FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan
Encyclopedia
Field Marshal
FitzRoy James Henry Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan, GCB
, PC
(30 September 1788 – 29 June 1855), known before 1852 as Lord FitzRoy Somerset, was a British
soldier
.
, by Elizabeth, daughter of Admiral the Hon. Edward Boscawen
. His elder brother, General Lord Edward Somerset
(1776–1842), distinguished himself as the leader of the Household Cavalry
brigade at the Battle of Waterloo
. Fitzroy Somerset was educated at Westminster School
, and was commissioned onto the 4th Light Dragoons
in 1804.
's embassy to Turkey
, and the same year he was selected to serve on the staff of Sir Arthur Wellesley
in the expedition to Copenhagen
. In the following year he accompanied the same general in a like capacity to Portugal
, and during the whole of the Peninsular War
was at his right hand, first as aide-de-camp and then as military secretary.
He was wounded at the Battle of Buçaco
, receiving five stab wounds to the left shoulder, and became brevet-major after Fuentes de Onoro
. He accompanied the stormers of the 52nd light infantry
as a volunteer at Ciudad Rodrigo
and specially distinguished himself at the storming of Badajoz, being the first to mount the breach, and afterwards securing one of the gates before the French could organize a fresh defence. During the short period of the Bourbon rule in 1814 and 1815, when Wellington became British Ambassador, Somerset was secretary to the British Ambassador at Paris. On the renewal of the war he again became aide-de-camp and military secretary to the Duke of Wellington. For his Peninsula services, Somerset was awarded the Army Gold Cross with five clasps and the Military General Service Medal
with five clasps.
At Waterloo he was wounded in the right arm and had to undergo amputation
, but he quickly learned to write with his left hand, and on the conclusion of the war resumed his duties as secretary to the embassy at Paris
. From 1818 to 1820, and again from 1826 to 1829, he sat in the British House of Commons
as member for Truro. In 1819 he was appointed secretary to the Duke of Wellington as master-general of the ordnance, and from 1827 till the death of the duke in 1852 was Military Secretary to him as commander-in-chief. He was then appointed Master-General of the Ordnance
, a Privy Counsellor
(16 October 1852) and was created Baron Raglan
(20 October 1852).
and appointed to the command of the British troops sent to the Crimea in co-operation with a strong French army under Marshal St Arnaud
and afterwards, up to May 1855, under Marshal Canrobert
. Here his diplomatic experience stood him in good stead in dealing with the generals and admirals, British, French and Turkish, who were associated with him during the Crimean War
.
Lord Raglan and his staff were at the time blamed by the press and the government for the hardships and sufferings of the British soldiers in the terrible Crimean winter before the Siege of Sevastopol, owing to shortages of food and clothing. During this unhealthy winter, the British contingent had 23,000 men unfit for duty due to ill health and only 9,000 fit for duty. It was afterwards suggested that the chief neglect rested with the home authorities, and the appalling logistical support from England certainly exacerbated an already poor situation.
Raglan was unaware of the growing rivalry between the Earl of Lucan and the Earl of Cardigan which would have tragic consequences in the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade
. At Balaklava he made several errors for which he received criticism, sending small British units against larger Russian contingents; which occasioned the complete destruction of the British units. One month later the British and French allied army gained a decisive victory at the Battle of Inkerman
and he was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal
.
During the trying winter of 1854–55 the anxieties of the siege began to seriously undermine his health and although he found a friend and ardent supporter in his new French colleague, General Pélissier
, the failure of the assault of 18 June 1855 affected him further, and very shortly afterwards, on June 29, he died due to complications brought on by a bout of dysentery
. His body was brought home and interred at Badminton
.
, the Duke of Wellington
's niece. They had two sons:
The family seat is Cefntilla Court near Usk
in Monmouthshire. A inscription over the porch dated 1858 reads:
The seaside town of Raglan in New Zealand
was named after the First Lord in 1855.
The town of Raglan
and the Fitzroy River
in Victoria
, Australia
were also named after him.
There is a blue plaque
outside his house in Stanhope Gate, London W1.
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
FitzRoy James Henry Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan, GCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, PC
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(30 September 1788 – 29 June 1855), known before 1852 as Lord FitzRoy Somerset, was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
.
Early life
He was the eighth and youngest son of Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of BeaufortHenry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort
Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort KG was the only son of Charles Noel Somerset, 4th Duke of Beaufort and his wife, Elizabeth Berkeley. Styled Marquess of Worcester from 1746, on his father's death on 28 October 1756, he succeeded him as Duke of Beaufort.He succeeded to the title of 13th Lord...
, by Elizabeth, daughter of Admiral the Hon. Edward Boscawen
Edward Boscawen
Admiral Edward Boscawen, PC was an Admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament for the borough of Truro, Cornwall. He is known principally for his various naval commands throughout the 18th Century and the engagements that he won, including the Siege of Louisburg in 1758 and Battle of Lagos...
