Frances Seymour, Duchess of Somerset: Difference between revisions

Frances Seymour
Frances Seymour
Duchess of Somerset
	Portrait by Anthony van Dyck
Born	Lady Frances Devereux; 30 September 1599; Walsingham House, Seething Lane, London, England
Died	24 April 1674 (aged 74)
Buried	Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire
Noble family	Devereux (by birth); Seymour (by marriage)
Spouse(s)	William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset
Issue	William Seymour; Robert Seymour; Henry Seymour, Lord Beauchamp; Mary Finch, Countess of Winchelsea; Jane Boyle, Viscountess Dungarvan; Lady Frances Seymour; John Seymour, 4th Duke of Somerset
Father	Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Mother	Frances Walsingham

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Frances Seymour, Duchess of Somerset (née Devereux; 30 September 1599^[1] – 24 April 1674), was an English noblewoman who lived during the reigns of Elizabeth I, James I, Charles I and Charles II. Her father was Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, Elizabeth I's favourite who was executed for treason in 1601. She was the second wife of William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, and the mother of his seven children.

Early life

Lady Frances Devereux was born on 30 September 1599 at Walsingham House, Seething Lane, London, England. She was the youngest child of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex and his wife, Frances Walsingham. Her paternal grandparents were Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex and Lettice Knollys, and her maternal grandparents were Sir Francis Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth's trusted spymaster, and Ursula St. Barbe. Frances was also a direct descendant of Mary Boleyn, the sister of Anne Boleyn.

At the time of Frances's birth, her father, who was a former favourite of Queen Elizabeth and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, was under arrest for treasonous behaviour in the Nine Years' War during the disastrous Irish campaign in which he parleyed with the rebellious Earl of Tyrone, and thus incurred the Queen's wrath. Essex was executed on 25 February 1601 for allegedly conspiring to murder the Queen. He left behind his wife and small children; Frances was less than two years old at the time.^[2] Frances's brother was Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, and she had an elder sister, Dorothy. She also had three younger half-siblings from her mother's third marriage in 1603 to Richard Burke, 4th Earl of Clanricarde. These were Honora, Mary and Ulick Burke, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde.

William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, husband of Frances Devereux

Marriage

On 3 March 1616, Frances married at Drayton Bassett William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset (1588-1660), the son of Edward Seymour, Lord Beauchamp of Hache, and the grandson of Lady Catherine Grey. During the English Civil War, he was a Royalist Commander. Frances was his second wife, his first having been Arbella Stuart whom he married secretly in 1610, and without permission from King James, which resulted in their imprisonment in the Tower of London. He later escaped, and fled to the Continent. In 1615, Arbella died in the Tower.

William and Frances together had seven children. She died on 24 April 1674 at the age of 74, and was buried in Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire. Her numerous descendants include Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother (and therefore The Queen and all of her blood descendants), Diana, Princess of Wales, and Sarah, Duchess of York.

Issue

William Seymour (1621 – 16 June 1646)
Robert Seymour (1622–1646)
Henry Seymour, Lord Beauchamp (1626 – 30 March 1654), married Mary Capel, by whom he had issue.
Lady Mary Seymour (1636 – 10 April 1673, married Heneage Finch, 3rd Earl of Winchelsea, by whom she had issue.
Lady Jane Seymour (6 July 1637 – 23 November 1679), married Charles Boyle, 3rd Viscount Dungarvan, by whom she had issue.
Lady Frances Seymour (1642-?)
John Seymour, 4th Duke of Somerset (born before 1646 – 29 April 1675), married Sarah Alston.

Notes

^ Du Maurier, p. 230
^ Du Maurier, pp. 269–70.

References

Du Maurier, Daphne. Golden Lads: Sir Francis Bacon, Anthony Bacon, and Their Friends. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1975.
thepeerage.com. Retrieved 27 May 2008

External links

Brian Tompsett's Royal Genealogy Directory

Ancestry

Ancestors of Frances Seymour, Duchess of Somerset

Walter Devereux, 1st Viscount Hereford

Sir Richard Devereux

Mary Grey

Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex

George Hastings, 1st Earl of Huntingdon

Dorothy Hastings

Lady Anne Stafford

Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex

Robert Knollys

Sir Francis Knollys

Lettice Penystone

Lettice Knollys

Sir William Carey

Lady Catherine Carey

Mary Boleyn

Frances Devereux

Sir James Walsingham

William Walsingham

Eleanor Writtle

Sir Francis Walsingham

Sir Edmund Denny

Joyce Denny

Mary Troutbeck

Frances Walsingham

Richard St. Barbe

Henry St. Barbe

Margery Grey

Ursula St. Barbe

Edward Lewknor

Eleanor Lewknor

Margaret Copley

[1] Du Maurier, p. 230

[2] Du Maurier, pp. 269–70.

