Francis Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Trowbridge facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable The Lord Seymour of Trowbridge
Francis Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Trowbridge, portrait c.1620 style of William Larkin. National Trust, Petworth House, which was rebuilt by his younger grandson Charles Seymour, 6th Duke of Somerset (1662–1748)
Member of the English Parliament for Wiltshire
In office 1621–1621 Serving with Sir Edward Bayntun
Preceded by	Sir Thomas Howard Sir Henry Poole
Succeeded by	Edward Hungerford Sir John St John
Member of the English Parliament for Marlborough
In office 1624–1624 Serving with Richard Digges
Preceded by	Walter Devereux Richard Digges
Succeeded by	Richard Digges Edward Kyrton
Member of the English Parliament for Wiltshire
In office 1625–1625 Serving with Sir Henry Ley
Preceded by	Edward Hungerford Sir John St John, Bt
Succeeded by	Sir Henry Poole Walter Long
Member of the English Parliament for Wiltshire
In office 1628–1629 Serving with Sir William Button, Bt
Preceded by	Sir Henry Poole Walter Long
Succeeded by	Parliament suspended until 1640
Member of the English Parliament for Wiltshire
In office 1640–1640 Serving with Philip Lord Herbert
Preceded by	Parliament suspended since 1629
Succeeded by	Sir James Thynne Sir Henry Ludlow
Member of the English Parliament for Marlborough
In office 1640–1641 Serving with John Francklyn
Preceded by	Sir William Carnaby Francis Baskerville
Succeeded by	John Francklyn Philip Smith
Personal details
Born	c. 1590
Died	(1664-07-12)12 July 1664
Resting place	Bedwyn Magna, Wiltshire, England
Children	Charles Seymour, 2nd Baron Seymour of Trowbridge
Parent	Edward Seymour, Lord Beauchamp (father)
Relatives	William Seymour, 2nd Earl of Hertford (brother)

Francis Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Trowbridge (around 1590 – 12 July 1664) was an important English politician. He lived at Marlborough Castle and Savernake Park in Wiltshire. He was a member of the House of Commons several times between 1621 and 1641. In 1641, he was given the special title of Baron Seymour of Trowbridge. During the English Civil War, he supported the King's side, known as the Royalists.

Who Was Francis Seymour?

Arms of Francis Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Trowbridge. These arms show special symbols granted to his family, including lions and fleurs-de-lys, which are linked to the royal family.

Francis Seymour was the third son of Edward Seymour, Lord Beauchamp. His grandfather was Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford. This grandfather was the son of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset, who was a very powerful leader called the Lord Protector of England.

Francis's mother was Honora Rogers. Through his grandmother, Francis was a direct descendant of King Henry VII. This means he had royal blood in his family!

His older brother was William Seymour. William was also a Royalist commander during the Civil War. He later became the 2nd Duke of Somerset.

Early Life and Knighthood

In June 1611, Francis was accused of helping his brother William and William's wife, Arabella Stuart, escape. However, Francis said he was innocent.

King James I made him a knight on 23 October 1613. This meant he was called "Sir Francis Seymour." In 1612, his grandfather gave him control of a large estate called "Puriton with Downend" in Somerset. This estate had once belonged to his great-grandfather, the 1st Duke of Somerset.

His Time in Parliament

Francis Seymour was elected to the Parliament many times. He represented areas like Wiltshire and Marlborough.

• 1621: He was elected for Wiltshire.
• 1624: He became an MP for Marlborough. He wanted England to go to war with Spain. However, he didn't want to send too many soldiers to Europe because it would cost too much money.
• 1625: He was again elected for Wiltshire. He disagreed with King Charles I about how much money Parliament should give the King. He also spoke out against corruption in the government.
• 1626: He was elected again, but the King made him the Sheriff of Wiltshire. This job stopped him from being able to sit in Parliament.
• 1628: He was elected for Wiltshire and Marlborough, choosing to represent Wiltshire. He worked with other MPs to protect people's rights, like the right to a fair trial (Habeas Corpus).
• 1639: Francis refused to pay "ship-money," a tax the King tried to collect without Parliament's approval.
• 1640 (Short Parliament): He was elected for Wiltshire. He argued that Parliament should fix people's problems before giving the King any money.
• 1640 (Long Parliament): He was elected for Marlborough. However, he soon started to disagree with the more radical members of Parliament.

In February 1641, King Charles I made him a Baron, giving him the title Baron Seymour of Trowbridge. This meant he moved from the House of Commons to the House of Lords, which is the upper house of Parliament.

During the English Civil War

When the English Civil War began in 1642, Francis Seymour supported King Charles I. He joined the King in York and offered to raise soldiers for the King's army. Because of this, Parliament declared him a "delinquent," meaning he was against them.

He helped his brother, the Marquis of Hertford, organize the King's forces in the west of England. He also traveled to Wales to do similar work. In 1643, he signed a letter from other noblemen protesting against the Scots invading England to help Parliament.

In 1645, he was part of a group in charge of defending Oxford, a key Royalist city. He also helped negotiate with Parliament at Uxbridge. When Oxford surrendered to Parliament in June 1646, Francis was there. He had to pay a large fine of £3,725 to Parliament because he had supported the King. After this, he stayed out of politics during the time England was a republic (the Commonwealth and Protectorate).

After the King Returned

When the monarchy was restored in 1660, and King Charles II came back to the throne, Francis Seymour was again given an important job. He was re-appointed as the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, a role he held from 1660 until 1664.

Family Life

Francis Seymour was married twice:

• His first wife was Frances Prinne. They married in 1620. They had children, including:
  • Charles Seymour, 2nd Baron Seymour of Trowbridge (1621-1665)
  • Frances Seymour, who married Sir William Ducie.
• His second wife was Catherine Lee. They married in 1635.

Death and Burial

Francis Seymour passed away in 1664 when he was about 74 years old. He was buried in the church at Bedwyn Magna, which was near his family's old home of Wulfhall.