Sir Francis Seymour, 1st Baronet
Encyclopedia
General
Sir Francis Seymour, 1st Baronet, GCB
(2 August 1813, Lisburn
, County Down
– 10 July 1890, Kensington Palace
, London
) was a British Army
officer and courtier.
Seymour was the eldest son of Henry Augustus Seymour (1771–1847) and his wife, Margaret (died 1867). In 1834, he was commissioned as an ensign
in the 19th Regiment of Foot and promoted to lieutenant
in 1837. At the request of Leopold I of Belgium
, Seymour accompanied Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha on the latter's visit to Italy
in the winter of 1838–1839. Upon Albert's marriage to Queen Victoria
in 1840, Seymour became his Groom-in-Waiting, an office he continued as such after Albert's death in 1861, to Victoria until 1876, when he became an Extra Groom-in-Waiting.
In 1840, Seymour was promoted to captain
and exchanged to the Scots Fusilier Guards in 1842. In 1854, he served with the Guards in the Crimean War
and was present at the battles of Alma
, Balaclava
and Inkerman
. He was wounded at Inkerman and also later at the Siege of Sevastopol. In 1854, he was brevetted colonel
and appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath
in 1857, having also received the Légion d'honneur
(fourth class) and the Medjidie
(fourth class).
Promoted to major
in 1858, lieutenant-colonel in 1863 and major-general in 1864, Seymour was made a baronet
in 1869 and went on to command the troops in Malta
from 1872 to 1874. He was promoted to lieutenant-general in 1873, colonel of the 11th (North Devonshire) Regiment of Foot in 1874, Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1875 and general
in 1877. He was also appointed Master of the Ceremonies
in 1876 and sometime appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Saxe-Ernestine House Order
. He retired in 1881 after being promoted to a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath that year.
On 25 August 1869, Seymour had married Agnes Austin, the eldest daughter of Rev. H. D. Wickham of Horsington
, Somerset and they had three daughters and one son, Albert Victor Francis Seymour, who was born when Seymour was 74 years old and later served as a Page of Honour
to Queen Victoria. Seymour died at Kensington Palace
in 1890 and his baronetcy was inherited by his two year old son.
General
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....
Sir Francis Seymour, 1st Baronet, 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...
(2 August 1813, Lisburn
Lisburn
DemographicsLisburn Urban Area is within Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area and is classified as a Large Town by the . On census day there were 71,465 people living in Lisburn...
, County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
– 10 July 1890, Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century and is the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke and...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) was a British Army
British Army
The 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...
officer and courtier.
Seymour was the eldest son of Henry Augustus Seymour (1771–1847) and his wife, Margaret (died 1867). In 1834, he was commissioned as an ensign
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
in the 19th Regiment of Foot and promoted to lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in 1837. At the request of Leopold I of Belgium
Leopold I of Belgium
Leopold I was from 21 July 1831 the first King of the Belgians, following Belgium's independence from the Netherlands. He was the founder of the Belgian line of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
, Seymour accompanied Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha on the latter's visit to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in the winter of 1838–1839. Upon Albert's marriage to Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
in 1840, Seymour became his Groom-in-Waiting, an office he continued as such after Albert's death in 1861, to Victoria until 1876, when he became an Extra Groom-in-Waiting.
In 1840, Seymour was promoted to captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
and exchanged to the Scots Fusilier Guards in 1842. In 1854, he served with the Guards in 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...
and was present at the battles of Alma
Battle of Alma
The Battle of the Alma , which is usually considered the first battle of the Crimean War , took place just south of the River Alma in the Crimea. An Anglo-French force under General St...
, Balaclava
Battle of Balaclava
The Battle of Balaclava, fought on 25 October 1854 during the Crimean War, was part of the Anglo-French-Turkish campaign to capture the port and fortress of Sevastopol, Russia's principal naval base on the Black Sea...
and 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...
. He was wounded at Inkerman and also later at the Siege of Sevastopol. In 1854, he was brevetted colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
and appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath
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...
in 1857, having also received the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
(fourth class) and the Medjidie
Medjidie
Medjidie or Mejidie is the name of a military and knightly order of the Ottoman Empire. The Order was instituted in 1851 by Sultan Abdülmecid I.-Order of the Medjidie:...
(fourth class).
Promoted to major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in 1858, lieutenant-colonel in 1863 and major-general in 1864, Seymour was made a baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
in 1869 and went on to command the troops in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
from 1872 to 1874. He was promoted to lieutenant-general in 1873, colonel of the 11th (North Devonshire) Regiment of Foot in 1874, Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1875 and general
General
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....
in 1877. He was also appointed Master of the Ceremonies
Master of the Ceremonies
The office of Master of the Ceremonies was established by King James I/VI. The master's duties were to receive foreign dignitaries and present them to the monarch at court...
in 1876 and sometime appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Saxe-Ernestine House Order
Saxe-Ernestine House Order
The Saxe-Ernestine House Order was a German Ducal award, instituted by Duke Friedrich of Saxe-Altenburg, Duke Ernst I of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and Duke Bernhard II of Saxe-Meiningen, on 25 December 1833 as a joint award of the Saxon duchies.-Classes:At first, the Order consisted of five classes: Grand...
. He retired in 1881 after being promoted to a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath that year.
On 25 August 1869, Seymour had married Agnes Austin, the eldest daughter of Rev. H. D. Wickham of Horsington
Horsington, Somerset
Horsington is a village and parish in Somerset, England, situated south of Wincanton and north of Templecombe in the South Somerset district. The village lies on the edge of Horsington Marsh, part of the Blackmore Vale...
, Somerset and they had three daughters and one son, Albert Victor Francis Seymour, who was born when Seymour was 74 years old and later served as a Page of Honour
Page of Honour
While a page is a comparatively low-ranking servant, a Page of Honour is a ceremonial position in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. It requires attendance on state occasions, but does not now involve the daily duties which were once attached to the office of page...
to Queen Victoria. Seymour died at Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century and is the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke and...
in 1890 and his baronetcy was inherited by his two year old son.
Source
- E. M. Lloyd, ‘Seymour, Sir Francis, first baronet (1813–1890)’, rev. James Falkner, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University PressOxford University PressOxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
, 2004 accessed 26 March 2008