George FitzRoy Henry Somerset, 3rd Baron Raglan, (18 September 1857 – 24 October 1921), styled The Honourable George Somerset until 1884, was a British soldier and

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

politician. He served as

Under-Secretary of State for War The position of Under-Secretary of State for War was a British government position, first applied to Evan Nepean (appointed in 1794). In 1801 the offices for War and the Colonies were merged and the post became that of Under-Secretary of State for ...

from 1900 to 1902 and was

Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man The Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man ( gv, Fo-chiannoort Vannin or ''Lhiass-chiannoort Vannin'') is the Lord of Mann's official personal representative in the Isle of Man. He has the power to grant royal assent and is styled "His Excellen ...

from 1902 to 1919.

Background and education

A member of the Somerset family headed by the

Duke of Beaufort Duke of Beaufort (), a title in the Peerage of England, was created by Charles II in 1682 for Henry Somerset, 3rd Marquess of Worcester, a descendant of Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester, legitimised son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of So ...

, Somerset was the son of

Richard Somerset, 2nd Baron Raglan Richard Henry FitzRoy Somerset, 2nd Baron Raglan (24 May 1817 – 3 May 1884) was a Peerage, British peer. Life The second son of FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan, he was born in Paris and educated at Christ Church, Oxford. He went to Sri ...

, by his first wife Lady Georgina Lygon, third daughter of

Henry Lygon, 4th Earl Beauchamp General Henry Beauchamp Lygon, 4th Earl Beauchamp DL (5 January 1784 – 8 September 1863), styled The Honourable Henry Lygon from 1806 until 1853, was a British Army officer and politician. Background Beauchamp was the third son of William Ly ...

. He was a godchild of

George V of Hanover en, George Frederick Alexander Charles Ernest Augustus , house = Hanover , religion = Protestant , father = Ernest Augustus, King of Hanover , mother = Frederica of Mecklenburg-Strelitz , birth_date = 27 May 1819 , ...

, Somerset became a

Page of Honour 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. The onl ...

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

in 1868, which he remained until 1874. He was educated at

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England * Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States * Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...

and the

Royal Military College, Sandhurst The Royal Military College (RMC), founded in 1801 and established in 1802 at Great Marlow and High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, England, but moved in October 1812 to Sandhurst, Berkshire, was a British Army military academy for training infantry a ...

Military and political career

In 1870 Somerset joined the

Grenadier Guards "Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it." , colors = , colors_label = , march = Slow: " Scipio" , mascot = , equipment = , equipment ...

. He fought in the

Second Anglo-Afghan War The Second Anglo-Afghan War (Dari: جنگ دوم افغان و انگلیس, ps, د افغان-انګرېز دويمه جګړه) was a military conflict fought between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the l ...

, reaching the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

. He served as

in the Unionist Government headed by

Lord Salisbury Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (; 3 February 183022 August 1903) was a British statesman and Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom three times for a total of over thirteen y ...

from 1900 to 1902. In September 1902 Lord Raglan was appointed

. He arrived on the island on 18 October and was sworn in at Castletown on 21 October. During his tenure as Lieutenant Governor he became the Provincial Grand Master of the

Freemasons Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

in the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

from 1912 to 1919 and had the Lord Raglan Lodge No 3685 named in his honour. Described as "autocratic" and "unpopular", he opposed campaigns by Manx

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

s for direct taxation to fund an old-age pension and in 1918 ordered the removal of flour subsidies which increased the price of bread 15% above that in England. These actions had a direct effect in generating the July 1918

general strike A general strike refers to a strike action in which participants cease all economic activity, such as working, to strengthen the bargaining position of a trade union or achieve a common social or political goal. They are organised by large co ...

on the island, which resulted in the passing of an act on direct taxation, reduction in bread prices and the introduction of pensions. Lord Raglan resigned as Governor on 17 December 1918, citing ill-health.

Family

Lord Raglan married Lady Ethel Jemima Ponsonby, daughter of

Walter Ponsonby, 7th Earl of Bessborough Walter William Brabazon Ponsonby, 7th Earl of Bessborough (13 August 1821 – 24 February 1906), was a British peer and member of the House of Lords. He was the fifth son of John Ponsonby, 4th Earl of Bessborough, and his wife Lady Maria Fane. H ...

, on 28 February 1883. Lady Raglan was a one-time President of the Monmouthshire branch of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Families' Association, and died in 1940. They had six children.The Peerage.com
/ref> He died on 24 October 1921, aged 64, and was succeeded in the barony by his son,

Fitzroy Fitzroy or FitzRoy may refer to: People As a given name *Several members of the Somerset family (Dukes of Beaufort) have this as a middle-name: **FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788–1855) ** Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beau ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raglan, George Somerset, 3rd Baron 1857 births 1921 deaths People educated at Eton College

George Somerset, 3rd Baron Raglan George FitzRoy Henry Somerset, 3rd Baron Raglan, (18 September 1857 – 24 October 1921), styled The Honourable George Somerset until 1884, was a British soldier and Conservative politician. He served as Under-Secretary of State for War from ...

Barons in the Peerage of the United Kingdom Graduates of the Royal Military College, Sandhurst Grenadier Guards officers British military personnel of the Second Anglo-Afghan War Companions of the Order of the Bath Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Pages of Honour Lieutenant Governors of the Isle of Man Eldest sons of British hereditary barons