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Hertford, Earl of (E, 1558/9 - 1750)

Creation: let. pat. 13 Jan 1558/9

Extinct: 7 Feb 1750

Family name: Seymour

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Arms:

See Duke of Somerset

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Edward [Seymour], 1st Earl of Hertford

1st son of Edward [Seymour], 1st Duke of Somerset, by his second wife Anne Stanhope, dau. of Sir Edward Stanhope, of Shelford, co. Nottingham

born

12 Oct 1537

mar. (1)

bef. 25 Dec 1560 Lady Catherine Herbert (former wife of Henry [Herbert], 2nd Earl of Pembroke;  d. 27 Jan 1567/8), 2nd dau. and cohrss. of Henry [Grey], 1st Duke of Suffolk, by his second wife Lady Frances Brandon, 1st dau. of Charles [Brandon], 1st Duke of Suffolk, by his wife the Princess Mary (widow of King Louis XII of France), 2nd surv. dau. of King Henry VII

children by first wife

1. Hon Edward Seymour, styled Lord Beauchamp, on 14 May 1608 (although the descendants of the 1st Duke of Somerset by his first wife had lodged a petition against the claims of those of the second wife to the family honours) obtained Letters Patent that himself, and the heirs male of his body, immediately after the death of his father, should be Barons of Parliament and have place and voice therein - as also other Letters Patent the same year for the enjoyment of the title of Earl of Hertford immediately after the decease of his said father, and that in the event of his dying in his said father's lifetime, the said title should be enjoyed by his eldest son, Edward Seymour, his second son William Seymour, and his younger son Francis Seymour, and the heirs male of their bodies respectively (b. 21 Feb 1561; dvp. 21 Jul 1612), mar. 1585 Honora Rogers, dau. of Sir Richard Rogers, of Brianstone, co. Dorset, and had issue:

1a. Hon Sir Edward Seymour, styled Lord Beauchamp (bapt. 12 Jun 1586; bur. sps. and vp. 15 Sep 1618), mar. 1 Jun 1609 Lady Anne Sackville (mar. (2) 7 Oct 1622 Sir Edward Lewes, of Eddington, co. Wiltshire; d. aft. 1638), 3rd dau. of Robert [Sackville], 2nd Earl of Dorset

2a. Hon William Seymour, later 2nd Earl of Hertford later 1st Marquess of Hertford later 2nd Duke of Somerset

3a. Hon Francis Seymour, later 1st Baron Seymour of Trowbridge

1a. Hon Honora Seymour (bur. 23 Mar 1620 in St Edmund's Church, Dudley), mar. 9 Jul 1610 Hon Sir Ferdinando Sutton KB (b. 1588; dvp. and spm. 22 Nov 1621; bur. in St Margaret's Church, Westminster), only son and heir ap. of Edward [Sutton], 5th Baron Dudley, by his wife Theodosia Harington, sister of John [Harington], 1st Baron Harington of Exton, and 2nd dau. of Sir James Harington, of Exton, co. Rutland, and had issue

2. Hon Thomas Seymour (dsp.), mar. Isabel Onley, dau. of Edward Onley, of Catesby, co. Northampton

3. Hon Edward Seymour (d. 1602)

1. Lady Catherine Seymour (d. young)

mar. (2)

Hon Frances Howard (dsp. 14 May 1598), dau. of William [Howard], 1st Baron Howard of Effingham, by his second wife Margaret Gamage, 2nd dau. of Sir Thomas Gamage, of Coity, co. Glamorgan

mar. (3)

27 May 1601 Hon Frances Pranell (widow of Henry Pranell, of Barkway, co. Hertford;  mar. (3) as his third wife Ludovic [Stuart], 2nd Duke of Lennox;  dsp. 8 Oct 1639), only dau. of Thomas [Howard], 1st Viscount Howard of Bindon, by his third wife Mabel Burton, dau. of Nicholas Burton, of Carshalton, co. Surrey

died

6 Apr 1621

created

13 Jan 1558/9 Baron Beauchamp and Earl of Hertford

suc. by

grandson

note

Lord Lieutenant of Somerset and Wiltshire 1602 and 1608

William [Seymour], 2nd Earl of Hertford later 1st Marquess of Hertford later 2nd Duke of Somerset

created

3 Jun 1640 Marquess of Hertford

note

restored 13 Sep 1660 as 2nd Baron Seymour and 2nd Duke of Somerset

The Earldom of Hertford was held by the Dukes of Somerset from 13 Sep 1660 until 7 Feb 1750, when on the death of Algernon [Seymour], 7th Duke of Somerset, 7th Earl of Hertford, etc. without an immediate male heir, the Dukedom of Somerset passed to a distant cousin and the Earldom of Hertford became extinct

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