SOMERSET. 175 (rrant of the estate of Sherborne, ca Dorset, forfeited bv Sir Walter Raleigh ; was «•. 25 March 1011, VISCOUNT ROCHESTER(") : el. KG. 24 April and fast. 13 May 1011 ; P.O. [K.J, 1012, [S.], 1613 J acting Sec of State, 1012-13 ; Treasurer [S ] 1013, and was cr. 3 Nov. 1013, BARON BRANOKPETH, in the Bishopric of Durham, and EARL OF SOMERSET. Soon after this, he m. 26 Dec. 1013, at the Chapel Htiyal, Whitehall, in the royal presence, the notorious Frances, divorced Countess op K.SSEX.C') da. of Thomas (How uu>). 1st EaRI. of Sri- folk, by his second wife, Catharine, da. of Sir Henry KnkViT, of Charlton, Wilts Hi- was acting L. Keeper of the Privy Seal. 1014 ; li. Chamberlain of the Household, 1G14-I01. r . ; 1,. Lieut, of Durham, 1015. On 13 Oct. 1615, a commission was appointed to try him and his wife for the murder (as far back as 15 Kel>. 1013) of Sir Thomas Overbury, and they were imprisoned in the Tower from N iv. lOlo to Jan. 10:2. On 21 May 1010 the Countess pleaded "guilty 1 ami was sentenced to death : the Earl, who asserted his innocence, was also found guilty, but both were pardoned, ( c ) tho' they were kept in restraint till 7 Oct. 1024, when they were pardoned under the Croat Seal. In 1030 he and others were prosecuted by the Star Chamber as having recommended arbitrary measures to the lata King, but the proceedings were dropped. His wife, who was A. in Loudon 30 Sep. 1599, and from whom he had long been separted, d. of a loathsome disease, 23 Aug- 1032, and was probably bur. at SaH'ron Walden. He d. s.p.m.(*') in Loudon, and pal 4nr. 17 July 104"> at St. Paul's, Covent Harden, aged about 58, when all his honours became extinct. Admon. "20 May 1010 to a creditor. [On 1 April 1644, Clmrle.< I. is sniil to have granted to "Edward Somerset, alias Plaxtaoenet, Lord Herisert, Baron Beaufort ok Cai.dicotk, &C, a commission not less remarkable than illegal, giving him power to fill up certain blank patents of creation to every dignity from a Marquess to a Baronet, with a promise of the Princess Elizabeth in marriage to his son. Plautagenet, with a portion of £300,000 and the title of DUKE OK SOMERSET^') to himself and bis heirs male for ever. This patent was deemed, after the Restoration, to be 'in prejudice to the Pins,' and in consequence of a motion to that effect in the House of Lords, it was, in Sep. 1000, delivered up to be cancelled. ( f ) The recipient, who was, at that date, s. and h. ftp id" Henry (Somerset), 1st Marqi ess of Worcester, was not improbably cr. v. p. EARL OK GLAMORGAN. He sue his father in Dei-. 1040 as MARiji'Kss of Worcester, and (aa such) resigned his claim on the Dukedom of Somerset, 3 Sep. 1000. See fuller particulars, siii " Gla- morgan " Earldom.] handsome form and features made a great impression on the King and he rapidly rose into favour, till displaced by one who was still more attractive, viz. George Villers, afterwards Duke of Buckingham. (») He was the first Scotchman raised to a seat in the English House of Lords, which, in the case of the Barony of Hay, when cr. 1000, had been expressly excluded, tho' allowed in the creation thereof in 101. ">. ( b ) Ou the plea of the incompetence of her husband. The divorce was granted by a majority of two, seven being for, and live against it. See " State Trials," ii, 7S5. (°) A full account of these proceedings is in the " State Tritils," vol. ii ; an interesting account of the Earl and his wife is in Jesse's " .Stuarts," vol. i. His portrait " after J. Hoskins" is engraved in "Doyle," but it hardly gives one the idea of great beauty ; the beauty of his wife certainly equalled and possibly eveu exceeded his own. ( d ) Anne, his only da. and h.,6ap. 16 Dec 1615 at St Martin's, Ludgate, »u. William (Russell), 1st Duke of Bedford, and is ancestress of the succeeding Dukes. (°) The title of Duke of Somerset was much coveted by the Somerset family on the ground of their descent (an illegit. one tho' in the male line) from Henry (Beaufort), Duke of Somerset, (who if. uiiui. 1 104) thro' his bastard son, Charles Somerset, cr. in 1614, Earl of Worcester. . (0 See Round's " True histon/ of the Somerset patent, 1644," as also other notices m vol. iv, p. 24 (notes 1 -, sub " Glamorgan."
