1st Duke of Somerset, son of Edward Seymour (1527/1535–1593) who was the 1st duke's eldest son from his first marriage to Catherine Fillol. The 6th baronet was thus 7 generations removed from the 1st Duke. The 4th Baronet had been speaker of the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
during the reign of Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
and he moved the family home from Berry Pomeroy Castle
Berry Pomeroy Castle
Berry Pomeroy Castle, a Tudor mansion within the walls of an earlier castle, is near the village of Berry Pomeroy, in South Devon, England. It was built in the late 15th century by the Pomeroy family which had held the land since the 11th century. By 1547 the family was in financial difficulties...
in Devon to Bradley House in Maiden Bradley
Maiden Bradley
Maiden Bradley with Yarnfield is a small Wiltshire civil parish near the Somerset border and the home of the Duke of Somerset. The B3092 road that joins Frome to Mere runs through the middle of the village of Maiden Bradley....
. Upon the death of the 8th duke he was succeeded by his eldest son Edward Seymour
Edward Seymour, 9th Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 9th Duke of Somerset, etc. was the son of Edward Seymour, 8th Duke of Somerset and Mary Webb...
(1717–1792). He died unmarried and was succeeded by his brother Webb Seymour
Webb Seymour, 10th Duke of Somerset
Webb Seymour, 10th Duke of Somerset was the son of Edward Seymour, 8th Duke of Somerset and Mary Webb. He was also a baronet....
(1718–1793) who became the 10th Duke. His son Edward Adolphus Seymour (1775–1855) was a noted mathematician and became the 11th Duke upon his father's death. He changed the family name to St. Maur but Seymour was still very often used.
Earl St. Maur
Edward Adolphus Ferdinand Seymour, Earl St. Maur
Edward Adolphus Ferdinand Seymour, Earl St. Maur , also 13th Baron Seymour in his own right, was a British aristocrat and soldier.-Background:...
(1835–1869) was known as Lord Seymour until 1863 when he took his father's new creation as a courtesy title. Commonly known as Ferdy, he was an adventurer who joined Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...
's army under the assumed name of Capt. Richard Sarsfield. In 1866 he began a relationship with a 17-year-old maid called Rosina Swan. The Earl took Rosina with him during his travels, returning to England with her in 1868 to live near Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
. Ferdy and Rosina had two children; a girl named Ruth (1867–1953) was born whilst the couple were in Tangier
Tangier
Tangier, also Tangiers is a city in northern Morocco with a population of about 700,000 . It lies on the North African coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar where the Mediterranean meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel...
and a boy named Richard Harold St. Maur (1869–1927) was born in Brighton shortly before the death of his father. Had the earl married Rosina, Harold would have been the heir to his grandfather's dukedom and for this reason Harold tried to find proof that the couple had married whilst they were living in the Netherlands, offering reward of £50 for evidence to support the claim, but was unsuccessful.
The 12th Duke died on 28 December 1885 aged 81 outliving both of his sons and the title passed to his aged unmarried brother Archibald Henry Algernon Seymour (1810–1891), when he died a few years later, the youngest brother Algernon Percy Banks St. Maur (1813–1894) became the 14th Duke. Three and a half years later he was dead. His son Algernon Seymour
Algernon Seymour, 15th Duke of Somerset
Algernon St. Maur, later Seymour, 15th Duke of Somerset, etc. was the son of Algernon St. Maur, 14th Duke of Somerset and Horatia Morler. He was also a baronet....
(1846–1923) became the 15th Duke. He died without children and the title passed to his distant cousin Edward Hamilton Seymour (1860–1931). He was the great great grandson of Francis Seymour, Dean of Wells (1726–1799), youngest son of the 8th duke. He was succeeded by his son Evelyn Francis Seymour (1882–1954) who passed the title on to his son Percy Hamilton Seymour (1910–1984). The title is currently held by his son John Michael Edward Seymour who was born in 1952. The current heir to the title is Sebastian Seymour, Lord Seymour who was born in 1982.
