Edward Seymour, 4th Baronet
Sir Edward Seymour, 4th Baronet ( 1633 - February 17, 1708 ) was an English politician. For a long time he was Speaker of the English House of Commons .
Life
He was born at Berry Pomeroy Castle as the eldest son of Sir Edward Seymour, 3rd Baronet , and his wife Anne Portman . At the death of his father in 1688 he inherited the title of Baronet , of Berry Pomeroy in the County of Devon.
Edward Seymour was elected to the English House of Commons in 1661 as MP for Borough Hindon in Wiltshire . Until 1678 he was MP for Hindon, 1679 to 1681 and 1695 to 1698 for Totnes and 1685 to 1695 and 1698 to 1708 for Exeter . His influence at court and his political talent secured him an influential position in the House of Commons. He received the lucrative post of Treasurer of the Navy and in 1667 he operated the impeachment of Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon , which he brought before the House of Lords .
In 1672 he was elected speaker . He held this office with distinction until 1679. Although he was unanimously re-elected, the king refused to confirm the election of the deputies.
After King Jacob II ascended the throne , he courageously opposed the arbitrariness of the crown and sided with the Prince of Orange during the revolution . In 1691 he became Lord of the Treasury, but lost the office three years later and took an active part in the Tory opposition to King William Whig's government. In later years he was no less hostile to Queen Anne's ministers , but lost all of his influence with the rise of Marlborough .
Seymour, who died in 1708, was no less haughty than his relative Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset , but he is described as the most capable man of his party, the first speaker who was not a lawyer, courageous and alert.
Marriages and offspring
Sir Edward Seymour was married twice. His first marriage was in September 1661, Margaret Wale (1640–1674), daughter of Sir William Wale. With her he had two sons:
- Sir Edward Seymour, 5th Baronet (1663-1741), his heir;
- William Seymour († 1728), Lieutenant-General in the British Army.
In 1674 he married Letitia Popham, daughter of General and Member of the House of Commons, Alexander Popham, lord of Littlecote, Wiltshire. With her he had seven children:
- Popham Seymour-Conway (1675–1699), inherited the estates of his mother's cousin, Edward Conway, 1st Earl of Conway , in 1683 ;
- Francis Seymour-Conway, 1st Baron Conway (1679-1732), inherited his brother Popham in 1699;
- Charles Seymour, landlord of Staston in Dorset ;
- Henry Seymour;
- Alexander Seymour († 1731);
- John Seymour († young);
- Anne Seymour († 1752), ⚭ 1708 William Berkeley.
Literature and web links
- Charles Mosley (Ed.): Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage . Volume 3, Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, Wilmington 2003, p. 3679.
- Sir Edward Seymour, 4th Bt. On thepeerage.com
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Edward Seymour |
Baronet, of Berry Pomeroy 1688-1708 |
Edward Seymour |
| Thomas Osborne, 1st Duke of Leeds |
Treasurer of the Navy 1673-1681 |
Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount Falklands |
| Thomas Wharton, 1st Marquess of Wharton |
Comptroller of the Household 1702-1704 |
Thomas Mansel, 1st Baron Mansel |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Seymour, Edward, 4th Baronet |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Seymour, Sir Edward, 4th Baronet, of Berry Pomeroy |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | English politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1633 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Berry Pomeroy Castle , Berry Pomeroy , Devon , England |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 17, 1708 |