Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort (16 October 1744 – 11 October 1803) was an English courtier and politician. He was styled the Marquess of Worcester from 1745 until 1756, when he succeeded his father as 5th

Duke of Beaufort Duke of Beaufort ( ) is a title in the Peerage of England. It 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 D ...

, 7th Marquess of Worcester, 11th Earl of Worcester, and 13th Baron Herbert.G. E. Cokayne; with Vicary Gibbs, H.A. Doubleday, Geoffrey H. White, Duncan Warrand and Lord Howard de Walden, editors. ''The Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, Extant, Extinct or Dormant, new ed., 13 volumes in 14'' (1910–1959; reprint in 6 volumes,

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...

Alan Sutton Publishing The History Press is a British publishing company specialising in the publication of titles devoted to local and specialist history. It claims to be the United Kingdom's largest independent publisher in this field, publishing approximately 300 ...

, 2000), volume II, page 55.

Early life

Somerset was born on 16 October 1744 at Brook Street, Hanover Square,

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. He was the only son of Lord Charles Somerset (second son of the 2nd Duke of Beaufort) and Elizabeth Beaufort, daughter of John Symes Berkeley. At the time of Somerset's birth, his father sat in the House of Commons. He was five months old when his father succeeded his elder brother 3rd Duke of Beaufort in the dukedom, at which point Somerset was styled by his father's subsidiary title, the Marquess of Worcester. The 3rd Duke left only an illegitimate daughter, Margaret Burr, who married the artist

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 o ...

. In October 1765, shortly after his 21st birthday, he succeeded his father as the 5th Duke of Beaufort. On 18 October 1760, Beaufort began his studies at

Oriel College Oriel College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, ...

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

, graduating on 7 July 1763 with a Doctor of Civil Laws (DCL) degree.

Career

Beaufort held the office of Grand Master of the

Premier Grand Lodge of England The organisation now known as the Premier Grand Lodge of England was founded on 24 June 1717 as the Grand Lodge of London and Westminster. Originally concerned with the practice of Freemasonry in London and Westminster, it soon became known as ...

between 1767 and 1772. From 1768 to 1770, he was Master of the Horse to

Queen Charlotte Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Sophia Charlotte; 19 May 1744 – 17 November 1818) was Queen of Great Britain and Ireland as the wife of King George III from their marriage on 8 September 1761 until her death in 1818. The Acts of Un ...

. He was appointed Lord-Lieutenant of Monmouthshire in 1771 and Lord-Lieutenant of Brecknockshire in 1787, holding both offices until his death in 1803, as well as that of Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire from 1787 to 1799. He was appointed

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

of the Monmouthshire Militia on 23 December 1771 and assumed command of the Monmouth and Brecon Militia when the combined regiment was embodied on 1 February 1793. He remained in command until his death. He was invested as a Knight of the

Order of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. The most senior order of knighthood in the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system, it is outranked in ...

(KG) on 2 June 1786. On 4 June 1803, shortly before his death, he succeeded to the title of 5th Baron Botetourt.

Personal life

On 2 January 1766, he married Elizabeth Boscawen, daughter of Hon.

Edward Boscawen Admiral of the Blue Edward Boscawen, Privy Council (United Kingdom), PC (19 August 171110 January 1761) was a Royal Navy officer and politician. He is known principally for his various naval commands during the 18th century and the engagements ...

Admiral of the Blue Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

, and sister to

George Boscawen, 3rd Viscount Falmouth George Boscawen, 3rd Viscount Falmouth, Privy Council of Great Britain, PC (6 May 1758 – 11 February 1808), was a British army officer and statesman in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This included service as Captain of the Honoura ...

. Elizabeth died 15 June 1828. Together they had four daughters and nine sons: # Henry Charles Somerset, 6th Duke of Beaufort (1766–1835), who married Lady Charlotte Leveson-Gower, a daughter of

Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford, KG PC (4 August 172126 October 1803), known as Viscount Trentham from 1746 to 1754 and as The Earl Gower from 1754 to 1786, was a British politician from the Leveson-Gower family. Sitting in ...

and Lady Susanna Stewart (a daughter of the 6th Earl of Galloway), in 1791. # Lord Charles Henry Somerset (1767–1831), who married Hon. Elizabeth Courtenay, daughter of William Courtenay, 2nd Viscount Courtenay, in 1788. After her death in 1815, he married Lady Mary Poulett, daughter of John Poulett, 4th Earl Poulett, in 1821.Charles Mosley, editor. ''Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition, 2 volumes'' (Crans,

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

Burke's Peerage Burke's Peerage Limited is a British genealogical publisher, considered an authority on the order of precedence of noble families and information on the lesser nobility of the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1826, when the Anglo-Irish genea ...

(Genealogical Books) Ltd, 1999), volume 1, pp. 221–223. # Lord Edward Somerset (1768–1769), who died young. # Lord Norborne Berkeley Henry Somerset (4 May 1771 – 19 October 1838) # Lady Elizabeth Somerset (1773–1836), who married Very Rev Charles Talbot, Dean of Salisbury, son of Rev. Hon. George Talbot (a son of the 1st Baron Talbot) and Hon. Anne Bouverie (a daughter of the 1st Viscount Folkestone), in 1796. # Lady Frances Elizabeth Somerset (1774–1841) # Lady Harriet Isabella Elizabeth Somerset (1775–1855), who married Col. Hugh Henry Mitchell, a son of Hugh Henry Mitchell, MP for

Ballyshannon Ballyshannon () is a town in County Donegal, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is located at the southern end of the county where the N3 road (Ireland), N3 from Dublin ends and the N15 road (Ireland), N15 crosses the River Erne. The town was inc ...

and

Enniskillen Enniskillen ( , from , ' Ceithlenn's island') is the largest town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the middle of the county, between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 14,086 at the 2011 censu ...

