He was the second son of John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, and succeeded his elder brother Henry to become the 3rd Earl of Somerset in 1418.
The young earl fought in Henry V's 1419 campaigns in France. In 1421 he accompanied the king's younger brother Thomas of Lancaster to the fighting in Anjou. Thomas was killed at Bagué and Somerset was captured.
He did not remained imprisoned long, and after being ransomed became one of the leading English commanders in France.
In 1443 he was created Duke of Somerset and Earl of Kendal, made a Knight of the Garter, and appointed Captain-General of Guyenne. However he proved a poor commander. He married Margaret Beauchamp in 1439, and they had one child, Margaret Beaufort (May 31, 1443 - June 29, 1509), who was the mother of Henry VII of England. His death in 1444 may have been due to suicide.
| Preceded by: New Creation | Duke of Somerset | Followed by: Extinct |
| Preceded by: Henry Beaufort | Earl of Somerset | Followed by: Edmund Beaufort |
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