Lord Charles Somerset

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The Lord Charles Henry Somerset (December 2, 1767 – February 18, 1831) was a British governor of the Cape Colony, South Africa, from 1814 to 1826.

He was the second son of the 5th Duke of Beaufort, became a Privy Counsellor on April 26, 1797 and was married twice, in June 1788 to Lady Elizabeth Courtenay, daughter of the 8th Earl of Devon, who died in 1815, and with whom he had only one child, a son, and on August 9, 1821 to Lady Mary Poulett, daughter of the 4th Earl Poulett, with whom he had no issue. His son was:

• Sir Henry Somerset (December 30, 1794 – February 15, 1862), who married on April 1, 1817 to Frances Sarah Heathcote (d. March 16, 1886), with whom he had one child, a daughter:
  • Leonora Louisa Somerset (d. September 28, 1913), who was married to Lt-Gen. Montague Cholmeley Johnstone (March 3, 1804 – September 22, 1874) on December 31, 1844, with whom she had one child, a daughter;

The towns of Somerset West and Somerset East in South Africa are named after him.

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by The Earl of Tyrconnel Edmund Phipps	Member of Parliament for Scarborough with Edmund Phipps 1796–1802	Succeeded by Edmund Phipps Lord Robert Manners
Preceded by Lord Edward Somerset	Member of Parliament for Monmouth 1802–1813	Succeeded by Marquess of Worcester
Political offices
Preceded by The Earl of Macclesfield	Comptroller of the Household 1797–1804	Succeeded by George Thynne
Preceded by Thomas Steele and The Lord Glenbervie	Paymaster of the Forces 1804–1806 (jointly with George Rose)	Succeeded by Earl Temple and The Lord John Townshend
Preceded by Earl Temple and The Lord John Townshend	Paymaster of the Forces 1807–1813 (jointly with Charles Long)	Succeeded by Charles Long and Frederick John Robinson