Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, (~1506 - 1552) was Lord Protector of England in the period between the death of King
Henry VIII in
1547 and Seymour's indictment in
1549. He was born in about 1506, the eldest brother of
Jane Seymour, who would become King Henry's third queen. Their brother,
Thomas, also gained power through their sister's advancement.
When Jane married the king in
1536, Edward was created Viscount Beauchamp and 1st Earl of
Hertford. He became Warden of the Scottish Marches and continued in favoiur after his sister's death in
1537. He retained great influence over the boy king
Edward VI, in whose name he ruled the country. Following his victory over the Scots at the
Battle of Pinkie, his position appeared unassailable. However, the Seymour brothers had accumulated enemies and grudges during their time in royal favour, and, shortly after his brother
Thomas's downfall, Edward, too, fell from power. His position was taken by
John Dudley, Earl of Warwick, and Thomas was executed for treason in
1552.
Edward's son, Edward Seymour (1539-1621), 2nd Earl of Hertford, was the Duke of Somerset's son by his second wife. He regained his father's lost earldom in 1559, from Queen Elizabeth I, but lost it again shortly afterwards, for secretly marrying Lady Catherine Grey, sister of Lady Jane Grey. His penalty was a long term of imprisonment. His son was Edward Seymour (1561-1612), 3rd Earl of Hertford, whose son William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset, was imprisoned for secretly marrying Arbella Stuart.