Lord Henry Somerset
Lord Henry Richard Charles Somerset PC, DL, JP (7 December 1849 – 10 October 1932) was a British Conservative politician and composer of popular music. He served as Comptroller of the Household under Benjamin Disraeli between 1874 and 1879.
Lord Henry Somerset PC, DL, JP | |
|---|---|
| Comptroller of the Household | |
| In office 2 March 1874 – 4 February 1879 | |
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Prime Minister | Benjamin Disraeli |
| Preceded by | Lord Otho FitzGerald |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Yarmouth |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 December 1849 |
| Died | 10 October 1932 (aged 82) |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | Henry Somerset |
| Parents | Henry Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort Lady Georgiana Charlotte Curzon |
Background
Somerset was the second son of Henry Somerset, 8th Duke of Beaufort, by his wife Lady Georgiana Charlotte Curzon, daughter of Richard Curzon-Howe, 1st Earl Howe. He was the brother of Henry Somerset, 9th Duke of Beaufort, and Lord Arthur Somerset.[1]
Political career
Somerset was elected at a by-election in 1871 as Member of Parliament (MP) for Monmouthshire, and held the seat until he stood down at the 1880 general election.[2][3] When the Conservatives came to power in 1874 under Benjamin Disraeli, he was sworn of the Privy Council[4] and appointed Comptroller of the Household,[5] a post he held until 1879.[6] Apart from his political career he was also a Deputy Lieutenant of Monmouthshire and a justice of the peace for Herefordshire and Monmouthshire.[1]
Family
Somerset married Lady Isabella Caroline Somers-Cocks,[7] the eldest daughter and co-heir of Charles Somers-Cocks, 3rd Earl Somers, on 6 February 1872. They had one child, Henry Charles Somers Augustus (1874–1945), but their marriage collapsed after a few years because of Lord Henry's infatuation with a seventeen-year-old boy. As a result, he withdrew to Italy, while his wife was ostracised from society for having made public, contrary to the conventions of the time, why she had left him.[8] She died in March 1921. Somerset remained a widower until his death in October 1932, aged 82. His only son married Lady Katherine, a daughter of William Beauclerk, 10th Duke of St Albans, and their grandson David Somerset, 11th Duke of Beaufort, succeeded to the dukedom of Beaufort in 1984.[1]
Music
Somerset is the author of Songs of adieu (1889) and A song of sleep (Ricordi, 1903). His setting to music of Christina Rossetti's Echo enjoyed considerable success when it was published by Chappell & Co. c.1900.
References
- thepeerage.com Lord Henry Richard Charles Somerset
- Craig, F. W. S. (1989) [1977]. British parliamentary election results 1832–1885 (2nd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. p. 529. ISBN 0-900178-26-4.
- Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "M" (part 3)
- "No. 24072". The London Gazette. 6 March 1874. p. 1519.
- "No. 24071". The London Gazette. 3 March 1874. p. 1453.
- "No. 24675". The London Gazette. 7 February 1879. p. 601.
- Black, Ros. "Lady Henry Somerset 1851 - 1921". Archived from the original on 4 June 2012.
- Rodney Bell (2011) As Good as God, As Clever as the Devil: The Impossible Life of Mary Benson
External links
- Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Lord Henry Somerset
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Octavius Morgan Poulett Somerset |
Member of Parliament for Monmouthshire 1871 – 1880 With: Octavius Morgan 1841-74, Frederick Courtenay Morgan 1874-85 |
Succeeded by Frederick Courtenay Morgan John Rolls |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Lord Otho FitzGerald |
Comptroller of the Household 1874–1879 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Yarmouth |
Authority control  |
|
|---|