John Seymour, 4th Duke of Somerset

English peer and MP

His Grace

The Duke of Somerset

John Seymour, 4th Duke of Somerset

Duke of Somerset
Tenure| 1671–1675
Predecessor| William Seymour
Successor| Francis Seymour
Born| John Seymour
born 1646
Died| (1675-04-29)29 April 1675
Spouse(s)|

Sarah Alston

(m. 1656)​

Father| William Seymour
Mother| Frances Devereux

John Seymour, 4th Duke of Somerset and 3rd Marquess of Hertford (before 1646 – 29 April 1675) was an English peer and MP.

## Life

[edit]

United Kingdom legislation

Restoration of Marquis of Hertford Act 1660

Act of Parliament

Parliament of England

Long title| An Act for the restoring of the Marquis of Hertford to the Dukedom of Somersett.
Citation| 12 Cha. 2. c. 10
Dates
Royal assent| 13 September 1660

He was a younger son of William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, and Lady Frances Devereux.[1] He was the only one of the second duke's sons still alive, when his father died and the title descended to his six-year-old nephew, William.[2]

In 1661 he married Sarah, daughter and co-heiress of Sir Edward Alston and widow of George Grimston[1] in exchange for a dowry of £10,000. Her father negotiated an independent income of £300 per year for his daughter and additional clauses to cover the possibility that she became a widow. The marriage was a financial success but otherwise it was a disaster. William liked drinking and gambling, but Sarah did not.[3]

He was elected Member of Parliament for Marlborough in 1661.[1] Although the voters of Marlborough usually accepted the Seymour family's nominee, on this occasion the seat was contested and he received only one more vote than his rival.[4] Unhappy in his marriage and having fallen out with his nephew's guardian and his mother, he entered Gray's Inn in 1666 in order to escape his creditors.[1] He succeeded his nephew as the 4th Duke of Somerset in 1671, but much of the family estate was inherited by his niece Elizabeth, who subsequently married Thomas Bruce, 2nd Earl of Ailesbury.[2]

He spent the last two separated from his wife after she petitioned the King concerning his behaviour.[3] He died in 1675, childless and was buried in Salisbury Cathedral.[1] He was succeeded in the dukedom by his cousin, Francis Seymour.[2] The Marquessate of Hertford became extinct on his death.[5]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e Ferris, John P. "SEYMOUR, Lord John (c.1633-75)". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
2. ^ a b c Burke, John Bernard (1854). A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire. p. 928.
3. ^ a b Tomlinson, Howard (29 May 2014). "Seymour [née Alston; other married names Grimston; Hare], Sarah, duchess of Somerset (1631–1692), benefactor". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 1 (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/106715. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
4. ^ "Constituencies 1660-1690: Marlborough". History of Parliament. Retrieved 23 January 2025.
5. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Somerset, Earls and Dukes of" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 25 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 385.

Honorary titles

Preceded by

The Duke of Ormonde

|  Lord Lieutenant of Somerset
1672–1675  | Succeeded by

The Earl of Winchilsea

Preceded by

The Marquess of Worcester

|  Custos Rotulorum of Somerset
1672–1675  | Succeeded by

The Viscount Fitzhardinge

Preceded by

The Earl of Essex

|  Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire
1672–1675  | Succeeded by

The 7th Earl of Pembroke

Preceded by

The 6th Earl of Pembroke

|  Custos Rotulorum of Wiltshire
1674–1675
Peerage of England
Preceded by

William Seymour

|  Duke of Somerset
1671–1675  | Succeeded by

Francis Seymour

Marquess of Hertford
1671–1675  | Extinct

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Dukes of Somerset

House of Beaufort (1443–1471)|

* John, 1st Duke (1443–1444)
* Edmund, 2nd Duke (1448–1455)
* Henry, 3rd Duke (1455–1464)
* Edmund, 4th Duke (1464–1471)

House of Tudor (1499–1536)|

* Edmund (1499–1500)
* Henry FitzRoy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset (1525–1536)

House of Seymour
(1547–1552, 1660–)|

* Edward, 1st Duke (1547–1552)
* William, 2nd Duke (1660)
* William, 3rd Duke (1660–1671)
* John, 4th Duke (1671–1675)
* Francis, 5th Duke (1675–1678)
* Charles, 6th Duke (1678–1748)
* Algernon, 7th Duke (1748–1750)
* Edward, 8th Duke (1750–1757)
* Edward, 9th Duke (1757–1792)
* Webb, 10th Duke (1792–1793)
* Edward, 11th Duke (1793–1855)
* Edward, 12th Duke (1855–1885)
* Archibald, 13th Duke (1885–1891)
* Algernon, 14th Duke (1891–1894)
* Algernon, 15th Duke (1894–1923)
* Edward, 16th Duke (1923–1931)
* Evelyn, 17th Duke (1931–1954)
* Percy, 18th Duke (1954–1984)
* John, 19th Duke (1984–present)

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