Richard Henry FitzRoy Somerset, 2nd Baron Raglan (24 May 1817 – 3 May 1884) was a

British peer A Peerage is a form of crown distinction, with Peerages in the United Kingdom comprising both hereditary and lifetime titled appointments of various ranks, which form both a constituent part of the legislative process and the British hono ...

Early life

Somerset was born in Paris on 24 May 1817. He was the second son of

FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan Field marshal (United Kingdom), Field Marshal FitzRoy James Henry Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan, (30 September 1788 – 28 June 1855), known before 1852 as Lord FitzRoy Somerset, was a British Army officer. When a junior officer, he served in the ...

and Lady Emily Wellesley-Pole (daughter of

William Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl of Mornington William Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl of Mornington, (20 May 1763 – 22 February 1845), known as Lord Maryborough between 1821 and 1842, was an Anglo-Irish politician and an elder brother of the Duke of Wellington. His surname changed twice: he was ...

, and niece of the

Duke of Wellington Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ar ...

).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 ...

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, 2003, volume 3, page 3254. His father was the ninth and youngest son of

Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort 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 (England), ...

and his wife Elizabeth Boscawen (daughter of Admiral

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 ...

).Heathcote, p. 267 He was educated at

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

Career

He went to

Ceylon Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

with Lt.-Gen. Sir Colin Campbell as his Private Secretary and was subsequently taken into the Ceylon civil service in 1841. In 1844 he was the assistant government agent of

Colombo Colombo, ( ; , ; , ), is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. The Colombo metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of 5.6 million, and 752,993 within the municipal limits. It is the ...

. He left the island in 1849 to become the private secretary of

George V of Hanover George V (Georg Friedrich Alexander Karl Ernst August; 27 May 1819 – 12 June 1878) was the last King of Hanover, reigning from 18 November 1851 to 20 September 1866. The only child of King Ernest Augustus and Queen Frederica, he succeeded ...

, leaving that office in 1855 when he succeeded to his father's title. Parliament granted him and his successor a pension of £2,000 for the service of his father (23 July 1855). He was commissioned as a

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

in the disembodied

North Hampshire Militia The North Hampshire Militia (or colloquially the 'North Hants Militia') was an auxiliary military regiment in the county of Hampshire on England's South Coast. First organised during the Seven Years' War it carried out internal security and ho ...

on 31 October 1849,Arthur Sleigh, ''The Royal Militia and Yeomanry Cavalry Army List'', April 1850, London: British Army Despatch Press, 1850/Uckfield: Naval and Military Press, 1991, ISBN 978-1-84342-410-9, p. 56. transferring to the Gloucestershire Yeomanry from 1856, initially as a

Cornet The cornet (, ) is a brass instrument similar to the trumpet but distinguished from it by its conical bore, more compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. There is also a soprano cor ...

and then as a

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

1864–75. He became a

Lord-in-waiting Lords-in-waiting (male) or baronesses-in-waiting (female) are peers who hold office in the Royal Household of the sovereign of the United Kingdom. In the official Court Circular they are styled "Lord in Waiting" or "Baroness in Waiting" (without ...

from 1858 to 1859 and 1866–69, under The Earl of Derby's and

Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman, Conservative politician and writer who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a central role in the creat ...

's governments respectively. The family seat is Cefntilla Court in Llandenny,

Monmouthshire Monmouthshire ( ; ) is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South East Wales, south east of Wales. It borders Powys to the north; the English counties of Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the north and east; the Severn Estuary to the s ...

. An inscription over the porch dated 1858 reads: "This house with 238 acres of land was purchased by 1623 of the friends, admirers and comrades in arms of the late Field Marshal Lord Raglan GCB and presented by them to his son and his heirs for ever in a lasting memorial of affectionate regard and respect".

Personal life

On 25 September 1856 Somerset married Lady Georgina Lygon, the third daughter of Henry Lygon, 4th Earl Beauchamp and Lady Susan Caroline Eliot (a daughter of the 2nd Earl of St Germans). Before her death in 1865, they had five sons, including: *

George Somerset, 3rd Baron Raglan George FitzRoy Henry Somerset, 3rd Baron Raglan (18 September 1857 – 24 October 1921), styled The Honourable George Somerset until 1884, was a British soldier and Conservative politician. He served as Under-Secretary of State for War from ...

(1857–1921), who married Lady Ethel Jemima Ponsonby, daughter of Rev.

Walter Ponsonby, 7th Earl of Bessborough Rev. Walter William Brabazon Ponsonby, 7th Earl of Bessborough (13 August 1821 – 24 February 1906) was an Anglo-Irish aristocrat and Anglican priest. Early life and education Ponsonby was born in Roehampton, London, the fifth son of John Ponso ...

and Lady Louisa Eliot (daughter of the 3rd Earl of St Germans), in 1883. * Hon. Arthur Charles Edward Somerset (1859–1948), who married Louisa Eliza Hodgson, daughter of John Grant Hodgson, in 1893. * Hon. Granville William Richard Somerset (1862–1901), who married Malvina Charlotte Mac Gregor, daughter of Rear-Admiral Sir Malcolm Murray-MacGregor, 4th Baronet and Lady Helen McDonnell (a daughter of 4th Earl of Antrim), in 1892. * Hon. Wellesley Henry Somerset (1864–1864), who died in infancy. * Hon. Richard FitzRoy Somerset (1866–1899), a Capt. in the

Grenadier Guards The Grenadier Guards (GREN GDS) is the most senior infantry regiment of the British Army, being at the top of the Infantry Order of Precedence. It can trace its lineage back to 1656 when Lord Wentworth's Regiment was raised in Bruges to protect ...

who died unmarried. After the death of his first wife, he married Mary Blanche Farquhar (–1916) on 11 October 1871. Mary was the eldest daughter of Sir Walter Farquhar, 3rd Baronet and Lady Mary Octavia Somerset (daughter of the 6th Duke of Beaufort and Lady Charlotte Leveson-Gower). Together, they had one daughter: * Violet Elizabeth Katharine Somerset (1874–1935), who married Lt.-Col. Wilfrid Robert Abel

Smith Smith may refer to: People and fictional characters * Metalsmith, or simply smith, a craftsman fashioning tools or works of art out of various metals * Smith (given name) * Smith (surname), a family name originating in England ** List of people ...

, grandson of Abel Smith, in 1900. Lord Raglan died in

Chesterfield Street Chesterfield Street is a "virtually intact" Georgian street (except for No. 6, which is a reconstruction) in London's Mayfair district. Several of the buildings are Listed building#England and Wales, Grade II listed on the National Heritage List ...

, London, on 3 May 1884, and was buried in Llandenny churchyard, Monmouthshire, on 8 May 1884.

Ancestry

References

External links

Richard Henry Fitzroy Somerset, 2nd Baron Raglan (1817-84) 1861
at the

Royal Collection Trust The Royal Collection of the British royal family is the largest private art collection in the world. Spread among 13 occupied and historic royal residences in the United Kingdom, the collection is owned by King Charles III and overseen by the ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raglan, Richard Somerset, 2nd Baron 1817 births 1884 deaths Richard Somerset, 2nd Baron Raglan 2 Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Conservative Party (UK) Baronesses- and Lords-in-Waiting Deputy lieutenants of Monmouthshire Hampshire and Isle of Wight Militia officers Royal Gloucestershire Hussars officers Younger sons of barons