Thomas Somerset, 1st Viscount Somerset (1579–1651) was an English courtier and politician.

Career

Somerset was the third son of

Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester, KG, Earl Marshal (c. 1550 – 3 March 1628) was an English aristocrat. He was an important advisor to King James I (James VI of Scots), serving as Lord Privy Seal. Career He was the only son of thre ...

.W R Williams ''Parliamentary History of the Principality of Wales''
/ref> In 1601, Somerset was elected Member of Parliament for

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 ...

. He became a member of

Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and Wale ...

on 7 August 1604. In 1604, he was re-elected MP for Monmouthshire and sat until 1611. Somerset was sent to Scotland with Charles Percy by the Privy Council to notify

James VI and I James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 M ...

of the death 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 ...

. He was appointed Master of Horse to

Anne of Denmark Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I. She was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from their marriage on 20 August 1589 and List of English royal consorts, Queen of Engl ...

in 1603. His father was Master of Horse to King James. Somerset argued with a Scottish courtier William Murray of Abercairny about this role at York in June 1603. On 1 January 1604, he danced at

Hampton Court Hampton Court Palace is a Listed building, Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. Opened to the public, the palace is managed by Historic Royal ...

in ''

The Masque of Indian and China Knights ''The Masque of Indian and China Knights'' was performed at Hampton Court in Richmond, London, Richmond, England on 1 January 1604. The masque was not published, and no text survives. It was described in a letter written by Dudley Carleton, 1st ...

''. In November 1604, Somerset fought with a Scottish aristocrat John Stewart, Master of Orkney in the or "balowne" Court at

Whitehall Palace The Palace of Whitehall – also spelled White Hall – at Westminster was the main residence of the English monarchs from 1530 until 1698, when most of its structures, with the notable exception of Inigo Jones's Banqueting House of 1622, ...

. Stewart was confined to his chamber but Somerset was sent to the

Fleet Prison Fleet Prison was a notorious London prison by the side of the River Fleet. The prison was built in 1197, was rebuilt several times, and was in use until 1844. It was demolished in 1846. History The prison was built in 1197 off what is now ...

. Their argument followed on an incident when Somerset accompanied the

Duke of Holstein The Duchy of Holstein (; ) was the northernmost state of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the present German state of Schleswig-Holstein. It originated when King Christian I of Denmark had his County of Holstein-Rendsburg elevated to a duchy by ...

and the Master of Orkney to the Queen's apartments, and as the gentlemen were at the door of her Privy Chamber, accused each other of pushing and shoving. He was knighted as Knight of Bath on 5 January 1605. He took part in the tournament for Prince Henry, Prince Henry's Barriers in January 1610. Somerset was involved in a riding accident while

running at the ring Running at the ring, riding at the ring or tilting at the ring is an equestrian tournament activity originally practiced at European royal courts and likely derived from other lance games like Quintain (jousting), quintain. It gained new popularity ...

in May 1612. His horse trampled the governor of Henri, Duke of Thouars, a companion of the Duke of Boullion. Somerset married Eleanor (or Helena) de Barry, daughter of

David de Barry, 5th Viscount Buttevant David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the Kings of Israel and Judah, third king of the Kingdom of Israel (united monarchy), United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stel ...

, in 1616.John Maclean, ''Letters of George Lord Carew to Sir Thomas Roe'' (London, 1860), p. 41. She was the widow of

Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormond and 3rd Earl of Ossory PC (Ire) (; – 1614), was an influential courtier in London at the court of Elizabeth I. He was Lord Treasurer of Ireland from 1559 to his death. He fought for the crown in th ...

, who died in November 1614. In December 1626, he was raised to the Peerage of Ireland as Viscount Somerset of Cashel. Somerset died in 1651 and the title became extinct.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Somerset, Thomas English barristers

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...

Viscounts in the Peerage of Ireland Peers of Ireland created by Charles I 1579 births 1651 deaths English MPs 1601 English MPs 1604–1611 16th-century English nobility 16th-century English lawyers Household of Anne of Denmark Younger sons of earls