Background
Somerset was the second son of Henry Somerset, 6th Duke of Beaufort, and Lady Charlotte Sophia, daughter of Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford.
Somerset was the second son of Henry Somerset, 6th Duke of Beaufort, and Lady Charlotte Sophia, daughter of Granville Leveson-Gower, 1st Marquess of Stafford.
He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford (2nd class classics 1813).
He held office under Sir Robert Peel as First Commissioner of Woods and Forests between 1834 and 1835 and as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster between 1841 and 1846. He was a Lord of the Treasury under Lord Liverpool in 1820 and served under Sir Robert Peel First Commissioner of Woods and Forests from December 1834 to April 1835 and as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster from September 1841 to July 1846 (with a seat in the cabinet from May 1844). In 1834 he was sworn of the Privy Council.
He was in favour of free trade.
Somerset married the Honorary Emily, daughter of Robert Smith, 1st Baron Carrington, in 1822.
They had five children:
Granville Robert Henry Somerset (7 January 1824 – 3 March 1881), married Emma Philadelphia, daughter of Sir George Dashwood, 4th Baronet, without issue
Emily Katherine Anne Somerset (29 January 1826 – 15 June 1908), married Colonel Henry Ayshford Sanford on 10 May 1859, without issue
Constance Henrietta Sophia Louisa (c1827 – 1 September 1893), married Rowland Smith on 20 August 1857 and had issue
Admiral.
Leveson Eliot Henry Somerset (29 August 1829 – 7 February 1900), married Efah, daughter of Colonel
Honorary Richard Thomas Rowley, without issue
Raglan George Henry Somerset (17 December 1831 – 2 September 1924)
He died in February 1848, aged 55, and is buried at Kensal Green Cemetery, London. Lady Granville Somerset died in January 1869.
5th United Kingdom Parliament. 6th United Kingdom Parliament. 7th United Kingdom Parliament.
8th United Kingdom Parliament.
9th United Kingdom Parliament. 10th United Kingdom Parliament.
11th United Kingdom Parliament. 12th United Kingdom Parliament.
13th United Kingdom Parliament.
14th United Kingdom Parliament]
Somerset sat as Member of Parliament for Monmouthshire from 20 May 1816 until his death. In private life he was a member of the Carlton Club.