. His elder brother, General Lord Edward Somerset
Lord Edward Somerset
General Lord Robert Edward Henry Somerset GCB was a British soldier.He was the third son of the 5th duke of Beaufort, and elder brother of Lord Raglan....
(1776–1842), distinguished himself as the leader of the Household Cavalry
Household Cavalry
The term Household Cavalry is used across the Commonwealth to describe the cavalry of the Household Divisions, a country’s most elite or historically senior military groupings or those military groupings that provide functions associated directly with the Head of state.Canada's Governor General's...
brigade at the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
. Fitzroy Somerset was educated at Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
, and was commissioned onto the 4th Light Dragoons
4th Queen's Own Hussars
The 4th Queen's Own Hussars was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1685. It saw service for three centuries, before being amalgamated into The Queen's Royal Irish Hussars in 1958....
in 1804.
Military career
In 1807 he was attached to the Hon. Sir Arthur PagetArthur Paget (diplomat)
Sir Arthur Paget GCB, PC was a British diplomat and politician.-Family and early life:Arthur Paget was the third son of Henry Paget, 1st Earl of Uxbridge and his wife Jane Chamagné daughter of Arthur Chamagné, Dean of Clonmacnoise in Ireland. He was a younger brother of Henry Paget, 1st Marquess...
's embassy to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, and the same year he was selected to serve on the staff of Sir Arthur Wellesley
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
in the expedition to Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. In the following year he accompanied the same general in a like capacity to Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, and during the whole of the Peninsular War
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
was at his right hand, first as aide-de-camp and then as military secretary.
He was wounded at the Battle of Buçaco
Battle of Buçaco
The Battle of Bussaco resulted in the defeat of French forces by Lord Wellington's Anglo-Portuguese Army, in Portugal during the Peninsular War....
, receiving five stab wounds to the left shoulder, and became brevet-major after Fuentes de Onoro
Battle of Fuentes de Onoro
In the Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro , the British-Portuguese Army under Viscount Wellington checked an attempt by the French Army of Portugal under Marshal André Masséna to relieve the besieged city of Almeida.-Background:...
. He accompanied the stormers of the 52nd light infantry
52nd (Oxfordshire) Regiment of Foot
The 52nd Regiment of Foot was a light infantry regiment of the British Army throughout much of the 18th and 19th centuries. The regiment first saw active service during the American War of Independence, and were posted to India during the Anglo-Mysore Wars...
as a volunteer at Ciudad Rodrigo
Ciudad Rodrigo
Ciudad Rodrigo is a small cathedral city in the province of Salamanca, in western Spain, with a population of about 14,000. It is the seat of a judicial district as well....
and specially distinguished himself at the storming of Badajoz, being the first to mount the breach, and afterwards securing one of the gates before the French could organize a fresh defence. During the short period of the Bourbon rule in 1814 and 1815, when Wellington became British Ambassador, Somerset was secretary to the British Ambassador at Paris. On the renewal of the war he again became aide-de-camp and military secretary to the Duke of Wellington. For his Peninsula services, Somerset was awarded the Army Gold Cross with five clasps and the Military General Service Medal
Military General Service Medal
The Military General Service Medal was a campaign medal approved in 1847, for issue to officers and men of the British Army.The MGSM was approved on 1 June 1847 as a retrospective award for various military actions from 1793–1814; a period encompassing the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic...
with five clasps.
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
, but he quickly learned to write with his left hand, and on the conclusion of the war resumed his duties as secretary to the embassy at 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...
. From 1818 to 1820, and again from 1826 to 1829, he sat in the British 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...
as member for Truro. In 1819 he was appointed secretary to the Duke of Wellington as master-general of the ordnance, and from 1827 till the death of the duke in 1852 was Military Secretary to him as commander-in-chief. He was then appointed Master-General of the Ordnance
Master-General of the Ordnance
The Master-General of the Ordnance was a very senior British military position before 1855, when the Board of Ordnance was abolished.-Responsibilities:...
, a Privy Counsellor
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
(16 October 1852) and was created Baron Raglan
Baron Raglan
Baron Raglan, of Raglan in the County of Monmouth, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1852 for the military commander Lord FitzRoy Somerset, chiefly remembered as commander of the British troops during the Crimean War. Somerset was the youngest son of Henry Somerset,...
(20 October 1852).
Crimean War
In 1854 he was promoted to full GeneralGeneral
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
and appointed to the command of the British troops sent to the Crimea in co-operation with a strong French army under Marshal St Arnaud
Jacques Leroy de Saint Arnaud
Armand-Jacques Leroy de Saint-Arnaud was a French soldier and Marshal of France during the 19th century...
and afterwards, up to May 1855, under Marshal Canrobert
François Certain Canrobert
François Certain de Canrobert, usually known as François Certain-Canrobert and later simply as Maréchal Canrobert , was a marshal of France.-Biography:...