, in 1804. # Gen. Lord Robert Edward Henry Somerset (1776–1842), who married Hon. Louisa Augusta Courtenay, daughter of William Courtenay, 2nd Viscount Courtenay, in 1805. # Lord Arthur John Henry Somerset (1780–1816), who married Hon. Elizabeth Boscawen, daughter of

, in 1808. # Rev. Lord William Somerset (1784–1861), who married Elizabeth Molyneux, daughter of Lt.-Gen. Sir Thomas Molyneux, 5th Baronet, in 1813. After her death in 1843, the following year he married Frances Westby Brady, daughter of Henry Brady of Raheen Manor, County Clare, and widow of Cornelius O'Callaghan of Ballynahinch (died 1829). # Lady Anne Elizabeth Somerset (1786–1803), who died unmarried. # Col. Lord John Thomas Henry Somerset (1787–1846), who married Lady Catherine Annesley, daughter of Arthur Annesley, 1st Earl of Mountnorris and Hon. Sarah Cavendish (a daughter of

Sir Henry Cavendish, 2nd Baronet Sir Henry Cavendish, 2nd Baronet Privy Council of Ireland, PC (29 September 1732 – 3 August 1804) was an Anglo-Irish politician noted for his extensive recording of parliamentary debates in the late 1760s and early 1770s. Early life Cavendish ...

and the 1st Baroness Waterpark), in 1814. # FitzRoy James Henry Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788–1855), who married Lady Emily Wellesley-Pole, daughter of William Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl of Mornington, in 1814.Mosley, Charles, editor. ''Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes.''

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...

(Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003, volume 1, page 307. Lord Beaufort died on 11 October 1803 and was buried at St Michael and All Angels Church, Badminton. His last will was dated from 21 June 1789 to 11 September 1800.Hammond, Peter W., editor, ''The Complete Peerage or a History of the House of Lords and All its Members From the Earliest Times, Volume XIV: Addenda & Corrigenda'' (Stroud,

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

: Allen Sutton Publishing, 1998), page 77. He was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son,

Henry Henry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Henry (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters * Henry (surname) * Henry, a stage name of François-Louis Henry (1786–1855), French baritone Arts and entertainmen ...

Relation to Richard III

Beaufort and

Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...

were both male-line descendants of the

Plantagenet The House of Plantagenet ( /plænˈtædʒənət/ ''plan-TAJ-ə-nət'') was a royal house which originated from the French county of Anjou. The name Plantagenet is used by modern historians to identify four distinct royal houses: the Angev ...

King

Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...

: Beaufort through Edward's fourth son,

John of Gaunt John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (6 March 1340 – 3 February 1399), was an English royal prince, military leader and statesman. He was the fourth son (third surviving) of King Edward III of England, and the father of King Henry IV. Because ...

, and Richard through Edward's fifth son, Edmund of Langley. After the

exhumation of Richard III The remains of Richard III, the last List of monarchs of the British Isles by cause of death#Killed, English king killed in battle and last king of the House of York, were discovered within the site of the former Greyfriars, Leicester, Greyfr ...

in 2012, intensive research was conducted using the DNA of descendants of the immediate relatives of Richard, who died without issue. The body exhumed was positively identified by matching his

mitochondrial DNA Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA and mDNA) is the DNA located in the mitochondrion, mitochondria organelles in a eukaryotic cell that converts chemical energy from food into adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial DNA is a small portion of the D ...

with two living descendants of his eldest sister, Anne of York). All five known living male-line relatives of Richard are descended from the 5th Duke of Beaufort; however, a Y chromosome type of Richard failed to match any of the five, indicating that at least one

non-paternity event In genetics, a non-paternity event (also known as misattributed paternity, not parent expected, or NPE) occurs when an individual's presumed father is not in fact their biological father. This is a type of misattributed parentage experience (MPE) ...

had occurred somewhere in the 19 generations between Richard and the 5th Duke. Four of the five, however, had DNA indicating they held Plantagenet ancestry through different ancestors. The fifth was not related at all, indicating an additional non-paternity event had occurred in the 5th Duke's male line in recent generations.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beaufort, Henry Somerset, 5th Duke Of 1744 births 1803 deaths *13 *05

105 105 may refer to: *105 (number), the number * AD 105, a year in the 2nd century AD * 105 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC * 105 (telephone number), the emergency telephone number in Mongolia * 105 (MBTA bus), a Massachusetts Bay Transport Authority ...

Knights of the Garter Lord-lieutenants of Brecknockshire Lord-lieutenants of Leicestershire Lord-lieutenants of Monmouthshire Masters of foxhounds in England Brecknockshire Militia officers Henry Somerset, 05th Duke of Beaufort Freemasons of the Premier Grand Lodge of England Grand masters of the Premier Grand Lodge of England