Jane Georgiana Seymour, Duchess of Somerset (née Sheridan; 5 November 1809 – 14 December 1884), was the wife of Edward, Duke of Somerset.

Life

Jane Georgiana Sheridan was the third daughter of

Thomas Sheridan Thomas Sheridan may refer to: *Thomas Sheridan (divine) (1687–1738), Anglican divine *Thomas Sheridan (actor) (1719–1788), Irish actor and teacher of elocution *Thomas Sheridan (soldier) (1775–1817/18) *Thomas B. Sheridan (born 1931), America ...

and his wife the novelist Caroline Callander, daughter of Sir James Callander of Craigforth and Ardkinglas. She was the younger sister of Helen Lady Dufferin, songwriter, composer, poet, and author, and

Caroline Norton Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Norton, Lady Stirling-Maxwell (''née'' Sheridan; 22 March 1808 – 15 June 1877) was an active English social reformer and author.Perkin, pp. 26–28. She left her husband, who was accused by many of coercive behaviour, ...

, society beauty, feminist, social reformer, and author. Georgiana, Helen, and Caroline were the granddaughters of Irish playwright

Richard Brinsley Sheridan Richard Brinsley Butler Sheridan (30 October 17517 July 1816) was an Anglo-Irish playwright, writer and Whig politician who sat in the British House of Commons from 1780 to 1812, representing the constituencies of Stafford, Westminster and I ...

. Known for her loveliness, the Duchess was chosen to be the "Queen of Beauty" at the

Eglinton Tournament The Eglinton Tournament of 1839 was a reenactment of a medieval joust and revel held in North Ayrshire, Scotland between 28 and 30 August. It was funded and organized by Archibald, Earl of Eglinton, and took place at Eglinton Castle in Ayrshir ...

in 1839. According to the memoirs of

Lady Dorothy Nevill Lady Dorothy Fanny Nevill (''née'' Walpole; 1 April 1826 – 24 March 1913) was an English writer, hostess, horticulturist, and plant collector from the Walpole and Nevill families. She was a founding member of the Conservative Primrose Leag ...

, the Duchess unsuccessfully attempted to introduce

guinea pigs The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (''Cavia porcellus''), also known as the cavy or domestic cavy ( ), is a species of rodent belonging to the genus ''Cavia'', family Caviidae. Breeders tend to use the name "cavy" for the animal, but "gui ...

to the English culinary scene. She married Edward, Duke of Somerset (then Lord Seymour) on the 10th of June 1830, when he was twenty-five and she was twenty. They had two sons and three daughters: * Lady Jane Hermione Seymour (1 January 1832 – 1909), married Sir Frederick Graham (1820 – 1888), and had issue (the Countess of Verulam and Duchess of Montrose) *Lady Ulrica Frederica Jane Seymour (12 January 1833 – 1916), married Lord Henry Thynne (1832 - 1904) * Edward Adolphus Ferdinand, Earl St. Maur (17 July 1835 – 1869), had two illegitimate children by his maid. The son Harold claimed he was legitimate and, after his father's death, declared himself heir to the Dukedom of Somerset *Lord Edward Percy Seymour (19 August 1841 – 1865), diplomat, unmarried and without issue; died in India after being mauled by a bearThe Complete Peerage vol.XIIpI, p.87, note b. *Lady Helen Guendolen Seymour (1846 – 1910), married Sir John Ramsden (1831 – 1914) The Duchess was survived by her husband by less than a year. She is interred at

Gerrard's Cross Gerrards Cross is a town and civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England. It lies immediately south of Chalfont St Peter and a short distance west of the London Borough of Hillingdon, from which it is separated by the parish of Denham. Other neig ...

, Buckinghamshire.

References

1809 births 1884 deaths English duchesses by marriage Georgiana {{England-duke-stub