His Grace

The Duke of Beaufort

KG
Portrait by Francis Cotes
Born(1744-10-16)16 October 1744
Died(1803-10-11)11 October 1803
Noble familyBeaufort
Spouse(s)
Elizabeth Boscawen
​
(m. 1766)​
Issue13, including:
FatherCharles Somerset, 4th Duke of Beaufort
MotherElizabeth Berkeley

Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort KG (16 October 1744 – 11 October 1803) was an English courtier and politician. He was the only son of Charles Noel Somerset, 4th Duke of Beaufort and Elizabeth Somerset, Duchess of Beaufort. Styled the Marquess of Worcester from 1746, at his father's death on 28 October 1756, he succeeded him as 5th Duke of Beaufort, 7th Marquess of Worcester, 11th Earl of Worcester, and 13th Baron Herbert.[1]

Life

On 18 October 1760, he began his studies at Oriel College, Oxford, graduating on 7 July 1763 with a Doctor of Civil Laws (DCL) degree.[1]

He held the office of Grand Master of the Premier Grand Lodge of England between 1767 and 1772.[1] From 1768 to 1770, he was Master of the Horse to Queen Charlotte.[1] He was appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Monmouthshire in 1771 and Lord-Lieutenant of Brecknockshire in 1787, holding both offices until his death in 1803, as well as that of Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire from 1787 to 1799.[1] He was appointed Colonel of the Monmouthshire Militia on 23 December 1771 and assumed command of the Monmouth and Brecon Militia when the combined regiment was embodied on 1 February 1793. He remained in command until his death.[2]

He was invested as a Knight of the Order of the Garter (KG) on 2 June 1786.[1] His last will was dated from 21 June 1789 to 11 September 1800. On 4 June 1803, shortly before his death, he succeeded to the title of 5th Lord Botetourt.[1]

The 5th Duke of Beaufort is buried at St Michael and All Angels Church, Badminton.

Family

Bookplate of the Duchess of Beaufort

On 2 January 1766, he married Elizabeth Boscawen, daughter of Hon. Edward Boscawen, Admiral of the Blue, and sister to George Boscawen, 3rd Viscount Falmouth.[1] Elizabeth died 15 June 1828. Together they had four daughters and nine sons:

  1. Henry Charles Somerset, 6th Duke of Beaufort, his heir and successor
  2. Lord Charles Henry Somerset (2 December 1767 – 18 February 1831)
  3. Lord Edward Somerset (1768–1769)
  4. Lord Norborne Berkeley Henry Somerset (4 May 1771 – 1838)
  5. Lady Elizabeth Somerset (11 February 1773 – 5 May 1836), who married, on 27 June 1796, Very Reverend Charles Talbot, Dean of Salisbury, and had issue
  6. Lady Frances Elizabeth Somerset (3 April 1774 – 24 May 1841)
  7. Lady Harriet Isabella Elizabeth Somerset (9 July 1775 – 1 June 1855), married Colonel Hugh Henry Mitchell and had issue
  8. Lord Robert Edward Henry Somerset (19 December 1776 – 1 September 1842)
  9. Lord Arthur John Henry Somerset (1780–1816)
  10. Rev. Lord William George Henry Somerset (2 September 1784 – 14 January 1861)
  11. Lady Anne Elizabeth Somerset (7 June 1786 – 22 September 1803)
  12. Lord John Thomas Henry Somerset (30 August 1787 – 3 October 1846)
  13. FitzRoy James Henry Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (30 September 1788 – 28 June 1855)

Plantagenet ancestry

Henry Somerset and Richard III were both male-line descendants of Edward III, Henry through Edward's 4th son John of Gaunt and Richard through Edward's 5th son Edmund of Langley.[3] But Y-DNA of Henry's descendants did not match Richard III, meaning that somewhere in one of their pedigrees, there was a false paternity event.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h G. E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors. The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14 (1910–1959; reprint in 6 volumes, Gloucester, U.K.: Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume II, page 55.
  2. ^ Capt B.E. Sargeaunt, The Royal Monmouthshire Militia, London: RUSI, 1910/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, nd, ISBN 978-1-78331204-7, pp. 80–1, 258.
  3. ^ "Richard III and the break in the male line". University of Leicester. 2 December 2014. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  4. ^ Richard III DNA results
Honorary titles Preceded byThomas Morgan Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire 1771–1799 Succeeded byThe Duke of Beaufort Preceded byCharles Morgan Lord Lieutenant of Brecknockshire 1787–1803 Preceded byThe Duke of Rutland Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire 1787–1799 Succeeded byThe Duke of Rutland Peerage of England Preceded byCharles Noel Somerset Duke of Beaufort 1756–1803 Succeeded byHenry Charles Somerset In abeyanceTitle last held byNorborne Berkeley Baron Botetourt 1803 Court offices Preceded byThe Earl De La Warr Master of the Horse to Queen Charlotte 1768–1770 Succeeded byThe Earl Waldegrave Masonic offices Preceded byThe Lord Blayney Grand Master of the Premier Grand Lodge of England 1767–1772 Succeeded byThe Lord Petre
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