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
 {{Infobox nobility
-|name      =Frances Devereux
+|name      =Frances Seymour
+|title     =Duchess of Somerset
 |image     =Frances Devereux, by Anthony van Dyck.jpg
-|caption   =Frances Devereux ([[Anthony van Dyck]])
+|caption   =Portrait by [[Anthony van Dyck]]
-|birth_name=Frances Devereux
+|birth_name=Lady Frances Devereux
-|title=Duchess of Somerset
 |spouse=[[William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset]]
 |issue=William Seymour<br>Robert Seymour<br>[[Henry Seymour, Lord Beauchamp]]<br>Mary Finch, Countess of Winchelsea<br>Jane Boyle, Viscountess Dungarvan<br>Lady Frances Seymour<br>[[John Seymour, 4th Duke of Somerset]]
@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 |noble family=Devereux (by birth)<br>[[Seymour family|Seymour]] (by marriage)
 |}}
-'''Frances Seymour''' (''née'' '''Devereux'''), '''Duchess of Somerset''' (30 September 1599<ref>Du Maurier, p. 230</ref> – 24 April 1674), was an English noblewoman who lived in the reigns of [[Elizabeth I of England|Elizabeth I]], [[James I of England|James I]], [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] and [[Charles II of England|Charles II]]. Her father was [[Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex]], Elizabeth I's favourite who was executed for [[treason]] in 1601. Lady Frances was the second wife of [[William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset]], and the mother of his seven children.
+'''Frances Seymour, Duchess of Somerset''' (''née'' '''Devereux'''; 30 September 1599<ref>Du Maurier, p. 230</ref> – 24 April 1674), was an English noblewoman who lived during the reigns of [[Elizabeth I of England|Elizabeth I]], [[James I of England|James I]], [[Charles I of England|Charles I]] and [[Charles II of England|Charles II]]. Her father was [[Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex]], Elizabeth I's favourite who was executed for [[treason]] in 1601. She was the second wife of [[William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset]], and the mother of his seven children.
 ==Early life==
-Lady Frances was born on 30 September 1599 at Walsingham House, Seething Lane, London, England. She was the youngest child of [[Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex]] and [[Frances Walsingham]]. Her paternal grandparents were [[Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex]] and [[Lettice Knollys]], and her maternal grandparents were Sir [[Francis Walsingham]], Queen Elizabeth's trusted spymaster, and Ursula St. Barbe. Lady Frances was also a direct descendant of [[Mary Boleyn]], the sister of [[Anne Boleyn]].
+Lady Frances Devereux was born on 30 September 1599 at Walsingham House, Seething Lane, London, England. She was the youngest child of [[Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex]] and his wife, [[Frances Walsingham]]. Her paternal grandparents were [[Walter Devereux, 1st Earl of Essex]] and [[Lettice Knollys]], and her maternal grandparents were Sir [[Francis Walsingham]], Queen Elizabeth's trusted spymaster, and Ursula St. Barbe. Frances was also a direct descendant of [[Mary Boleyn]], the sister of [[Anne Boleyn]].
-At the time of Frances's birth, her father, who was a former favourite of Queen Elizabeth, and [[Lord Lieutenant]] of Ireland, was under arrest for treasonous behaviour in the [[Nine Years' War (Ireland)|Nine Years' War]] during the disastrous Irish campaign in which he parleyed with the rebellious [[Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone|Earl of Tyrone]], and thus incurred the Queen's wrath. Essex was executed on 25 February 1601 for allegedly conspiring to murder the Queen. He left behind his wife and small children; Frances was less than two years old at the time.<ref>Du Maurier, pp. 269–70.</ref> Frances's brother was [[Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex]], and she had an elder sister, Dorothy. She had also three younger half-siblings from her mother's third marriage in 1603 to [[Richard Burke, 4th Earl of Clanricarde]]. These were Honora, Mary and [[Ulick Burke, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde]].
+At the time of Frances's birth, her father, who was a former favourite of Queen Elizabeth and [[Lord Lieutenant]] of Ireland, was under arrest for treasonous behaviour in the [[Nine Years' War (Ireland)|Nine Years' War]] during the disastrous Irish campaign in which he parleyed with the rebellious [[Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone|Earl of Tyrone]], and thus incurred the Queen's wrath. Essex was executed on 25 February 1601 for allegedly conspiring to murder the Queen. He left behind his wife and small children; Frances was less than two years old at the time.<ref>Du Maurier, pp. 269–70.</ref> Frances's brother was [[Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex]], and she had an elder sister, Dorothy. She also had three younger half-siblings from her mother's third marriage in 1603 to [[Richard Burke, 4th Earl of Clanricarde]]. These were Honora, Mary and [[Ulick Burke, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde]].
 [[File:2ndDukeOfSomerset.jpg|thumb|right|[[William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset]], husband of Frances Devereux]]
 ==Marriage==
-On 3 March 1616 Frances married at Drayton Bassett [[William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset|William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset (1588-24 October 1660)]], the son of [[Edward Seymour, Lord Beauchamp of Hache]], and the grandson of Lady [[Catherine Grey]]. During the [[English Civil War]] he was a Royalist Commander. Frances was his second wife, his first having been [[Arbella Stuart]] whom he married secretly in 1610, and without permission from King James, which resulted in their imprisonment in the [[Tower of London]]. He later escaped, and fled to the [[Continent]]. In 1615, Arbella died in the Tower.
+On 3 March 1616, Frances married at Drayton Bassett [[William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset]] (1588-1660), the son of [[Edward Seymour, Lord Beauchamp of Hache]], and the grandson of Lady [[Catherine Grey]]. During the [[English Civil War]], he was a Royalist Commander. Frances was his second wife, his first having been [[Arbella Stuart]] whom he married secretly in 1610, and without permission from King James, which resulted in their imprisonment in the [[Tower of London]]. He later escaped, and fled to the [[Continent]]. In 1615, Arbella died in the Tower.
 William and Frances together had seven children. She died on 24 April 1674 at the age of 74, and was buried in [[Great Bedwyn]], Wiltshire. Her numerous descendants include [[Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother]] (and therefore [[Elizabeth II|The Queen]] and all of her blood descendants), [[Diana, Princess of Wales]], and [[Sarah, Duchess of York]].