Earls of Somerset, first Creation (1141)
- William de Mohun of Dunster, 1st Earl of Somerset (d. c.1155) whose descendants have never claimed the title
Earls of Somerset, second Creation (1397)
- John Beaufort, 1st Earl of SomersetJohn Beaufort, 1st Earl of SomersetJohn Beaufort, 1st Marquess of Somerset and 1st Marquess of Dorset, later only 1st Earl of Somerset, KG was the first of the four illegitimate children of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, and his mistress Katherine Swynford, later his wife...
(1371/1373–1410), eldest legitimated son of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of LancasterJohn of Gaunt, 1st Duke of LancasterJohn of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster , KG was a member of the House of Plantagenet, the third surviving son of King Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault...
Marquesses of Somerset (1397)
- John Beaufort, 1st Marquess of Somerset, 1st Marquess of Dorset (1371/1373–1410) was created Marquess later the same year for his role as a counter-appellantLords AppellantThe Lords Appellant were a group of nobles in the reign of King Richard II who sought to impeach some five of the King's favourites in order to restrain what was seen as tyrannical and capricious rule. The word appellant simply means '[one who is] appealing [in a legal sense]'...
Earls of Somerset, second Creation (1397; reverted)
- John Beaufort, 1st Earl of SomersetJohn Beaufort, 1st Earl of SomersetJohn Beaufort, 1st Marquess of Somerset and 1st Marquess of Dorset, later only 1st Earl of Somerset, KG was the first of the four illegitimate children of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, and his mistress Katherine Swynford, later his wife...
(1371/1373–1410) lost his marquessates when Henry IVHenry IV of EnglandHenry IV was King of England and Lord of Ireland . He was the ninth King of England of the House of Plantagenet and also asserted his grandfather's claim to the title King of France. He was born at Bolingbroke Castle in Lincolnshire, hence his other name, Henry Bolingbroke...
acceded in 1399 - Henry Beaufort, 2nd Earl of SomersetHenry Beaufort, 2nd Earl of SomersetHenry Beaufort, 2nd Earl of Somerset was the eldest son of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, and the grandson of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster and Katherine Swynford....
(1401–1418), eldest son of the 1st Earl - John Beaufort, 3rd Earl of SomersetJohn Beaufort, 1st Duke of SomersetJohn Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, KG was an English noble and military commander.-Family:Baptised on 25 March 1404, he was the second son of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset and Margaret Holland, and succeeded his elder brother Henry Beaufort, 2nd Earl of Somerset to become the 3rd Earl of...
(1404–1444), second son of the 1st Earl, who was created Duke of Somerset in 1443
Dukes of Somerset, first Creation (1443)
- John Beaufort, 1st Duke of SomersetJohn Beaufort, 1st Duke of SomersetJohn Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset, KG was an English noble and military commander.-Family:Baptised on 25 March 1404, he was the second son of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset and Margaret Holland, and succeeded his elder brother Henry Beaufort, 2nd Earl of Somerset to become the 3rd Earl of...
(1404–1444), died without issue, when his dukedom became extinct
Earls of Somerset, second Creation (1397; reverted)
- Edmund Beaufort, 4th Earl of SomersetEdmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of SomersetEdmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, KG , sometimes styled 1st Duke of Somerset, was an English nobleman and an important figure in the Wars of the Roses and in the Hundred Years' War...
, third son of the 1st Earl
Dukes of Somerset, second Creation (1448)
- These dukes are variously numbered to include or exclude their kinsman John, 1st Duke
- Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of SomersetEdmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of SomersetEdmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, KG , sometimes styled 1st Duke of Somerset, was an English nobleman and an important figure in the Wars of the Roses and in the Hundred Years' War...
(c. 1406–1455), became Duke of Somerset in 1448 - Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of SomersetHenry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of SomersetHenry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset was an important Lancastrian military commander during the English Wars of the Roses. He is sometimes numbered the 2nd Duke of Somerset, since the title was re-created for his father after his uncle died...
(1436–1464), eldest son of Edmund, whose titles were forfeit from 1461 to 1463 - Edmund Beaufort, 4th Duke of SomersetEdmund Beaufort, 4th Duke of SomersetEdmund Beaufort, 4th Duke of Somerset, 6th Earl of Somerset, 3rd Marquess of Dorset, 3rd Earl of Dorset was an English nobleman and military commander during the Wars of the Roses....
