Elizabeth Seymour, Duchess of Somerset

Elizabeth Seymour
Duchess of Somerset

Lady Elizabeth Percy, Lady Ogle
by George Perfect Harding
Born 26 January 1667(1667-01-26)
Petworth House, Sussex
Died 24 November 1722(1722-11-24) (aged 55)
Northumberland House, London
Nationality English
Occupation Courtier and politician
Spouse (1) Henry Cavendish, Earl of Ogle (c.1659-1680)
(2) Thomas Thynne(1648-1682)
(3) Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset (1662-1748)
Children Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset (1684-1750)
Lady Elizabeth Seymour (1685-1734)
Lady Catherine Seymour (d. 1731)
Lady Anne Seymour (d. 1722)
Parents Joceline Percy, 11th Earl of Northumberland (1644-1670) and Elizabeth Wriothesley (d. 1690)

Elizabeth Percy, Duchess of Somerset (26 January 1667–24 November 1722), major heiress, was born Lady Elizabeth Percy, the only surviving child of the 11th Earl of Northumberland and deemed Baroness Percy in her own right. She carried the earldom of Northumberland to her son Algernon. Lady Elizabeth was one of the closest personal friends of Queen Anne, which led Jonathan Swift to direct at her one of his sharpest satires, The Windsor Prophecy in which she was named 'Carrots'.

Contents

Marriages

Henry Cavendish, Earl of Ogle

She married firstly, Henry Cavendish, Earl of Ogle, the heir of the 2nd Duke of Newcastle on 27 March 1679, but he died the following year.

Thomas Thynne

She married secondly, Thomas Thynne, "Tom of Ten Thousand" due to his great wealth, a relative of the 1st Viscount Weymouth, on 15 November 1681, but he was murdered the following February by Swedish Count Karl Johann von Königsmark using a gang after gossip said her marriage was unhappy and Königsmark began to pursue her.

Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset

Five months after the death of Thomas Thynne she married on 30 May 1682 Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset, and so became Duchess of Somerset. She was Mistress of the Robes to Queen Anne from 1710 to 1714.

Political influence

The Duke and Duchess were among the Queen's oldest friends, with whom she had taken refuge in 1692 after a violent quarrel with William III and Mary.[1] LIke the Duke of Marlborough before him, Somerset used his wife's position as confidante to advance his career. Both of them became the target of violent verbal attacks, especially from Swift who hoped to influence the Queen through Abigail Masham, the obvious rival for the position of confidante. Apparently against Mrs. Masham's wish he published a violent diatribe , The Windsor Prophecy, against the Duchess, referred to as " Carrots " ( a common nickname derived from the Duchess' red hair). Swift explicitly accused the Duchess of murdering her second husband, and wildly suggested she might poison the Queen " I have been told, they assassin when young and poison when old". [2]The Queen was outraged and from then on refused to consider Swift for preferment; but insisted on retaining the Duchess.

The Duke's pride and arrogance eventually wore out the Queen's patience and he was dismissed his Court offices early in 1712. The Queen's doctor , Sir David Hamilton, advised her to keep the Duchess in her service " for her own quiet ": and the Queen agreed. The Duchess remained with the Queen to the end by which time Lord Dartmouth described her as " much the greatest favourite."

Reputation

Elizabeth's influence on the Queen, together with her colourful past, made many enemies : like her husband she seems to have been proud, although Dartmouth called her " the best bred as well as the best born person in England ".[3] She showed great skill in dealing with the Queen, her secret, it was said being , never to press the Queen to do anything, in contrast to Abigail Masham who constantly pressed for favours.

Estates and residences

Lady Elizabeth Percy brought immense estates to her husbands and in addition her residences: Alnwick Castle, Petworth House, Syon House and Northumberland House in London.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]

Issue

Lady Elizabeth had four children:

Ancestry

References and notes

  1. ^ Gregg, E.G. ( 1980 ) Queen Anne
  2. ^ Gregg Queen Anne
  3. ^ Gregg
  4. ^ Cokayne et al., The Complete Peerage, volume I, p.212
  5. ^ Cokayne et al., The Complete Peerage, volume I, p.90
  6. ^ Cokayne et al., The Complete Peerage, volume XII, p.488
  7. ^ The Diary of John Evelyn
  8. ^ The Letters of Horace Walpole
  9. ^ Calendar of state papers, domestic series, 1682, 49
  10. ^ Cokayne et al., The Complete Peerage, volume XII, p.586
  11. ^ See
  12. ^ Burke, John - "Somerset, Duke of" and "Northumberland, Earl of":Burke's Peerage
  13. ^ de Fonblanque, E. B.,Annals of the house of Percy, from the conquest to the opening of the nineteenth century, p.507
  14. ^ The diary of Sir David Hamilton, 1709–1714, p.49, edited by Roberts, P. (1975)
  15. ^ A Journal to Stella, Swift, Jonathan, edited by Williams, H. (1948)
  16. ^ Holmes, G. S., British politics in the age of Anne (1967)
  17. ^ Life and Letters of Sir George Savile, p.244

Sources

Court offices
Preceded by
The Duchess of Marlborough		 Mistress of the Robes to
Queen Anne
1711–1714		 Succeeded by
—
Preceded by
The Duchess of Marlborough		 Mistress of the Robes
1711–1714		 Succeeded by
Elizabeth Sackville, Duchess of Dorset