Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester, (c. 146015 March 1526) was an
English nobleman and politician. He was the bastard son of
Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset by his mistress Joan Hill.
Origins
Somerset was born in about 1460, an illegitimate son of
Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset[ Burke, John, ''Burke's genealogical and heraldic history of peerage, baronetage and knightage'', (G.P.Putnam's Sons:New York, 1914), p. 207.] by his mistress Joan Hill. He was legitimised.
Career
Somerset was invested as a
Knight of the Garter in about 1496. On his marriage in 1492 he was styled Baron Herbert in right of his wife, and in 1506 he was created Baron Herbert of Ragland, Chepstow and Gower.
On 1 February 1514, he was created
Earl of Worcester and was at some time appointed
Lord Chamberlain of the Household to King
Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
. As Lord Chamberlain, Somerset was largely responsible for the preparations for the
Field of Cloth of Gold in 1520.
Somerset was both raised to high rank in the Henry VIII's reign and was personally connected with leading members of the nobility. For example, he stood in surety for the loan from the King taken by
Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury to pay for her husbands burial.
Marriages and children
He married three times, although his second marriage is uncertain.
Firstly on 2 June 1492, he married
Elizabeth Herbert, 3rd Baroness Herbert (died before March 1513), daughter of
William Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
William Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (5 March 145116 July 1491) was an English nobleman and politician.
Early life
He was the son of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (8th Creation), William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke and Anne Devereux. ...
,
''jure exoris'' 2nd Baron Herbert.
By Elizabeth Herbert he had the following children:
*
Henry Somerset, 2nd Earl of Worcester
Henry Somerset, 2nd Earl of Worcester (26 November 1549) was an English nobleman. He was the son of Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester and Elizabeth Herbert, 3rd Baroness Herbert. On his father's death on 15 April 1526, he succeeded as t ...
, only son and heir. He married firstly and by papal dispensation to
Lady Margaret Courtenay, daughter of
William Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon and
Catherine of York. He married secondly to
Elizabeth Browne, daughter of
Anthony Browne and Lucy Neville, and had issue.
*Elizabeth Somerset, his only daughter, wife successively of Sir John Savage and Sir
William Brereton.
Secondly he allegedly married Elizabeth West, daughter of Sir
Thomas West, 8th Baron De La Warr. His supposed marriage to Elizabeth West, however, may be an error made by
William Dugdale, repeated by later writers. By Elizabeth West he supposedly had the following children:
*Sir Charles Somerset
*Sir George Somerset
*
Lady Mary Somerset of Worcester, married firstly to
William Grey, 13th Baron Grey de Wilton and secondlt to Robert Carre.
Thirdly he married Eleanor Sutton, daughter of
Edward Sutton, 2nd Baron Dudley.
After Somerset's death, she married secondly to
Leonard Grey, 1st Viscount Grane.
His descendants include the Marquesses of Worcester, the
Dukes of Beaufort and
Thomas Savage, 1st Viscount Savage.
Death and burial
Somerset died on 15 March 1526 and was buried with his first wife at
St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle
St George's Chapel, formally titled The King's Free Chapel of the College of St George, Windsor Castle, at Windsor Castle in England is a castle chapel built in the late-medieval Perpendicular Gothic style. It is a Royal peculiar, Royal Peculia ...
.
Coat of arms
GarterPlateCharlesSomerset1stEarlOfWorcester1499.png, Garter stall plate of Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester, show the coat of arms of Beaufort with baton sinister impaling ''Per pale azure and gules, three lions rampant argent'' (Herbert, for his first wife, shown here apparently with field inverted as ''Per pale gules and azure'')
Coat of arms of Sir Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester, KG.png, Arms of Sir Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester, KG, showing the arms of Beaufort with baton sinister, with escutcheon of pretence of Herbert, circumscribed by the Garter
Family tree
References
References
* Burke, John, ''Burke's genealogical and heraldic history of peerage, baronetage and knightage'', G.P.Putnam's Sons:New York, 1914.
* Gurney, E. Henry, ''Reference handbook for readers, students, and teachers of English history '', Ginn & Company:Boston, 1890.
* McClain, Molly, ''Beaufort: the duke and his duchess, 1657-1715'', Yale University Press, 2001.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Worcester, Charles Somerset, 1st Earl Of
1460s births
1526 deaths
Ambassadors of England to France
Knights of the Garter
*01
*03
15th-century English people
16th-century English nobility
Herbert, 1st Baron, Charles Somerset
C
16th-century English diplomats