(c. 1439–1471), second son of Edmund, may or may not be considered Duke, and was so styled by Lancastrians (see article for details)
- Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset
Dukes of Somerset, third Creation (1499)
- Edmund Tudor, 1st Duke of SomersetEdmund Tudor, Duke of SomersetEdmund Tudor, Duke of Somerset was the sixth child of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York.Edmund's elder siblings were Arthur, Prince of Wales, Margaret, queen consort of Scotland, Henry VIII of England, Elizabeth and Mary, Queen consort of France...
(1499–1500), third son of Henry VIIHenry VII of EnglandHenry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
, died in infancy
Dukes of Richmond and Somerset (1525)
- Henry Fitzroy, 1st Duke of Richmond and SomersetHenry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and SomersetHenry FitzRoy, 1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset was the son of King Henry VIII of England and his teenage mistress, Elizabeth Blount, the only illegitimate offspring whom Henry acknowledged.-Childhood:...
(1519–1536), illegitimate son of Henry VIIIHenry VIII of EnglandHenry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
, died without issue
Dukes of Somerset, fourth Creation (1547)
- Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of SomersetEdward Seymour, 1st Duke of SomersetEdward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp of Hache, KG, Earl Marshal was Lord Protector of England in the period between the death of Henry VIII in 1547 and his own indictment in 1549....
(c. 1500–1552), uncle and Lord ProtectorLord ProtectorLord Protector is a title used in British constitutional law for certain heads of state at different periods of history. It is also a particular title for the British Heads of State in respect to the established church...
of Edward VIEdward VI of EnglandEdward VI was the King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. He was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first monarch who was raised as a Protestant...
, was deposed and executed and his titles forfeit in 1552
- for the intervening generations, see Viscount Beauchamp and the Earls and Marquesses of Hertford
Earls of Somerset, third Creation (1613)
- Robert Carr, 1st Earl of SomersetRobert Carr, 1st Earl of SomersetRobert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset, , was a politician, and favourite of King James I of England.-Background:Robert Kerr was born in Wrington, Somerset, England the younger son of Sir Thomas Kerr of Ferniehurst, Scotland by his second wife, Janet, sister of Walter Scott of Buccleuch...
(c.1590–1645), a favouriteFavouriteA favourite , or favorite , was the intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. In medieval and Early Modern Europe, among other times and places, the term is used of individuals delegated significant political power by a ruler...
of James VI & IJames I of EnglandJames VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
, died without issue
Dukes of Somerset, fourth Creation (1547; restored)
- William Seymour, 2nd Duke of SomersetWilliam Seymour, 2nd Duke of SomersetSir William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, KG was an English nobleman and Royalist commander in the English Civil War....
(1588–1660), great-grandson of the 1st Duke and a CavalierCavalierCavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
, was rewarded with restoration to the dukedom upon The Restoration- William Seymour, Lord Beauchamp (1621–1642), eldest son of the 2nd Duke, predeceased his father unmarried
- Robert Seymour, Lord Beauchamp (1622–1646), second son of the 2nd Duke, predeceased his father unmarried
- Henry Seymour, Lord BeauchampHenry Seymour, Lord BeauchampHenry Seymour, Baron Beauchamp of Hache was an English nobleman, third son of William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset.On 28 June 1648, he married Mary Capell; they had one son and one daughter. Like his father, he was a Cavalier...
(1626–1654), third son of the 2nd Duke, predeceased his father
- William Seymour, 3rd Duke of SomersetWilliam Seymour, 3rd Duke of SomersetWilliam Seymour, 3rd Duke of Somerset was the son of Henry Seymour, Lord Beauchamp and Mary Capell.He died in 1671, unmarried and childless and was succeeded by his paternal uncle John Seymour....
(1650–1671), only son of Henry Seymour, Lord BeauchampHenry Seymour, Lord BeauchampHenry Seymour, Baron Beauchamp of Hache was an English nobleman, third son of William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset.On 28 June 1648, he married Mary Capell; they had one son and one daughter. Like his father, he was a Cavalier...
