Henry Somerset-Scudamore, 3rd Duke of Beaufort (23 March 1707 – 26 February 1745), born Henry Somerset, was an English nobleman and peer who supported

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Life

He was the elder son of Henry Somerset, 2nd Duke of Beaufort and his second wife, Rachel Noel. As his father's eldest son and heir to his father's title he was known as (styled) Marquess of Worcester, a

courtesy title A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but rather is used through custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title). In some con ...

. On his father's death on 24 April 1714, he succeeded him and became 3rd

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 S ...

. At the age of 19 Beaufort commissioned the construction of what would later become known as the Badminton Chest or Badminton Cabinet, an ornate set of drawers made in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...

. The chest was sold in 2004 to

Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein Hans-Adam II (Johannes Adam Ferdinand Alois Josef Maria Marco d'Aviano Pius; born 14 February 1945) is the reigning Prince of Liechtenstein, since 1989. He is the son of Prince Franz Joseph II and his wife, Countess Georgina von Wilczek. He a ...

for £19 million, making it the most expensive piece of furniture in the world. It is on display in the Palais Liechtenstein in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, Austria. The Duke was one of several founding governors of Britain's first institution for abandoned children, the

Foundling Hospital The Foundling Hospital in London, England, was founded in 1739 by the philanthropic sea captain Thomas Coram. It was a children's home established for the "education and maintenance of exposed and deserted young children." The word " hospita ...

, and his name is listed in its

royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, b ...

received from George II in October 1739. In 1743, he was one of several leading English Tories who communicated with the French government through Francis Sempill in order to illicit French support for an invasion to restore the Stuart line. After his death, the 3rd Duke of Beaufort was buried at St Michael and All Angels Church, Badminton. His memorial was sculpted by John Michael Rysbrack in 1754. Because he had no legitimate children, his titles and estates were inherited by his younger brother, Charles Noel Somerset.

Family

On 28 June 1729 Beaufort married Frances Scudamore (14 August 1711 – 16 February 1750), the only daughter and heir of James Scudamore, 3rd Viscount Scudamore, and took his wife's name by an

Act of Parliament Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of parliame ...

later the same year. In 1742 Beaufort filed for divorce over Frances's adulterous relationship with William Talbot, who later became

Earl Talbot Earl Talbot is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Great Britain. This branch of the Talbot family descends from the Hon. Sir Gilbert Talbot (died 1518), third son of John Talbot, 2nd Earl of Shrewsbury. His great-great-great- ...

. Frances countersued, saying the Duke was impotent; in March 1743, he demonstrated before court-appointed examiners that he was physically able to have an erection. The divorce was granted, and he sued Talbot for damages.McLaren, Angus. ''Impotence: a cultural history''. University of Chicago Press, 2007
p 72
Retrieved February 24, 2011. Frances later remarried, to Charles FitzRoy-Scudamore. Beaufort had one illegitimate daughter, Margaret Burr, who married the painter

Thomas Gainsborough Thomas Gainsborough (14 May 1727 (baptised) – 2 August 1788) was an English portrait and landscape painter, draughtsman, and printmaker. Along with his rival Sir Joshua Reynolds, he is considered one of the most important British artists of ...

and had issue.

References

External links

the Badminton Cabinet in the Liechtenstein Museum, Vienna
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beaufort, Henry Somerset, 3rd Duke Of 1707 births 1745 deaths

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*11 English Jacobites Masters of foxhounds in England Henry Somerset, 3rd Duke of Beaufort Henry