Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset

File:AlgernonSeymour EarlOfHertford Later 7thDukeOfSomerset PetworthHouse.jpg

Algernon Seymour, Earl of Hertford, later 7th Duke of Somerset, portrait by John Vanderbank (1694–1739), c.1700. Egremont Private Collection, Petworth House

Arms of Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset: Quarterly, 1st and 4th: Or, on a pile gules between six fleurs-de-lys azure three lions of England (special grant to 1st Duke of Somerset (d.1552)); 2nd and 3rd: Gules, two wings conjoined in lure or (Seymour) These arms concede the positions of greatest honour, the 1st & 4th quarters, to a special grant of arms to the 1st Duke of Somerset by his nephew King Edward VI, incorporating the fleurs-de-lys (with tinctures reversed) of the Royal arms of France (first quartered by King Edward III) and the lions of the royal arms of Plantagenet

General Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset (11 November 1684 – 7 February 1750), styled Earl of Hertford until 1748, of Petworth House in Sussex, was a British soldier, politician and landowner.

Background

Seymour was the only son of Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset by his first wife, the heiress Lady Elizabeth Percy, deemed Baroness Percy in her own right, the only surviving child of Joceline Percy, 11th and last Earl of Northumberland.

Public life

Seymour was returned to Parliament for Marlborough in 1705, a seat he held until 1708, and then represented Northumberland until 1722. From 1740 to 1750 he was Colonel of the Royal Horse Guards, then known variously as "Seymour's / Earl of Hertford's / Duke of Somerset's Regiment". He was Lord-Lieutenant of Sussex from 1706 to 1750 and Custos Rotulorum of Wiltshire from 1726 to 1750. In 1737 he was appointed Governor of Minorca, a post he held until 1742, and then served as Governor of Guernsey until 1750. In 1748 he succeeded his father in the dukedom.

Land ownership and titles

The Duke's only son Lord Beauchamp died unmarried in 1744, aged 19 (see below). In 1748 Somerset was created Baron Warkworth, of Warkworth Castle in the County of Northumberland, and Earl of Northumberland, with remainder to his son-in-law, Sir Hugh Smithson, 4th Baronet, with the intention that the majority of the Percy estates should descend in this line. He was at the same time created Baron of Cockermouth, in the County of Cumberland, and Earl of Egremont, with remainder to his nephews, Sir Charles Wyndham, 4th Baronet, of Orchard Wyndham, and Percy Wyndham-O'Brien, a revival of the Egremont title held by an earlier member of the Percy family, Thomas Percy, 1st Baron Egremont.

Family

In 1713, Somerset married Frances Thynne, daughter of Henry Thynne (1675–1708) and granddaughter of Thomas Thynne, 1st Viscount Weymouth. This Thomas Thynne was the first cousin of "Tom of ten thousand", who had been the second husband of Algernon's own mother, Elizabeth. Somerset and Frances had two children:

• George Seymour, Viscount Beauchamp (11 September 1725 – 11 September 1744), predeceased his father, unmarried.
• Elizabeth Percy, suo jure 2nd Baroness Percy (1730 – 5 December 1776), married Sir Hugh Smithson, 4th Baronet, later 2nd Earl of Northumberland by right of his wife and 1st Duke of Northumberland by creation; had issue.

Algernon died in 1750 and was buried in the Northumberland Vault, within Westminster Abbey. He was one of the richest landowners in England, but as he died with no surviving son his estates were split after his death. The ducal title passed to a distant cousin, Edward Seymour, 8th Duke of Somerset. The earldom of Northumberland and most of the traditional Percy estates passed to his daughter and her husband (see Alnwick Castle, Northumberland House and Syon House). Petworth in Sussex passed to the duke's nephew Charles Wyndham, 2nd Earl of Egremont. Later dukes of Somerset lived at Maiden Bradley, a far more modest estate than those already mentioned, and for a short while at Stover House, Teigngrace, Devon and at Berry Pomeroy, Devon.

Ancestry

Family of Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset

16. Edward Seymour, Viscount Beauchamp               8. Francis Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Trowbridge                       17. Honora Rogers               4. Charles Seymour, 2nd Baron Seymour of Trowbridge                             18. Sir Gilbert Prynne               9. Frances Prinne                       19. Mary Davis               2. Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset                                   20. Sir Giles Alington               10. William Alington, 1st Baron Alington                       21. Lady Dorothy Cecil               5. Elizabeth Alington                             22. Sir Lionel Tollemache, 2nd Baronet               11. Elizabeth Tollemache                       23. Hon. Elizabeth Stanhope               1. Algernon Seymour                                         24. Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland               12. Algernon Percy, 10th Earl of Northumberland                       25. Dorothy Devereaux               6. Joceline Percy, 11th Earl of Northumberland                             26. Theophilus Howard, 2nd Earl of Suffolk               13. Elizabeth Howard                       27. Elizabeth Home               3. Elizabeth Percy                                   28. Henry Wriothesley, 3rd Earl of Southampton               14. Thomas Wriothesley, 4th Earl of Southampton                       29. Elizabeth Vernon               7. Elizabeth Wriothesley                             30. Francis Leigh, 1st Earl of Chichester               15. Elizabeth Leigh                       31. Audrey Boteler

References

Parliament of England
Preceded by Edward Ashe John Jeffreys	Member of Parliament for Marlborough 1705–1707 With: John Jeffreys	Succeeded by Parliament of Great Britain
Parliament of Great Britain
Preceded by Parliament of England	Member of Parliament for Marlborough 1707–1708 With: John Jeffreys 1707–1708 Hon. James Bruce 1708	Succeeded by Hon. James Bruce Sir Edward Ernle
Preceded by Thomas Forster Sir John Delaval, Bt	Member of Parliament for Northumberland 1708–1722 With: Thomas Forster 1708–1716 Francis Delaval 1716–1722	Succeeded by Francis Delaval Sir William Middleton
Military offices
Preceded by Emanuel Scrope Howe	Colonel of the Earl of Hertford's Regiment of Foot 1709–1715	Succeeded by Henry Harrison
Preceded by The Duke of Northumberland	Captain and Colonel of The Queen's Troop of Horse Guards 1715–1740	Succeeded by The Duke of Marlborough
Preceded by Richard Kane	Governor of Minorca 1737–1742	Succeeded by The Earl of Stair
Preceded by The Duke of Argyll	Colonel of the Royal Horse Guards 1740–1742	Succeeded by The Duke of Argyll
Preceded by The Earl of Pomfret	Governor of Guernsey 1742–1750	Succeeded by Sir John Ligonier
Preceded by The Duke of Argyll	Colonel of the Royal Horse Guards 1742–1750	Succeeded by The Duke of Richmond
Honorary titles
Preceded by The Earl of Dorset	Lord Lieutenant of Sussex 1706–1750	Vacant Title next held by The Earl of Ashburnham
Preceded by The Duke of Kingston-upon-Hull	Custos Rotulorum of Wiltshire 1726–1750	Succeeded by Robert Sawyer Herbert
Peerage of England
Preceded by Charles Seymour	Duke of Somerset 1748–1750	Succeeded by Edward Seymour
	Earl of Hertford 1748–1750	Extinct
	Baron Beauchamp 1748–1750
	Baron Seymour of Trowbridge 1748–1750
Peerage of Great Britain
New creation	Earl of Northumberland 1749–1750	Succeeded by Hugh Percy
	Earl of Egremont 1749–1750	Succeeded by Charles Wyndham
	Baron Percy 1722–1750	Succeeded by Elizabeth Smithson