Frances Seymour, Duchess Of Somerset
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Frances Seymour, Duchess of Somerset (''née'' Devereux; 30 September 1599 – 24 April 1674) was an English noblewoman who lived during the reigns of
Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...
,
James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) * James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) * James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu * James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334†...
,
Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...
and Charles II. Her father was
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex (; 10 November 1565 – 25 February 1601) was an English nobleman and a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during th ...
, Elizabeth I's favourite who was executed for
treason Treason is the crime of attacking a state (polity), state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to Coup d'état, overthrow its government, spy ...
in 1601. She was the second wife of
William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, (158824 October 1660) was an English nobleman and Royalist commander in the English Civil War. Origins Seymour was the son of Edward Seymour, Lord Beauchamp (who predeceased his own father) by his wife ...
, and the mother of his seven children.


Early life

Lady Frances Devereux was born on 30 September 1599 at Walsingham House,
Seething Lane Seething Lane is a street in the City of London. It connects All Hallows-by-the-Tower, Byward Street, with St Olave's Church, Hart Street. The street is named after an Old English expression meaning "full of chaff", which was derived from the n ...
, London. She was the youngest child of
Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex (; 10 November 1565 – 25 February 1601) was an English nobleman and a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during th ...
and his wife, Frances Walsingham. Her paternal grandparents were
Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex (16 September 1539 – 22 September 1576), was an English nobleman and general. From 1573 until his death he fought in Ireland in connection with the Plantations of Ireland, most notably the Rathlin Island ...
and
Lettice Knollys Lettice Knollys ( , sometimes Latinisation of names, latinized as Laetitia, alias Lettice Devereux or Lettice Dudley), Countess of Essex and Countess of Leicester (8 November 1543Adams 2008a – 25 December 1634), was an English noblewoman and ...
, and her maternal grandparents were Sir
Francis Walsingham Sir Francis Walsingham ( â€“ 6 April 1590) was principal secretary to Queen Elizabeth I of England from 20 December 1573 until his death and is popularly remembered as her " spymaster". Born to a well-connected family of gentry, Wa ...
, Queen Elizabeth's trusted spymaster, and Ursula St. Barbe. At the time of Frances's birth, her father, who was a former favourite of Queen Elizabeth and
Lord Lieutenant A lord-lieutenant ( ) is the British monarch's personal representative in each lieutenancy area of the United Kingdom. Historically, each lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lieutenant's responsibility ov ...
of Ireland, was under arrest for treasonous behaviour in the
Nine Years' War The Nine Years' War was a European great power conflict from 1688 to 1697 between Kingdom of France, France and the Grand Alliance (League of Augsburg), Grand Alliance. Although largely concentrated in Europe, fighting spread to colonial poss ...
during the disastrous Irish campaign in which he parleyed with the rebellious
Earl of Tyrone The Earl of Tyrone is a title created three times in the Peerage of Ireland, and once in the Spanish nobility. It was created for the final time in 1746 for Marcus Beresford, 1st Viscount Tyrone, son-in-law of the last de Poer earls. His son wa ...
, and thus incurred the Queen's wrath. Essex was executed on 25 February 1601 for allegedly conspiring to murder the Queen. He left behind his wife and small children; Frances was less than two years old at the time.Du Maurier, pp. 269–70. Frances's brother was
Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, KB, PC (; 11 January 1591 – 14 September 1646) was an English Parliamentarian and soldier during the first half of the 17th century. With the start of the Civil War in 1642, he became the first Captai ...
, and she had an elder sister, Dorothy. She later had three younger half-siblings from her mother's third marriage in 1603 to
Richard Burke, 4th Earl of Clanricarde Richard Burke (or de Burgh), 4th Earl of Clanricarde Privy Counsellor, PC (Ire) ( ; 1572 – 12 November 1635), styled Lord Dunkellin ( ) until 1601, was an Irish nobleman and politician. He was the son of Ulick Burke, 3rd Earl of Clanricarde ...
. These were Honora, Mary and
Ulick Burke, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde Ulick MacRichard Burke, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde, 5th Earl of Clanricarde, 2nd Earl of St Albans PC (Ire) ( ; 1604 – July 1657), styled Lord Dunkellin ( ) until 1635, was an Irish nobleman who was involved in the Wars of the Three Kingd ...
.


Marriage

On 3 March 1616, Frances married at Drayton Bassett
William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, (158824 October 1660) was an English nobleman and Royalist commander in the English Civil War. Origins Seymour was the son of Edward Seymour, Lord Beauchamp (who predeceased his own father) by his wife ...
(1588–1660), the son of
Edward Seymour, Lord Beauchamp of Hache Edward Seymour, Lord Beauchamp of Hache (21 September 1561 – July 1612) was an English nobleman who had a theoretically strong claim to the throne of England through his mother, Lady Katherine Grey, but his legitimacy was questioned. He was an ...
, and the grandson of Lady Catherine Grey. During the
Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
, he was a
Royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gove ...
commander. Frances was his second wife, his first having been
Arbella Stuart Lady Arbella Stuart (also Arabella, or Stewart; 1575 – 25 September 1615) was an English noblewoman who was considered a possible successor to Queen Elizabeth I of England. During the reign of King James VI and I (her first cousin), she marrie ...
whom he married secretly in 1610, and without permission from King James, which resulted in their imprisonment in the
Tower of London The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. It lies within the London Borough of Tower Hamle ...
. He later escaped, and fled to the
Continent A continent is any of several large geographical regions. Continents are generally identified by convention (norm), convention rather than any strict criteria. A continent could be a single large landmass, a part of a very large landmass, as ...
. In 1615, Arbella died in the Tower. William and Frances together had eight children: * William Seymour (1621 – 16 June 1646) * Robert Seymour (1622–1646) * Lady Judith Seymour (1623–1645), married Peter Ransone, by whom she had issue. * Henry Seymour, Lord Beauchamp (1626 – 30 March 1654), married Mary Capel, by whom he had issue. * Lady Mary Seymour (1636 – 10 April 1673, married Heneage Finch, 3rd Earl of Winchelsea, by whom she had issue. * Lady Jane Seymour (6 July 1637 – 23 November 1679), married
Charles Boyle, 3rd Viscount Dungarvan Charles Boyle, Viscount Dungarvan, 3rd Baron Clifford, FRS ( bapt. 12 December 1639 – 12 October 1694), was an English peer and politician. He was a member of a famous Anglo-Irish aristocratic family. Early life Charles Boyle was the ...
, by whom she had issue. * Lady Frances Seymour (1642–?) * John Seymour, 4th Duke of Somerset (born before 1646 – 29 April 1675), married Sarah Alston.


Death

She died on 24 April 1674 at the age of 74, and was buried in
Great Bedwyn Great Bedwyn is a village and civil parish in east Wiltshire, England. The village is on the River Dun about southwest of Hungerford, southeast of Swindon and southeast of Marlborough. The Kennet and Avon Canal and the Reading to Taunt ...
, Wiltshire. In 1706 a marble memorial topped with a bust was placed in St Mary's Church, Great Bedwyn, at the expense of Thomas Thynne, 1st Viscount Weymouth, who had married her granddaughter Frances Finch.


Notes


References

* Du Maurier, Daphne. ''Golden Lads: Sir Francis Bacon, Anthony Bacon, and Their Friends.'' Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1975.
thepeerage.com
Retrieved 27 May 2008


Ancestry

{{DEFAULTSORT:Somerset, Frances Seymour, Duchess of 1599 births 1674 deaths Daughters of British earls English duchesses by marriage Frances Seymour, Duchess of Somerset Wives of knights