William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset
Encyclopedia
Sir William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, KG
(1588 – 24 October 1660) was an English nobleman and Royalist commander in the English Civil War
.
Seymour was the grandson of Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford
and Catherine Grey, which thus gave him a distant claim to the throne through the latter's descent from Mary Tudor, younger sister of King Henry VIII of England
. His parents were Edward Seymour, Lord Beauchamp of Hache, and Honora Rogers. William was the great-grandson of the first Duke of Somerset
.
, daughter of Charles Stuart, 1st Earl of Lennox
and Elizabeth Cavendish
, on 22 June 1610, in a secret marriage at Greenwich.
Arbella was thirteen years his senior, and the marriage was disapproved of by King James I of England
- the marriage of two potential Tudor
pretenders to the throne, who were fourth and sixth in line to the English throne, could only be seen as a threat to the ruling dynasty. As a result, William was condemned to life imprisonment in the Tower of London
(thus becoming the fourth of five generations of Seymours to spend time in the Tower).
In June 1611, he escaped from the Tower, planning to meet up with Arbella, who also had escaped captivity. They were to flee to the Continent, but bad weather and other circumstances prevented their meeting, and Arbella was recaptured. While she herself was placed in the Tower, William managed to reach safety abroad at Ostend
. Arbella remained there until her death in 1615, without ever being reunited with her husband.
, daughter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
and Frances Walsingham
, daughter of Francis Walsingham
, on 3 March 1616 at Drayton Bassett
, and had seven children:
but vacated the seat soon afterwards on
succeeding his grandfather as Earl of Hertford in 1621. He became a prominent member of the opposition to King Charles I
in the House of Lords
, supporting the Petition of Right
of 1628, and co-signing the letter of the 12 Peers of 1640, along with his brother-in-law the Earl of Essex
.
However, Hertford parted company with the more radical opponents of the King in the Long Parliament
in 1641, and was created Marquess of Hertford by the King. In the Civil War, Hertford, along with such figures as Sir Edward Hyde
, was a moderate royalist, and throughout sought a compromise settlement, continuing unofficial negotiations with his brother-in-law Essex, who became the Parliamentary commander, throughout the war. He was nevertheless a trusted supporter of the King, who made him guardian of his son the Prince of Wales
, and who undertook several important military commands in royalist
service over the course of the war, commanding troops from South Wales
.
After the end of the First Civil War and the King's imprisonment, Hertford was the most prominent nobleman to remain alongside the king throughout his captivity, and was with him up until his execution in 1649. During the Interregnum, Hertford largely kept himself away from both politics and royalist conspiracies, believing that the monarchy would be restored given time, and that conspiracies would only delay the restoration.
When the Restoration
came in 1660, Hertford was restored to all his former positions, and his services in the Royalist cause were further recognised by Charles II
who restored Hertford to his great-grandfather's dukedom of Somerset which had been forfeited in 1552. He died at Essex House, London and was buried on 1 November 1660 at Great Bedwyn
, Wiltshire
. He was succeeded by his grandson William Seymour
.
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
(1588 – 24 October 1660) was an English nobleman and Royalist commander in the English Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
.
Seymour was the grandson of Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford
Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford
Sir Edward Seymour, 1st Baron Beauchamp of Hache and 1st Earl of Hertford, KG was the son of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, by his second wife Anne Stanhope....
and Catherine Grey, which thus gave him a distant claim to the throne through the latter's descent from Mary Tudor, younger sister of King Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
. His parents were Edward Seymour, Lord Beauchamp of Hache, and Honora Rogers. William was the great-grandson of the first Duke of Somerset
Duke of Somerset
Duke of Somerset is a title in the peerage of England that has been created several times. Derived from Somerset, it is particularly associated with two families; the Beauforts who held the title from the creation of 1448 and the Seymours, from the creation of 1547 and in whose name the title is...
.
Secret marriage
He married, firstly, Arbella StuartArbella Stuart
Lady Arbella Stuart was an English Renaissance noblewoman who was for some time considered a possible successor to Queen Elizabeth I on the English throne....
