John Michael Edward Seymour, 19th Duke of Somerset (born 30 December 1952), styled Lord Seymour between 1954 and 1984, is a British aristocratic landowner in

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

and

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...

, and a member of the House of Lords.

Life

Educated at

Hawtreys Hawtreys Preparatory School was an independent boys' preparatory school in England, first established in Slough, later moved to Westgate-on-Sea, then to Oswestry, and finally to a country house near Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire. In its early years ...

and

Eton College Eton College () is a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. intended as a sister institution to King's College, ...

, he qualified as a

chartered surveyor Chartered Surveyor is the description (protected by law in many countries) of Professional ''Members'' and ''Fellows'' of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) entitled to use the designation (and a number of variations such as "Chart ...

before succeeding to the

duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are rank ...

dom in 1984 on the death of his father. Having lost his seat in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...

under the

House of Lords Act 1999 The House of Lords Act 1999 (c. 34) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. The Act was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. For centuries, the House of Lords ...

, he was elected at the December 2014 House of Lords by-elections, to sit as a crossbencher. The Duke's principal seat is Bradley House,

Maiden Bradley Maiden Bradley is a village in south-west Wiltshire, England, about south-west of Warminster and bordering the county of Somerset. The B3092 road between Frome and Mere forms the village street. Bradley House, the seat of the Duke of Somerse ...

, Wiltshire, and he also owns

Berry Pomeroy Castle Berry Pomeroy Castle, a Tudor mansion within the walls of an earlier castle, is near the village of Berry Pomeroy, in South Devon, England. It was built in the late 15th century by the Pomeroy family which had held the land since the 11th centur ...

in Devon. He was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for

in 1993 and for

in 2003. The Duke and his wife are patrons and official hosts of the

Queen Charlotte's Ball The Queen Charlotte's Ball is an annual British debutante ball. The ball was founded in 1780 by George III as a birthday celebration in honour of his wife, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, for whom the ball is named. The Queen Charlotte's Ball ...

. In 2015, the Duke was involved in a dispute over a plan to build housing on

ancestral land Ancestral domain or ancestral lands refers to the lands, territories and resources of indigenous peoples, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. The term differs from indigenous land rights, Aboriginal title or Native Title by directly indica ...

he owns at

Totnes Totnes ( or ) is a market town and 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-southwest of Torquay and abo ...

, Devon.

Family

The present Duke is the son of

Percy Seymour, 18th Duke of Somerset Percy Hamilton Seymour, 18th Duke of Somerset (27 September 1910 – 15 November 1984), styled Lord Seymour between 1931 and 1954, of Bradley House (Wiltshire), Bradley House in the parish of Maiden Bradley, Wiltshire, was a British peer. Life H ...

, and Jane ''née'' Thomas (died 2005). His paternal grandmother, Edith Mary Parker, was a daughter of William Parker and Lucinda Steeves, daughter of

William Steeves William Henry Steeves (May 20, 1814 – December 9, 1873) was a merchant, lumberman, politician and Father of Canadian Confederation. Life and career Born and raised in Hillsborough, New Brunswick, William Henry Steeves was a descendant of Hein ...

, one of the Fathers of Canadian Confederation. He married at All Saints' Church, Maiden Bradley, on 20 May 1978, Judith-Rose Hull, daughter of John Folliott Hull; the Duke and Duchess have four children: *Sebastian Edward, Lord Seymour (b. 3 February 1982) married Arlette Marie Léontine (daughter of Daniel Lafayeedney orn Daniel EdneyPaul McKeigue, David Miller, Jake Mason, Piers Robinson
''"Briefing note on the Integrity Initiative" – Working Group on Syria Propaganda and Media''
fdik.org, 21 December 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2021.) on 27 August 2006 and they were divorced in 2011. *Lady Sophia Rose Seymour (b. 1987) *Lady Henrietta Charlotte Seymour (b. 1989) *Lord Charles Thomas George Seymour (b. 1992).

Arms

Family tree

References

Footnotes

External links

* ''Burke's Peerage & Baronetage''
''Cracroft's Peerage'' online
* ''The Duke of Somerset'', Obituary in ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...

'', Saturday, 17 November 1984
www.duchyofsomerset.co.uk
*
John Seymour, 19th Duke of Somerset
{{DEFAULTSORT:Somerset, John Seymour, 19th Duke of 1952 births Living people People educated at Hawtreys People educated at Eton College Crossbench hereditary peers 519 Deputy Lieutenants of Devon Deputy Lieutenants of Wiltshire Hereditary peers elected under the House of Lords Act British landowners

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

UK Independence Party politicians British surveyors