Thomas Somerville, 1st

Lord Somerville Lord Somerville is a title in the Peerage of Scotland which is subject to a number of ambiguities. The date of creation is not known with certainty but it was probably created about 1435 for Thomas Somerville, Justiciar of Scotia, Justiciar of ...

, (d. 1434), was a Lord of the

Parliament of Scotland In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

. In 1423 Thomas Somerville, as Lord of

Carnwath Carnwath (Gaelic: ''A' Chathair Nuadh''; English: "New Fort") is a moorland village on the southern edge of the Pentland Hills of South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The village lies about south of both Edinburgh and Glasgow. It is bounded by the N ...

, came to London as an ambassador to treat for the release of

James I of Scotland James I (late July 1394 – 21 February 1437) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scots from 1406 until his assassination in 1437. The youngest of three sons, he was born in Dunfermline Abbey to King Robert III of Scotland, Robert III and ...

, who had been captive in England for many years. Somerville was also recorded as a

Warden A warden is a custodian, defender, or guardian. Warden is often used in the sense of a watchman or guardian, as in a prison warden. It can also refer to a chief or head official, as in the Warden of the Mint. ''Warden'' is etymologically ident ...

of the

Scottish Borders The Scottish Borders is one of 32 council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by West Lothian, Edinburgh, Midlothian, and East Lothian to the north, the North Sea to the east, Dumfries and Galloway to the south-west, South Lanarkshire to the we ...

in 1424. As Somerville of that Ilk, he sat on the

assize The assizes (), or courts of assize, were periodic courts held around England and Wales until 1972, when together with the quarter sessions they were abolished by the Courts Act 1971 and replaced by a single permanent Crown Court. The assizes ex ...

Stirling Castle Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most historically and architecturally important castles in Scotland. The castle sits atop an Intrusive rock, intrusive Crag and tail, crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill ge ...

in May 1425 that condemned

Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany Murdoch Stewart, Duke of Albany () (1362 – 25 May 1425) was a leading Scottish nobleman, the son of Robert Stewart, Duke of Albany, and the grandson of King Robert II of Scotland, who founded the Stewart dynasty. In 1389, he became Justicia ...

. Thomas Somerville probably founded the Collegiate Church at

with his family burial aisle around 1425–1430, and repaired the church at Linton,

Roxburghshire Roxburghshire or the County of Roxburgh () is a historic county and registration county in the Southern Uplands of Scotland. It borders Dumfriesshire to the west, Selkirkshire and Midlothian to the northwest, and Berwickshire to the north. T ...

Lands

According to James, 11th

, author of the history of the Somerville family, it was during the life of Thomas, 1st Lord Somerville, that "the fortunes of the Somerville family . . . reached their zenith in territorial possessions in power and influence." He had four baronies: Carnwath in

Lanarkshire Lanarkshire, also called the County of Lanark (; ), is a Counties of Scotland, historic county, Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area and registration county in the Central Lowlands and Southern Uplands of Scotland. The county is no l ...

and

Cambusnethan Cambusnethan is a historic parish in North Lanarkshire in Scotland. The largest settlement in the parish is Wishaw, and Cambusnethan now appears on maps as a village almost contiguous with Wishaw. The village is approximately long, straddling ...

North Lanarkshire North Lanarkshire (; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It borders the north-east of the Glasgow City council area and contains many of Glasgow's suburbs, commuter towns, and villages. It also borders East Dunbartonshire, Falkirk (co ...

; Linton in

Roxburgh Roxburgh () is a civil parish and formerly a royal burgh, in the historic county of Roxburghshire in the Scottish Borders, Scotland. It was an important trading burgh in High Medieval to early modern Scotland. In the Middle Ages it had at lea ...

; and Plean in

Stirlingshire Stirlingshire or the County of Stirling ( ) is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county of Scotland. Its county town is Stirling.Registers of Scotland. Publications, leaflets, Land Register Counties. It borders Perthshir ...

. In addition, upon the death of his uncle, Thomas Somerville, in 1412, he succeeded to the estates of

Gilmerton Gilmerton is a suburb of Edinburgh, about southeast of the city centre. The toponym "Gilmerton" is derived from a combination of – a personal name and later surname meaning "Servant of he VirginMary", from which comes the first element, ...

, Drum, and Goodtrees in the

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

vicinity. He also held lands in Quothquan and Newbigging in

; and Broughton in

Peebleshire Peeblesshire (), the County of Peebles or Tweeddale is a historic county of Scotland. Its county town is Peebles, and it borders Midlothian to the north, Selkirkshire to the east, Dumfriesshire to the south, and Lanarkshire to the west. Histo ...

. Cambusnethan was brought to him by his wife, Janet, daughter of Alexander Stewart of Darnley (d.1404).

Family

Thomas Somerville, 1st Lord Somerville, married Janet Stewart, daughter of Alexander Stewart of Darnley, before July 1392. Their eldest daughter Mary married Sir William Hay of

Yester } Gifford is a village in the parish of Yester in East Lothian, Scotland. It lies approximately south of Haddington and east of Edinburgh. It groups around the Colstoun Water (locally called Gifford Water) at the junction of the B6369 and B ...

, another daughter Geillis married Sir Robert Logan of

Restalrig Restalrig ( ) is a small residential suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland (historically, an estate and independent parish). It is located east of the city centre, west of Craigentinny and to the east of Lochend, Edinburgh, Lochend, both of which it ...

, and Margaret married Roger Kirkpatrick of Closeburn in Niddsdale. His heir William Somerville, 2nd Lord Somerville, married Janet Mowat of Stenness. The first Lord Somerville died in December 1434.''Memorie of the Somervilles'', vol. 1 (1815), 168-170 & footnote, 171 & footnote, 175, 176.

Sources

* Scott, Walter, ed.,

James Somerville Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Fownes Somerville (17 July 1882 – 19 March 1949) was a Royal Navy admiral of the fleet. He served in the First World War as fleet wireless officer for the Mediterranean Fleet where he was involved in providing ...

''The Memorie of the Somervilles by James, 11th Lord Somerville'', vol. 1, Ballantyne, Edinburgh (1815)
* Scott, Walter, ed.
''The Memorie of the Somervilles by James, 11th Lord Somerville'', vol. 2, Ballantyne, Edinburgh (1815)

References

Year of birth unknown 1434 deaths Nobility from South Lanarkshire Lords of Parliament (pre-1707) 15th-century Scottish peers 15th-century Scottish judges Ambassadors of Scotland to the Kingdom of England Medieval Scottish diplomats 15th-century diplomats Peers created by James I of Scotland {{Lord-of-Parliament-stub