, died without issue - John Seymour, 4th Duke of SomersetJohn Seymour, 4th Duke of SomersetJohn Seymour, 4th Duke of Somerset was an English peer and MP.He was the only surviving son of William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset and Lady Frances Devereux and entered Grays Inn in 1666. He succeeded his nephew as the 4th Duke of Somerset in 1671. He married in 1656 Sarah, daughter and...
(bef. 1646–1675), fourth and youngest son of the 2nd Duke, died without issue - Francis Seymour, 5th Duke of SomersetFrancis Seymour, 5th Duke of SomersetFrancis Seymour, 5th Duke of Somerset , known as 3rd Baron Seymour of Trowbridge between 1665 and 1675, was an English peer....
(1658–1678), great-grandson of Edward Seymour, Viscount Beauchamp through the Lords Seymour of TrowbridgeBaron Seymour of TrowbridgeThe title Baron Seymour of Trowbridge was created in the Peerage of England on 19 February 1641 for Francis Seymour, a younger son of Edward Seymour, Lord Beauchamp, for his support of Charles I in Parliament...
; himself eldest son of the 1st Duke's fourth son; Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of HertfordEdward Seymour, 1st Earl of HertfordSir Edward Seymour, 1st Baron Beauchamp of Hache and 1st Earl of Hertford, KG was the son of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, by his second wife Anne Stanhope....
; died without issue - Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of SomersetCharles Seymour, 6th Duke of SomersetCharles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset , sometimes referred to as the "Proud Duke". The son of Charles Seymour, 2nd Baron Seymour of Trowbridge, and Elizabeth Alington , he succeeded his brother Francis Seymour, 5th Duke of Somerset, to the dukedom when the latter was shot in 1678...
(1662–1748), younger brother of the 5th Duke - Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of SomersetAlgernon Seymour, 7th Duke of SomersetGeneral Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset was the son of Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset and his wife, Elizabeth...
(1684–1750), eldest son of the 6th Duke- George Seymour, Viscount Beauchamp (1725–1744), only son of the 7th Duke, predeceased his father without issue
- Edward Seymour, 8th Duke of SomersetEdward Seymour, 8th Duke of SomersetEdward Seymour, 8th Duke of Somerset was a British nobleman....
(1701–1757), great-great-great-grandson of Sir Edward Seymour, 1st BaronetSir Edward Seymour, 1st BaronetSir Edward Seymour, of Berry Pomeroy, 1st Baronet was Member of Parliament for Devon, twice High Sheriff of Devon for Devon and an Army Colonel....
of the Seymour Baronets of Berry Pomeroy; himself only son of the 1st Duke’s second son; Sir Edward Seymour, of Berry PomeroySir Edward Seymour, of Berry PomeroySir Edward Seymour, of Berry Pomeroy was High Sheriff of Devon for 1583. and was knighted by his father on the battlefield of Pinkie Cleugh.... - Edward Seymour, 9th Duke of SomersetEdward Seymour, 9th Duke of SomersetEdward Seymour, 9th Duke of Somerset, etc. was the son of Edward Seymour, 8th Duke of Somerset and Mary Webb...
(1717–1792), eldest son of the 8th Duke - Webb Seymour, 10th Duke of SomersetWebb Seymour, 10th Duke of SomersetWebb Seymour, 10th Duke of Somerset was the son of Edward Seymour, 8th Duke of Somerset and Mary Webb. He was also a baronet....
(1718–1793), second son of the 8th Duke - Edward St Maur, 11th Duke of SomersetEdward St Maur, 11th Duke of SomersetEdward Adolphus St. Maur, 11th Duke of Somerset KG FRS was the son of Webb Seymour, 10th Duke of Somerset and Mary Bonnell. He was also a baronet....
(1775–1855), only son of the 10th Duke - Edward Seymour, 12th Duke of SomersetEdward Seymour, 12th Duke of SomersetSir Edward Adolphus Seymour , 12th Duke of Somerset, etc. KG, PC , styled Baron Seymour until 1855, was a British Whig aristocrat and politician, who served in various cabinet positions in the mid-19th century...
