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”’Francis Somerset”’ (died 22 July 1563), was an [[Kingdom of England|English]] soldier, briefly a member of the [[House of Commons of England]] in the last Parliament of Queen Mary I (1558).

”’Francis Somerset”’ (died 22 July 1563), was an [[Kingdom of England|English]] soldier, briefly a member of the [[House of Commons of England]] in the last Parliament of Queen Mary I (1558).

Somerset joined the [[English expedition to France (1562–1563)|English expedition to France]] and died in the defence of [[Le Havre]].

Somerset joined the [[English expedition to France (1562–1563)|English expedition to France]] and died in the defence of [[Le Havre]].

Probably born about 1530, Somerset was a younger son of [[Henry Somerset, 2nd Earl of Worcester]], and his second wife [[Elizabeth Somerset, Countess of Worcester (died 1565)|Elizabeth Browne]], a daughter of [[Anthony Browne (died 1506)|Anthony Browne]].<ref>Michael C. Questier, ”Catholicism and community in early modern England” (Cambridge University Press, 2006), p. 68</ref> His mother was the leading witness against [[Anne Boleyn]], and there were rumours that she had been a mistress of [[Henry VIII]].<ref>Kelly Hart, ”The Mistresses of Henry VIII” (The History Press, 2009), [https://archive.org/details/mistressesofhenr0000hart/page/25 p. 25]</ref>

Probably born about 1530, Somerset was a younger son of [[Henry Somerset, 2nd Earl of Worcester]], and his second wife [[Elizabeth Somerset, Countess of Worcester (died 1565)|Elizabeth Browne]], a daughter of [[Anthony Browne (died 1506)|Anthony Browne]].<ref>Michael C. Questier, ”Catholicism and community in early modern England” (Cambridge University Press, 2006), p. 68</ref> His mother was the leading witness against [[Anne Boleyn]], and there were rumours that she had been a mistress of [[Henry VIII]].<ref>Kelly Hart, ”The Mistresses of Henry VIII” (The History Press, 2009), [https://archive.org/details/mistressesofhenr0000hart/page/25 p. 25]</ref>


Latest revision as of 06:48, 19 November 2025

Francis Somerset (died 22 July 1563), was an English soldier, briefly a member of the House of Commons of England in the last Parliament of Queen Mary I (1558).

Somerset joined the English expedition to France and died in the defence of Le Havre.[1]

Probably born about 1530, Somerset was a younger son of Henry Somerset, 2nd Earl of Worcester, and his second wife Elizabeth Browne, a daughter of Anthony Browne.[2] His mother was the leading witness against Anne Boleyn, and there were rumours that she had been a mistress of Henry VIII.[3]

Somerset was mistakenly reported to have died at the battle of Pinkie in 1547,[4] but he was one of the two Members of Parliament for Monmouthshire in 1558 and fought at the siege of Leith in 1560.[1]

During the French wars of religion, on 8 May 1562 Huguenot forces took the town of Le Havre and expelled Roman Catholics. Fearing a counter-attack by the royal armies, by the Treaty of Hampton Court the Huguenot leader Louis I, Prince of Condé, handed the town over to the English, who sent a garrison of some 6,000 men led by Ambrose Dudley, 3rd Earl of Warwick. The English built fortifications, but in the summer of 1563 Charles IX sent a force, commanded by the Duke of Montmorency, which attacked Le Havre and expelled the English on 29 July 1563.[5] Somerset was killed a few days before the French had regained control of the town.[1]

  1. ^ a b c P. S. Edwards, “Francis Somerset”, History of Parliament Online
  2. ^ Michael C. Questier, Catholicism and community in early modern England (Cambridge University Press, 2006), p. 68
  3. ^ Kelly Hart, The Mistresses of Henry VIII (The History Press, 2009), p. 25
  4. ^ William Williams, The Parliamentary History of the Principality of Wales (1895), p. 121, says that Arthur Collins‘s 18th-century Peerage claims Somerset died at Pinkie or Musselburgh in 1547.
  5. ^ Modern Period (1492–1610), Municipal Archives of Le Havre, archived at archive.today (in French)

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