Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of BeaufortKG (16 October 1744 – 11 October 1803) was an English courtier and politician. Styled the Marquess of Worcester from 1746, at his father's death on 28 October 1756, he succeeded him as 5th
Duke of Beaufort, 7th Marquess of Worcester, 11th Earl of Worcester, and 13th Baron Herbert.[1]
On 18 October 1760, he began his studies at
Oriel College,
Oxford, graduating on 7 July 1763 with a Doctor of Civil Laws (DCL) degree.[1]
Career
He held the office of
Grand Master of the
Premier Grand Lodge of England between 1767 and 1772.[1] From 1768 to 1770, he was Master of the Horse to
Queen Charlotte.[1] 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.[1] He was appointed
Colonel 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.[2]
He was invested as a Knight of the
Order of the Garter (KG) on 2 June 1786.[1] On 4 June 1803, shortly before his death, he succeeded to the title of 5th
Baron Botetourt.[1]
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.[5] He was succeeded in his titles by his eldest son,
Henry[1]
Plantagenet ancestry
Henry Somerset and
Richard III were both male-line descendants of
Edward III, Henry through Edward's 4th son
John of Gaunt and Richard through Edward's 5th son
Edmund of Langley.[6] But Y-DNA of Henry's descendants did not match Richard III, meaning that somewhere in one of their pedigrees, there was a
false paternity event.[7]
References
^
abcdefghiG. 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:
Alan Sutton Publishing, 2000), volume II, page 55.
^Capt B.E. Sargeaunt, The Royal Monmouthshire Militia, London: RUSI, 1910/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, nd, ISBN 978-1-78331204-7, pp. 80–1, 258.
^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:
Allen Sutton Publishing, 1998), page 77.