(1804–1885), eldest son of the 11th Duke- Ferdinand Seymour, Earl St Maur (1835–1869), eldest son of the 12th Duke, predeceased his father without legitimate issue
- Archibald Seymour, 13th Duke of SomersetArchibald Seymour, 13th Duke of SomersetArchibald Algernon Henry St. Maur, formerly Seymour, 13th Duke of Somerset, etc. was the son of Edward St. Maur, 11th Duke of Somerset and Lady Charlotte Douglas-Hamilton. He was also a baronet. Motto - Foy Pour Devoir - Faith for Duty now adopted by HMS Somerset by kind permission.He was baptized...
(1810–1891), second son of the 11th Duke, died without issue - Algernon St Maur, 14th Duke of SomersetAlgernon St Maur, 14th Duke of SomersetAlgernon Percy Banks St. Maur, formerly Seymour, 14th Duke of Somerset, etc. was the son of Edward St. Maur, 11th Duke of Somerset and Lady Charlotte Hamilton...
(1813–1894), third and youngest son of the 11th Duke- Major Lord Percy St Maur (1847–1907), second son of the 14th Duke, predeceased his eldest brother without male issue
- Lord Ernest St Maur (1847–1922), third son of the 14th Duke, predeceased his eldest brother without issue
- Lord Edward St Maur (1849-1920), fourth and youngest son of the 14th Duke, predeceased his eldest brother without issue
- Algernon Seymour, 15th Duke of SomersetAlgernon Seymour, 15th Duke of SomersetAlgernon St. Maur, later Seymour, 15th Duke of Somerset, etc. was the son of Algernon St. Maur, 14th Duke of Somerset and Horatia Morler. He was also a baronet....
(1846–1923), eldest son of the 14th Duke, died without issue - Edward Seymour, 16th Duke of SomersetEdward Seymour, 16th Duke of SomersetBrigadier-General Edward Hamilton Seymour, 16th Duke of Somerset KBE, CB, CMG was the son of Reverend Francis Payne Seymour and wife Jane Margaret Dallas . He was also a baronet....
(1860–1931), great-great-grandson of the Very Reverend Lord Francis Seymour, fourth and youngest son of the 8th Duke - Evelyn Seymour, 17th Duke of SomersetEvelyn Seymour, 17th Duke of SomersetEvelyn Francis Edward Seymour, 17th Duke of Somerset, etc. KStJ DSO OBE was a British Army officer, landowner, peer, and for eight years Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire. He was also a baronet.-Early life:...
(1882–1954), only son of the 16th Duke- Francis William Seymour (1906–1907), eldest son of the 17th Duke, died in infancy
- Algernon Francis Edward Seymour (1908–1911), second son of the 17th Duke, died young
- Percy Seymour, 18th Duke of SomersetPercy Seymour, 18th Duke of Somersetthumb|right|200px|Portrait by [[Allan Warren]]Sir Percy Hamilton Seymour, 18th Duke of Somerset, etc. was the son of Evelyn Seymour, 17th Duke of Somerset and Edith Parker....
(1910–1984), third and youngest son of the 17th Duke - John Seymour, 19th Duke of SomersetJohn Seymour, 19th Duke of Somersetthumb|right|200px|Portrait by [[Allan Warren]]John Michael Edward Seymour, 19th Duke of Somerset, DL is the present holder of the Dukedom of Somerset and a major landowner in Wiltshire and Devon. He is the son of Percy Seymour, 18th Duke of Somerset and Jane Thomas, and was styled Lord Seymour...
(b. 1952), eldest son of the 18th Duke
The heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
is the present holder's eldest son Sebastian Seymour, Lord Seymour (b. 1982).
Line of succession
- Sebastian Seymour, Lord Seymour (b. 1982), eldest son of the 19th Duke
- Lord Charles Thomas George Seymour (b.1992), second and youngest son of the 19th Duke
- Lord Francis Charles Edward Seymour (b. 1956), second and youngest son of the 18th Duke
- Webb Edward Percy Seymour (b.1990), only son of Lord Francis
- Henry Jocelyn Seymour, 9th Marquess of HertfordHenry Seymour, 9th Marquess of HertfordHenry Jocelyn Seymour, 9th Marquess of Hertford is a British peer, the son of Hugh Seymour, 8th Marquess of Hertford. He currently resides in Ragley Hall, Warwickshire.In 1990, he married Beatriz Karam. They have four children:...