. Here his diplomatic experience stood him in good stead in dealing with the generals and admirals, British, French and Turkish, who were associated with him during the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
.
Lord Raglan and his staff were at the time blamed by the press and the government for the hardships and sufferings of the British soldiers in the terrible Crimean winter before the Siege of Sevastopol, owing to shortages of food and clothing. During this unhealthy winter, the British contingent had 23,000 men unfit for duty due to ill health and only 9,000 fit for duty. It was afterwards suggested that the chief neglect rested with the home authorities, and the appalling logistical support from England certainly exacerbated an already poor situation.
Raglan was unaware of the growing rivalry between the Earl of Lucan and the Earl of Cardigan which would have tragic consequences in the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade
Charge of the Light Brigade
The Charge of the Light Brigade was a charge of British cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War. The charge was the result of a miscommunication in such a way that the brigade attempted a much more difficult objective...
. At Balaklava he made several errors for which he received criticism, sending small British units against larger Russian contingents; which occasioned the complete destruction of the British units. One month later the British and French allied army gained a decisive victory at the Battle of Inkerman
Battle of Inkerman
The Battle of Inkerman was fought during the Crimean War on November 5, 1854 between the allied armies of Britain and France against the Imperial Russian Army. The battle broke the will of the Russian Army to defeat the allies in the field, and was followed by the Siege of Sevastopol...
and he was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
.
During the trying winter of 1854–55 the anxieties of the siege began to seriously undermine his health and although he found a friend and ardent supporter in his new French colleague, General Pélissier
Aimable Jean Jacques Pélissier
Aimable Jean Jacques Pélissier, 1st Duc de Malakoff , was a marshal of France.-Biography:He was born at Maromme , of a family of prosperous artisans, his father being employed in a powder-magazine...
, the failure of the assault of 18 June 1855 affected him further, and very shortly afterwards, on June 29, he died due to complications brought on by a bout of dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
. His body was brought home and interred at Badminton
Badminton, Gloucestershire
Badminton, Gloucestershire, is a village in England famous for its horse trials, which take place in early May each year in the grounds of the Duke of Beaufort's residence, Badminton House...
.
Family
On 6 August 1814 he married Lady Emily Harriet Wellesley-Pole, daughter of the 3rd Earl of MorningtonWilliam Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl of Mornington
William Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl of Mornington GCH, PC, PC , known as The Lord Maryborough between 1821 and 1842, was a British politician and an elder brother of the Duke of Wellington....
, the Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
's niece. They had two sons:
- The Hon. Arthur William FitzRoy Somerset (born 6 May 1816). He married (8 July 1845), as her first husband, Emile Marie Louise Wilhelmina de Baumbach, daughter of the Baron de Baumbach. A Major in the armyBritish ArmyThe British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, he was wounded at the Battle of FerozeshahBattle of FerozeshahThe Battle of Ferozeshah was fought on 21 December and 22 December 1845 between the British and the Sikhs, at the village of Ferozeshah in Punjab. The British were led by Sir Hugh Gough and Governor-General Sir Henry Hardinge, while the Sikhs were led by Lal Singh.The British emerged victorious,...
, 21 December 1845, and died of his wounds on 25 December 1845. As he left no children, the title passed on Lord Raglan's death to: - Richard Henry Fitzroy Somerset, 2nd Baron RaglanRichard Somerset, 2nd Baron RaglanRichard Henry FitzRoy Somerset, 2nd Baron Raglan was a British peer.The second son of the 1st Baron Raglan, Somerset was born in Paris and educated at Christ Church, Oxford. He came to Ceylon with Sir Colin Campbell as his Private Secretary and was subsequently taken into the Ceylon Civil Service...
(1817–1884), the second son. He was in turn succeeded by his son George Fitzroy Henry Somerset, 3rd Baron Raglan.
The family seat is Cefntilla Court near Usk
Usk
Usk is a small town in Monmouthshire, Wales, situated 10 miles northeast of Newport.The River Usk flows through the town and is spanned by an ancient, arched stone bridge at the western entrance to the town. A castle above the town overlooks the ancient Anglo-Welsh border crossing - the river can...
in Monmouthshire. A inscription over the porch dated 1858 reads:
Memorials
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
was named after the First Lord in 1855.
The town of Raglan
Raglan, Victoria
Raglan is a town in western Victoria, Australia. It is located north west of the state capital, Melbourne in the Shire of Pyrenees local government area...
and the Fitzroy River
Fitzroy River (Victoria)
The Fitzroy River is a river in southwestern Victoria, Australia. It begins near the western edge of the Lower Glenelg National Park, flows through Heywood, and enters the Southern Ocean at Tyrendarra....
in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
were also named after him.
There is a blue plaque
Blue plaque
A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker....
outside his house in Stanhope Gate, London W1.