Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset
Encyclopedia
Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset (26 January 1436 – 15 May 1464) 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. He also held the subsidiary titles of 5th Earl of Somerset, 2nd Marquess of Dorset and 2nd Earl of Dorset.
and Lady Eleanor Beauchamp
, daughter of Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick. Thus he was first cousin to Margaret Beaufort and to Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, and uncle to Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
.
(1455), where he was seriously wounded and his father was killed. He was the principal Lancastrian commander at the Lancastrian victories of the Battle of Wakefield
(1460) and the Second Battle of St Albans
(1461), and the Lancastrian defeat at the Battle of Towton
(1461), fleeing to Scotland
after escaping the field at Towton.
From Scotland he travelled to France to negotiate for help, where he was imprisoned for a time and thence to Flanders
and back to England via Scotland. He garrisoned several Northumberland
castles. After surrendering at the end of one castle siege, he indicated his willingness to make peace with King Edward
. The king needed to win over some of the Lancastrian commanders to help secure his hold on the throne, and so pardoned Somerset on 10 March 1462, restoring his forfeited lands and titles.
For the next year or so Somerset remained close to Edward, attending his court and giving him military advice. But at the end of 1463 he slipped back over to the Lancastrian side, hurried north and started raising troops. He held out in the far north of England until May 1464, when he was defeated at the Battle of Hexham
. He was later captured in a barn at the site of what is now known as Dukes House, and beheaded shortly afterwards that same day. He was buried at Hexham Abbey
.
Somerset died unmarried and left no legitimate children. He did have an illegitimate son by Joan Hill, who was alive in 1493, Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester
(later legitimized), from whom descend the Earls and Marquesses of Worcester and later the Dukes of Beaufort
, who are currently the last male line descendants of the Plantagenets and the Second House of the Counts of Anjou.
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York...
. He is sometimes numbered the 2nd Duke of Somerset, since the title was re-created for his father after his uncle died. He also held the subsidiary titles of 5th Earl of Somerset, 2nd Marquess of Dorset and 2nd Earl of Dorset.
Family
Somerset was the son of Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of SomersetEdmund 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...
and Lady Eleanor Beauchamp
Lady Eleanor Beauchamp
Lady Eleanor Beauchamp, Baroness de Ros and Duchess of Somerset at Wedgenock, Warwickshire, England, was the second daughter of Richard de Beauchamp, 13th Earl of Warwick and Elizabeth de Berkeley.-First marriage:...
, daughter of Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick. Thus he was first cousin to Margaret Beaufort and to Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, and uncle to Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham
Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, KG played a major role in Richard III of England's rise and fall. He is also one of the primary suspects in the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower...
.
Life
Somerset fought at the First Battle of St AlbansFirst 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...
(1455), where he was seriously wounded and his father was killed. He was the principal Lancastrian commander at the Lancastrian victories of the Battle of Wakefield
Battle of Wakefield
The Battle of Wakefield took place at Sandal Magna near Wakefield, in West Yorkshire in Northern England, on 30 December 1460. It was a major battle of the Wars of the Roses...
(1460) and the Second Battle of St Albans
Second Battle of St Albans
The Second Battle of St Albans was a battle of the English Wars of the Roses fought on 17 February, 1461, at St Albans. The army of the Yorkist faction under the Earl of Warwick attempted to bar the road to London north of the town. The rival Lancastrian army used a wide outflanking manoeuvre to...
(1461), and the Lancastrian 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...
(1461), fleeing 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...
after escaping the field at Towton.
From Scotland he travelled to France to negotiate for help, where he was imprisoned for a time and thence to Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
and back to England via Scotland. He garrisoned several Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
castles. After surrendering at the end of one castle siege, he indicated his willingness to make peace with King Edward
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
. The king needed to win over some of the Lancastrian commanders to help secure his hold on the throne, and so pardoned Somerset on 10 March 1462, restoring his forfeited lands and titles.
For the next year or so Somerset remained close to Edward, attending his court and giving him military advice. But at the end of 1463 he slipped back over to the Lancastrian side, hurried north and started raising troops. He held out in the far north of England until May 1464, when he was defeated at 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....
. He was later captured in a barn at the site of what is now known as Dukes House, and beheaded shortly afterwards that same day. He was buried at Hexham Abbey
Hexham Abbey
Hexham Abbey is a place of Christian worship dedicated to St Andrew and located in the town of Hexham, Northumberland, in northeast England. Since the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1537, the Abbey has been the parish church of Hexham.-History:...
.
Somerset died unmarried and left no legitimate children. He did have an illegitimate son by Joan Hill, who was alive in 1493, Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester
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...
(later legitimized), from whom descend the Earls and Marquesses of Worcester and later the Dukes of Beaufort
Duke of Beaufort
Duke of Beaufort is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created by Charles II in 1682 for Henry Somerset, 3rd Marquess of Worcester, a descendant of Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester, illegitimate son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset, a Lancastrian leader in the Wars of the...
, who are currently the last male line descendants of the Plantagenets and the Second House of the Counts of Anjou.