(b. 1958), great-great-great-great-great-grandson of Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Marquess of HertfordFrancis Seymour-Conway, 1st Marquess of HertfordFrancis Seymour-Conway, 1st Marquess of Hertford KG, PC, PC was a British courtier and politician.He was born in Chelsea, London the son of Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Lord Conway and Charlotte Shorter and died in Surrey, England...
, grandson of Sir Edward Seymour, 4th BaronetSir Edward Seymour, 4th BaronetSir Edward Seymour, of Berry Pomeroy, 4th Baronet, MP was a British nobleman, and a Royalist and Tory politician.-Life:...
, great-great-grandson of Sir Edward Seymour, of Berry PomeroySir Edward Seymour, of Berry PomeroySir Edward Seymour, of Berry Pomeroy was High Sheriff of Devon for 1583. and was knighted by his father on the battlefield of Pinkie Cleugh....
, second son of the 1st Duke - William Francis Seymour, Earl of Yarmouth (b. 1993), eldest son of the 9th Marquess
- Lord Edward George Seymour (b. 1995), second and youngest son of the 9th Marquess
- A/Cdre. Andrew Conway Paul Seymour (b. 1939), grandson of Commander Lord George Frederick Seymour, fourth and youngest son of Hugh de Grey Seymour, 6th Marquess of Hertford
- Nicholas George Mark Seymour (b. 1953), first cousin of A/Cdre. Andrew Seymour
- William Thomas Seymour (b. 1954), great-grandson of the Rev. Lord Victor Alexander Seymour, fourth and youngest son of Sir Francis George Hugh Seymour, 5th Marquess of HertfordFrancis Seymour, 5th Marquess of HertfordFrancis George Hugh Seymour, 5th Marquess of Hertford GCB PC , known as Francis Seymour until 1870, was a British courtier and Conservative politician...
- Conway William Hugh Seymour (b. 1934), first cousin once removed of William Thomas Seymour
- Conway Ronald Hugh Seymour (b. 1962), only son of Conway William Hugh Seymour
- Hugh James Seymour (b. 1956), great-great-great-great-grandson of Admiral Lord Hugh SeymourLord Hugh SeymourVice-Admiral Lord Hugh Seymour was a senior British Royal Navy officer of the late 18th century who was the fifth son of Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Marquess of Hertford and became known for being both a prominent society figure and a highly competent naval officer...
, fifth son of the 1st Marquess - Hugo Frederick James Seymour (b. 1988), eldest son of Hugh James Seymour
- Rupert Alexander Erskine Seymour (b. 1992), second son of Hugh James Seymour
- Felix Horatio Hindmarch Seymour (b. 2000), third son of Hugh James Seymour
- Otto Storm Hindmarch Seymour (b. 2003), fourth and youngest son of Hugh James Seymour
- Julian Seymour (b. 1961), younger brother of Hugh James Seymour
- Francis Benedict Seymour (b. 1966), younger brother of Hugh James and Julian Seymour
- Thaddeus Oliver Thomas (b. 2001), eldest son of Francis Benedict Seymour
- Noah Benedict Hugh (b. 2003), second and youngest son of Francis Benedict Seymour
- Hugh Leopold Seymour (b. 1943), great-great-great-grandson of Lord George SeymourLord George SeymourLord George Seymour-Conway , known as Lord George Seymour, was a British politician.A member of the Seymour family headed by the Duke of Somerset, Seymour was the seventh son and youngest child of Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Marquess of Hertford, and Lady Isabella, daughter of Charles FitzRoy, 2nd...
