Lord Charles Henry Somerset
PC (12 December 1767 – 18 February 1831), born in
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played using racquets to hit a shuttlecock across a net. Although it may be played with larger teams, the most common forms of the game are "singles" (with one player per side) and "doubles" (with two players pe ...
, England, was a British soldier, politician and colonial administrator.
[Charles Mosley, editor. Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition, 2 volumes (Crans, Switzerland: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 1999), volume 1, page 221 – 223.] He was governor of the
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony ( nl, Kaapkolonie), also known as the Cape of Good Hope, was a British Empire, British colony in present-day South Africa named after the Cape of Good Hope, which existed from 1795 to 1802, and again from 1806 to 1910, when i ...
,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
, from 1814 to 1826.
Background
Somerset was the second son of
Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort
Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort (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 Marqu ...
, and Elizabeth, daughter of Admiral the Hon.
Edward Boscawen
Admiral of the Blue Edward Boscawen, PC (19 August 171110 January 1761) was a British admiral in the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament for the borough of Truro, Cornwall, England. He is known principally for his various naval commands during ...
. He was the brother of
Henry Somerset, 6th Duke of Beaufort
Henry Charles Somerset, 6th Duke of Beaufort, KG (22 December 1766 – 23 November 1835), styled Marquess of Worcester until 1803, was a British politician.
Background and education
Somerset was the son of Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort ...
, General
Lord Robert Somerset
General Lord Robert Edward Henry Somerset (19 December 17761 September 1842) was a British soldier who fought during the Peninsular War and the War of the Seventh Coalition.
Life
Somerset was the third son of Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufo ...
,
Lord Arthur Somerset and Field Marshal
FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan
Field Marshal FitzRoy James Henry Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan, (30 September 1788 – 28 June 1855), known before 1852 as Lord FitzRoy Somerset, was a British Army officer. When a junior officer, he served in the Peninsular War and the Waterlo ...
.
Political career
Somerset sat as
member of parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
for
Scarborough Scarborough or Scarboro may refer to:
People
* Scarborough (surname)
* Earl of Scarbrough
Places Australia
* Scarborough, Western Australia, suburb of Perth
* Scarborough, New South Wales, suburb of Wollongong
* Scarborough, Queensland, su ...
between 1796 and 1802 and for
Monmouth Boroughs
Monmouth Boroughs (also known as the Monmouth District of Boroughs) was a United Kingdom constituencies, parliamentary constituency consisting of several towns in Monmouthshire (historic), Monmouthshire. It returned one Member of Parliament (Uni ...
between 1802 and 1813. He served as
Comptroller of the Household between 1797 and 1804 and as
Joint Paymaster of the Forces between 1804 and 1806 and 1807 and 1813 and was sworn of the
Privy Council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...
on 26 April 1797. In 1814 he was appointed
Governor of the Cape Colony
This article lists the governors of British South African colonies, including the colonial prime ministers. It encompasses the period from 1797 to 1910, when present-day South Africa was divided into four British colonies namely: Cape Colony (p ...
, a post he held until 1826. The towns of
Somerset West
Somerset West ( af, Somerset-Wes) is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa. Organisationally and administratively it is included in the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality as a suburb of the Helderberg region (formerly called Hottent ...
and
Somerset East
Somerset East ( af, Somerset-Oos) is a town in the Blue Crane Route Local Municipality in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. It was founded by Lord Charles Somerset in 1825.
The Blue Crane Route follows the national road R63 from Pearston, via S ...
in South Africa are named after him.
Family
Somerset married firstly Lady Elizabeth Courtenay
(2 September 1788 – 11 September 1815), on 7 June 1788, following their elopement. She was the daughter of the
8th Earl of Devon.
They had six children:
#Elizabeth Somerset (October 1790 – 1872), married General the Hon.
Sir Henry Wyndham (1790–1860) in July 1812
#Mary Georgiana Somerset (February 1793 – 19 May 1856), married Lt-Col. Stirling Freeman Glover on 25 June 1833
#Lieutenant-General
Sir Henry Somerset (1794–1862)
#Charlotte Augusta Somerset (2 January 1799 – 17 March 1864), married Herbert Cornewoll in May 1822
#Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Henry Somerset (24 September 1800 – 28 May 1835)
#Reverend Villiers Somerset (12 February 1803 – 3 February 1855), married Frances Dorothy Ley on 8 August 1844 and had issue
After the death of Lady Elizabeth, he married secondly Lady Mary Poulett, daughter of the
4th Earl Poulett, on 9 August 1821.
They had three children:
#Colonel
Poulett Somerset
Colonel Poulett George Henry Somerset CB (19 June 1822 – 7 September 1875) was a British soldier and Conservative Party politician.
Biography
Somerset was the eldest son of Lord Charles Somerset by his second wife, Lady Mary Poulett, Somerset ...
(1822–1875)
#Mary Sophia Somerset (20 May 1823 – 11 November 1869)
#Augusta Anne Somerset (21 April 1824 – 27 December 1881), married
Sir Henry Barron, 1st Baronet
Sir Henry Winston Barron, 1st Baronet DL (15 October 1795 – 19 April 1872) was an Irish baronet and politician, who stood at nine different general elections.
Background
Born at Ballymil in County Waterford, he was the son of Pierce Barron ...
on 1 August 1863.
Somerset died in February 1831, aged 63. His second wife died in June 1860, aged 72.
Ancestry
Matthew Bryn Volker
Biographies
*
References
External links
*
https://isbndb.com/book/9780196370774
{{DEFAULTSORT:Somerset, Charles
1767 births
1831 deaths
Younger sons of dukes
Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for English constituencies
British MPs 1796–1800
Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Welsh constituencies
UK MPs 1801–1802
UK MPs 1802–1806
UK MPs 1806–1807
UK MPs 1807–1812
UK MPs 1812–1818
Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Paymasters of the Forces
Governors of the Cape Colony
C
People from Badminton, Gloucestershire