, daughter of Charles Stuart, 1st Earl of Lennox
Charles Stuart, 1st Earl of Lennox
Charles Stuart, 5th Earl of Lennox was the second son of Matthew Stewart, 4th Earl of Lennox and of Margaret Douglas, daughter of Margaret Tudor....
and Elizabeth Cavendish
Elizabeth Stuart, Countess of Lennox
Elizabeth Cavendish, Countess of Lennox was the wife of Charles Stuart, 1st Earl of Lennox. She was the mother of Arbella Stuart, a close claimant to the English and Scottish thrones.- Family :...
, on 22 June 1610, in a secret marriage at Greenwich.
Arbella was thirteen years his senior, and the marriage was disapproved of by King James I of England
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
- the marriage of two potential Tudor
Tudor dynasty
The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was a European royal house of Welsh origin that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms, including the Lordship of Ireland, later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch was Henry Tudor, a descendant through his mother of a legitimised...
pretenders to the throne, who were fourth and sixth in line to the English throne, could only be seen as a threat to the ruling dynasty. As a result, William was condemned to life imprisonment in the Tower of London
Tower of London
Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress, more commonly known as the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, separated from the eastern edge of the City of London by the open space...
(thus becoming the fourth of five generations of Seymours to spend time in the Tower).
In June 1611, he escaped from the Tower, planning to meet up with Arbella, who also had escaped captivity. They were to flee to the Continent, but bad weather and other circumstances prevented their meeting, and Arbella was recaptured. While she herself was placed in the Tower, William managed to reach safety abroad at Ostend
Ostend
Ostend is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast....
. Arbella remained there until her death in 1615, without ever being reunited with her husband.
Family
Seymour married, secondly, Lady Frances DevereuxFrances Seymour, Duchess of Somerset (1599-1674)
Frances Seymour , Duchess of Somerset , was an English noblewoman who lived in the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and Kings James I, Charles I and Charles II. Her father was Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, Queen Elizabeth's favourite who was executed for treason in 1601...
, daughter of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during the Nine Years' War in 1599...
and Frances Walsingham
Frances Walsingham
Frances Walsingham, Countess of Essex and Countess of Clanricarde was an English noblewoman. The daughter of Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth I's Secretary of State, she became the wife of Sir Philip Sidney at age 14. Her second husband was Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, Queen Elizabeth's...
, daughter of Francis Walsingham
Francis Walsingham
Sir Francis Walsingham was Principal Secretary to Elizabeth I of England from 1573 until 1590, and is popularly remembered as her "spymaster". Walsingham is frequently cited as one of the earliest practitioners of modern intelligence methods both for espionage and for domestic security...
, on 3 March 1616 at Drayton Bassett
Drayton Bassett
Drayton Bassett is a village and civil parish in the District of Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. Nearby are the town of Tamworth and Middleton Lakes RSPB reserve, formerly a gravel quarry known in part as Drayton Bassett Pits.It formerly had a manor....
, and had seven children:
- Frances Seymour (?–d. before 1685), married firstly, Richard Molyneux, 2nd Viscount MolyneuxRichard Molyneux, 2nd Viscount MolyneuxRichard Molyneux, 2nd Viscount Molyneux of Maryborough, was the son of Richard Molyneux, 1st Viscount Molyneux and inherited his title on his father's death in 1636. He married Frances Seymour, daughter of William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset and Lady Frances Devereux, at Essex House on 28...
, and secondly, Conyers Darcy, 2nd Earl of HoldernessConyers Darcy, 2nd Earl of HoldernessConyers Darcy, 2nd Earl of Holderness was an English nobleman and Member of Parliament.Conyers Darcy was the eldest son of Conyers Darcy, 8th Lord Darcy of Knayth and 5th Lord Conyers, who was created Earl of Holderness in 1682....
as his third wife, from whom she had issue. - William Seymour (1621 – 16 June 1642)
- Robert Seymour (1622–1646)
- Henry Seymour, Lord BeauchampHenry Seymour, Lord BeauchampHenry Seymour, Baron Beauchamp of Hache was an English nobleman, third son of William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset.On 28 June 1648, he married Mary Capell; they had one son and one daughter. Like his father, he was a Cavalier...