, seventh and youngest son of the 1st Marquess - Charles Richard Seymour (b. 1955), younger brother of Hugh Leopold Seymour
- Rafe Conway Seymour (b. 1994), eldest son of Charles Richard Seymour
- Leo Miles Seymour (b. 1997), second and youngest son of Charles Richard Seymour
- Thomas Oliver Seymour (b. 1952), first cousin of Hugh Leopold and Charles Richard Seymour
- Edward Alexander Seymour (b. 1992), eldest son of Thomas Seymour
- William Seymour (b. 1994), second and youngest son of Thomas Seymour
- Lt.-Col. Conway John Edward Seymour (b. 1941), second cousin of Hugh Leopold, Charles Richard and Thomas Seymour
- Harry Edward Seymour (b. 1971), only son of Lt.-Col. Conway Seymour
- Richard Hubert Seymour (b. 1947), younger brother of Lt.-Col. Conway Seymour
- James Richard Edward Seymour (b. 1985), only son of Richard Seymour
- Julian Conway Seymour (b. 1934), first cousin once removed of Hugh Leopold, Charles Richard, Thomas, Lt.-Col. Conway and Richard Seymour
- Leopold Conway Seymour (b. 1959), eldest son of Julian Conway Seymour
- Frederick Conway Seymour (b. 2000), eldest son of Leopold Seymour
- William Titus Beauchamp Seymour (b. 2002), second and youngest son of Leopold Seymour
- Mark Hamilton Seymour (b. 1960), second son of Julian Conway Seymour
- Harry William Seymour (b. 1974), third and youngest son of Julian Conway Seymour
- Archibald John Seymour (b. 1937), second cousin once removed of Julian Conway Seymour and third cousin of Hugh Leopold, Charles Richard, Thomas, Lt.-Col. Conway and Richard Seymour
- Julian Roger Seymour (b. 1945), younger brother of Archibald Seymour
- Archie Christopher Seymour (b. 1989), only son of Julian Roger Seymour
- Christopher Mark Seymour (b. 1942), first cousin of Archibald and Julian Roger Seymour
- Thomas Mark Middleton Seymour (b. 1972), eldest son of Christopher Seymour
- Peter Christopher James Seymour (b. 1977), second and youngest son of Christopher Seymour
Earls St Maur (1863 creation)
- Edward Seymour, 12th Duke of Somerset, 1st Earl St MaurEdward Seymour, 12th Duke of SomersetSir Edward Adolphus Seymour , 12th Duke of Somerset, etc. KG, PC , styled Baron Seymour until 1855, was a British Whig aristocrat and politician, who served in various cabinet positions in the mid-19th century...
(1804–1885) was created Earl St Maur in the peerage of the United KingdomPeerage of the United KingdomThe Peerage of the United Kingdom comprises most peerages created in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland after the Act of Union in 1801, when it replaced the Peerage of Great Britain...
when already Duke of Somerset, in order to provide a more senior courtesy titleCourtesy titleA courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility used for children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer. These styles are used 'by courtesy' in the sense that the relatives do not themselves hold substantive titles...
for his heir.- Ferdinand Seymour, Earl St Maur (1835–1869), the eldest son of the 12th Duke, in the event was the only man called "Earl St Maur". In 1885, when the Dukedom reverted to his uncleArchibald Seymour, 13th Duke of SomersetArchibald Algernon Henry St. Maur, formerly Seymour, 13th Duke of Somerset, etc. was the son of Edward St. Maur, 11th Duke of Somerset and Lady Charlotte Douglas-Hamilton. He was also a baronet. Motto - Foy Pour Devoir - Faith for Duty now adopted by HMS Somerset by kind permission.He was baptized...
, the earldom became extinct.
- Ferdinand Seymour, Earl St Maur (1835–1869), the eldest son of the 12th Duke, in the event was the only man called "Earl St Maur". In 1885, when the Dukedom reverted to his uncle
See also
- Marquess of HertfordMarquess of HertfordThe titles of Earl of Hertford and Marquess of Hertford have been created several times in the peerages of England and Great Britain.The third Earldom of Hertford was created in 1559 for Edward Seymour, who was simultaneously created Baron Beauchamp of Hache...
- Baron Alcester
- Seymour BaronetsSeymour BaronetsThere have been three Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Seymour, two in the Baronetage of England and one in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom...
- Somerset House, Park LaneSomerset House, Park LaneSomerset House, Park Lane , was an 18th century town house on the east side of Park Lane, where it meets Oxford Street, in the Mayfair area of London, England...