Duke of Somerset

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Coat of arms of the Dukes of Somerset (fifth award)

Duke of Somerset is a hereditary British title of nobility awarded five times in the Peerage of England .

Awards

First and second award

The first time the title was created on August 28, 1443 for John Beaufort, 3rd Earl of Somerset , along with the subordinate title Earl of Kendal . He came from the noble Beaufort family and in 1418 had inherited the title Earl of Somerset from his brother Henry Beaufort, 2nd Earl of Somerset , which had been bestowed on his father John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset in 1397 . Since he had no legitimate male descendants, the Duketitel and the title Earl of Kendal expired on his death on May 27, 1444; the title Earl of Somerset fell to his younger brother Edmund as 4th Earl. This had already been given the title of Earl of Dorset on August 28, 1441 and the title of Marquess of Dorset on June 24, 1442 .

On March 31, 1448, the Duketitel was newly created for this very second award. His son Henry , the 2nd Duke, was stripped of his title on November 4, 1461 by parliamentary resolution ( Bill of Attainder ) during the Wars of the Roses , because of his fight on the side of the House of Lancaster, and all his lands were confiscated. His son Edmund was still considered the 3rd Duke by the supporters of the House of Lancaster, but was captured by the supporters of the House of York at the Battle of Tewkesbury on May 4, 1471 and executed two days later. Since he did not leave any male heirs, the titles became permanently void.

Third and fourth awards

On February 24, 1499, King Henry VII nominated his young son Edmund on the occasion of his baptism as Duke of Somerset. Since the child died within a few months on June 19, 1500, it was likely that he was never formally promoted to Duke.

On June 18, 1525, King Henry VIII bestowed the titles of Duke of Richmond , Duke of Sommerset and Earl of Nottingham on his illegitimate son Henry Fitzroy . He died childless on July 22, 1536 and his titles were no longer valid.

Fifth award

Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset
Percy Seymour, 18th Duke of Somerset, outside Bradley House

In the fifth and so far last award, the title was awarded to Edward Seymour on February 16, 1547 , together with the subordinate title Baron Seymour . He belonged to the noble Seymour family , was the brother of Jane Seymour , the third wife of King Henry VIII , and was Lord Protector of England from 1547 to 1549 . Already on June 5, 1536 he was raised to Viscount Beauchamp of Hache and on October 18, 1537 to Earl of Hertford . In 1552 he was executed for high treason and his titles were revoked. Only his great-grandson William Seymour obtained the restoration of the title for himself as 2nd Duke on September 13, 1660 as part of the restoration of Charles II . In 1621 he had inherited the title Earl of Hertford and Baron Beauchamp of Hache, which was conferred on this in 1559, from his grandfather Edward Seymour , and in 1641 he was promoted to Marquess of Hertford .

The Marques title expired with the death of his younger son, the 4th Duke, on April 29, 1675. His other titles fell to his second nephew, as the 5th Duke. He had inherited the title of 3rd Baron Seymour of Trowbridge from his father in 1618 , which had been awarded to his grandfather on February 19, 1641. His nephew Algernon Seymour , who was 7th Duke in 1748, had already been raised to Baron Percy in 1722 and was also raised to Earl of Egremont and Baron Cockermouth , as well as Earl of Northumberland and Baron Warkworth in 1749 . When he died on February 7, 1750 without male heirs, the Duketitel and the Barony Seymour fell over to his distant relative, Sir Edward Seymour, 6th Baronet as the 8th Duke. He was a great-great-great-grandson of Sir Edward Seymour, 1st Baronet († 1613), in turn grandson of 1st Dukes, who on June 29, 1611 the title of Baronet , of Berry Pomeroy in the County of Devon, had been bestowed . The titles Earl of Hertford, Viscount Beauchamp of Hache and Baron Seymour of Trowbridge expired, the other titles fell to other lineages according to special inheritance regulations.

The 11th Duke, Edward Seymour was a noted mathematician. He changed his family name to St. Maur , which is believed to have been the original spelling of the name, but the Seymour spelling was still widely used. His son, the 12th Duke , was awarded the title Earl St. Maur , of Berry Pomeroy in the County of Devon on June 19, 1863 in the Peerage of the United Kingdom . Since his sons died childless before him, this earldom became extinct when he died on November 28, 1885. His younger brothers inherited the dukedom as the 13th and 14th Duke. When the latter's son, the 15th Duke, died childless in 1923, the title passed to his distant relative Edward Seymour as the 16th Duke. He was the great-great-grandson of the 8th Duke's youngest son. Today's title holder has been his great-grandson John Seymour, 19th Duke of Somerset , since 1984 .

The only subordinate title of the Dukes of Somerset since 1885 is the Baron Seymour , which is used as a courtesy title for the eldest son and heir of the Dukes, and the Baronet , of Berry Pomeroy. This makes the Dukes of Somerset the Dukes with the lowest ranking subordinate title, ahead of the Dukes of Manchester, whose subsidiary title is that of a Viscount , while all other Dukes hold the subordinate title of Marquess or Earl .

The Dukes' family home is Bradley House in Maiden Bradley, Wiltshire . Another seat of the Dukes is Berry Pomeroy Castle in Devon.

List of the Dukes of Somerset

Dukes of Somerset, first bestowal (1443)

Dukes of Somerset, second bestowal (1448)

Dukes of Somerset, third award (1499)

Dukes of Somerset, fourth award (1525)

Dukes of Somerset, fifth bestowal (1547)

Heir apparent is the son of the current owner , Sebastian Seymour, Lord Seymour (* 1982).

literature

  • Charles Kidd, David Williamson (Eds.): Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage. St Martin's Press, New York 1990, ISBN 0312046405 .

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