Sir Godfrey Kneller - Henry Portman Seymour - Google Art Project

Henry Seymour later Portman (c. 1637–1728), of

Orchard Portman Orchard Portman is a village and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated south of Taunton in the Somerset West and Taunton district. The village has a population of 150. The parish includes the hamlet of Thurlbear and the nearby Thurlbear ...

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, was an English politician who sat in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...

of England and then Great Britain almost continually between 1679 and 1715.

Early life

Orchard Portman by Pieter Van der Aa c1707

Seymour was the fifth son of

Sir Edward Seymour, 3rd Baronet Sir Edward Seymour, 3rd Baronet (10 September 1610 – 4 December 1688) of Berry Pomeroy Castle was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1640 and 1688. He fought for the Royalist cause in the English ...

. He joined the Army and was an ensign in the garrison at Guernsey by 1662, a lieutenant of foot in 1669 and captain in the Duke of Buckingham's Foot from 1672 to 1673. He married as his first wife Penelope Haslewood, daughter of Sir William Haslewood of Maidwell, Northamptonshire.

Political career

Seymour was returned unopposed as

Member Member may refer to: * Military jury, referred to as "Members" in military jargon * Element (mathematics), an object that belongs to a mathematical set * In object-oriented programming, a member of a class ** Field (computer science), entries in ...

(MP) for

St Mawes St Mawes ( kw, Lannvowsedh) is a village on the end of the Roseland Peninsula, in the eastern side of Falmouth harbour, on the south coast of Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village, formerly two separate hamlets, lies on the east bank of the ...

in March 1679 and was returned again in elections in October 1679, 1681, 1685 and 1689. He was commissioner for assessment for Dorset from 1689 to 1690. In 1690 he inherited the estates in Somerset and Dorset of his cousin Sir William Portman and assumed the surname of Portman. (Seymour) Portman was returned unopposed as MP for

Totnes Totnes ( or ) is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England, within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is about west of Paignton, about west-so ...

at the 1690 general election, but did not stand there in 1695. He was deputy lieutenant of Somerset from 1691 and Somerset and Dorset from 1702, and was also JP for Somerset and Devon. He was returned unopposed as MP for

in a by-election on 21 November 1696. He was elected MP for

Taunton Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England, with a 2011 population of 69,570. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century monastic foundation, Taunton Castle, which later became a priory. The Normans built a castle owned by the ...

at the 1698 general election and again in January 1701. In February 1702 he was returned unopposed as MP for

Wells Wells most commonly refers to: * Wells, Somerset, a cathedral city in Somerset, England * Well, an excavation or structure created in the ground * Wells (name) Wells may also refer to: Places Canada *Wells, British Columbia England * Wells ...

and held the seat for three more elections until 1708. In 1703 he was appointed keeper for Hyde Park a position he held until his death. At the 1708 general election he was returned unopposed as MP for

. He was elected MP for Taunton again at the 1710 general election, was returned unopposed in 1713 but was unseated on petition after the 1715 general election and never regained his seat.

Later life and legacy

Portman made a second marriage at the age of 77 to Meliora Fitch, daughter of John Fitch, Grocer of London and Lower Henbury, Dorset on 31 July 1714. He died without issue from either marriage on 23 February 1728, said to be aged 93. His estates passed under the entail via his brother Edward Seymour to the descendants of his cousin Edward Berkeley.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Seymour, Henry 1637 births 1728 deaths People from Somerset Younger sons of baronets English MPs 1679 English MPs 1680–1681 English MPs 1681 English MPs 1685–1687 English MPs 1689–1690 English MPs 1690–1695 English MPs 1695–1698 English MPs 1698–1700 English MPs 1701–1702 English MPs 1702–1705 English MPs 1705–1707 Members of the Parliament of England (pre-1707) for Totnes British MPs 1707–1708 British MPs 1708–1710 British MPs 1713–1715