(1626 – 30 March 1654), married Mary Capell and had issue. - Lady Mary Seymour (1637 – 10 April 1673), married Heneage Finch, 3rd Earl of WinchilseaHeneage Finch, 3rd Earl of WinchilseaSir Heneage Finch, 3rd Earl of Winchilsea of Eastwell, Kent, was the 3rd Earl of Winchilsea.Finch was the son of Thomas Finch, 2nd Earl of Winchilsea, and the grandson of Elizabeth Finch, 1st Countess of Winchilsea. His first cousin was Heneage Finch, 1st Earl of Nottingham. He married four...
and had issue. - Jane Seymour (1637 – 23 November 1679), married Charles Boyle, 3rd Viscount DungarvanCharles Boyle, 3rd Viscount DungarvanCharles Boyle, 3rd Viscount Dungarvan, 3rd Baron Clifford, FRS , was a British peer and politician...
and had issue. Ancestors of Elizabeth Bowes-LyonElizabeth Bowes-LyonElizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
. - John Seymour, 4th Duke of SomersetJohn Seymour, 4th Duke of SomersetJohn Seymour, 4th Duke of Somerset was an English peer and MP.He was the only surviving son of William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset and Lady Frances Devereux and entered Grays Inn in 1666. He succeeded his nephew as the 4th Duke of Somerset in 1671. He married in 1656 Sarah, daughter and...
(1646 – 29 April 1675) married Sarah Alston in 1656. No issue.
Earl of Hertford
He was elected in Dec 1620 as MP for MarlboroughMarlborough (UK Parliament constituency)
Marlborough was a parliamentary borough in Wiltshire, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1295 until 1868, and then one member from 1868 until 1885, when the borough was abolished.e-1295-1640:-1640-1868:...
but vacated the seat soon afterwards on
succeeding his grandfather as Earl of Hertford in 1621. He became a prominent member of the opposition to King Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
, supporting the Petition of Right
Petition of right
In English law, a petition of right was a remedy available to subjects to recover property from the Crown.Before the Crown Proceedings Act 1947, the British Crown could not be sued in contract...
of 1628, and co-signing the letter of the 12 Peers of 1640, along with his brother-in-law the Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex
Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex was an English Parliamentarian and soldier during the first half of the seventeenth century. With the start of the English Civil War in 1642 he became the first Captain-General and Chief Commander of the Parliamentarian army, also known as the Roundheads...
.
However, Hertford parted company with the more radical opponents of the King in the Long Parliament
Long Parliament
The Long Parliament was made on 3 November 1640, following the Bishops' Wars. It received its name from the fact that through an Act of Parliament, it could only be dissolved with the agreement of the members, and those members did not agree to its dissolution until after the English Civil War and...
in 1641, and was created Marquess of Hertford by the King. In the Civil War, Hertford, along with such figures as Sir Edward Hyde
Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon
Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon was an English historian and statesman, and grandfather of two English monarchs, Mary II and Queen Anne.-Early life:...
, was a moderate royalist, and throughout sought a compromise settlement, continuing unofficial negotiations with his brother-in-law Essex, who became the Parliamentary commander, throughout the war. He was nevertheless a trusted supporter of the King, who made him guardian of his son the Prince of Wales
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
, and who undertook several important military commands in royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
service over the course of the war, commanding troops from South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
.
After the end of the First Civil War and the King's imprisonment, Hertford was the most prominent nobleman to remain alongside the king throughout his captivity, and was with him up until his execution in 1649. During the Interregnum, Hertford largely kept himself away from both politics and royalist conspiracies, believing that the monarchy would be restored given time, and that conspiracies would only delay the restoration.
When the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
came in 1660, Hertford was restored to all his former positions, and his services in the Royalist cause were further recognised by Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
who restored Hertford to his great-grandfather's dukedom of Somerset which had been forfeited in 1552. He died at Essex House, London and was buried on 1 November 1660 at Great Bedwyn
Great Bedwyn
Great Bedwyn is a village and civil parish in the east of the English county of Wiltshire.-Location:Great Bedwyn is on the River Dun about south-west of Hungerford and south-east of Marlborough, Wiltshire. The Kennet and Avon Canal and the West of England Main Line railway follow the Dun and pass...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
. He was succeeded by his grandson William Seymour
William Seymour, 3rd Duke of Somerset
William Seymour, 3rd Duke of Somerset was the son of Henry Seymour, Lord Beauchamp and Mary Capell.He died in 1671, unmarried and childless and was succeeded by his paternal uncle John Seymour....
.