Lord Arthur John Henry Somerset Explained

Honorific-Prefix:	The Right Honourable
Arthur Somerset
Honorific-Suffix:	MP
Predecessor:	James Rooke, Sir Charles Gould Morgan
Successor:	Sir Charles Gould Morgan, Lord Granville Somerset
Term Start:	1805
Term End:	1816
Constituency Mp:	Monmouthshire
Nationality:	British
Spouse:	Elizabeth Boscawen
Children:	3
Parents:	Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort Elizabeth Boscawen
Alma Mater:	Eton College
Occupation:	Soldier

Lord Arthur John Henry Somerset (12 February 1780 – 18 April 1816), English politician, was the sixth son of Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort.

Early years

He was educated at Oriel College, Oxford, taking a BA in 1799 and an MA in 1803. Later that year he was commissioned as captain (24 June) and then major in the Monmouth and Brecon Militia, commanded by his elder brother the 6th Duke.^[1] Somerset was then commissioned as a lieutenant in the 7th Foot of the Regular Army on 19 May 1804.

Political career

He was defeated at Gloucester in August 1805, but in November, was returned as Member of Parliament for Monmouthshire and was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Monmouthshire and Breconshire in December. On 26 June 1806, he was made a captain in the 4th West India Regiment and on 2 October exchanged into the 91st Foot.

Family

Lord Arthur married his first cousin, Hon. Elizabeth Boscawen (bef. 1793 – 2 March 1872), daughter of George Boscawen, 3rd Viscount Falmouth, on 23 June 1808. They had three children:

Rev. George Somerset (30 March 1809 – 12 October 1882), married Philida Elizabeth Call, daughter of Sir William Call, 2nd Baronet on 9 September 1835 and had issue.
Elizabeth Anne Somerset (2 August 1810 – 12 April 1835)
Arthur Edward Somerset (28 August 1813 – 9 September 1853), married his first cousin, Hon. Frances Boscawen, daughter of Rev. Hon. John Evelyn Boscawen, and had issue.

Death

Somerset moved into the 19th Light Dragoons on 12 September 1811, serving until his death in Lisbon in 1816.

Notes and References

Capt B.E. Sargeaunt, The Royal Monmouthshire Militia, London: RUSI, 1910/Uckfield: Naval & Military Press, nd, ISBN 978-1-78331204-7, pp. 103, 259, 285.