Samuel Masham, 1st Baron Masham facts for kids

Samuel Masham, 1st Baron Masham (born 1678 or 1679 – died 1758) was an important person in the court of Queen Anne. He was also a high-ranking army officer, reaching the rank of Brigadier-General. Samuel Masham was married to Abigail, Lady Masham, who was a very close friend and trusted advisor to Queen Anne.

Early Life and Royal Service

Samuel Masham was born in 1678 or 1679. He was the eighth son of Sir Francis Masham, 3rd Baronet, and Mary Scott. His family lived in a place called Otes in High Laver, England.

When he was young, Samuel began working for the royal family. He started as a page for Prince George of Denmark. Prince George was the husband of Princess Anne, who later became Queen Anne. In 1701, Samuel was promoted to a new role called equerry. An equerry was an officer who looked after the royal horses and helped with royal ceremonies.

Samuel also had a military career. In 1704, he became a captain in the 2nd Regiment of Foot Guards, which was a famous army group. Later that year, he was promoted to a colonel in the army.

Meeting Abigail Hill

Around 1704, Samuel Masham met Abigail Hill. At this time, Abigail had just become a Lady of the Bedchamber to Queen Anne. This meant she was a close attendant to the Queen.

Queen Anne had been very close friends with Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough. However, their friendship was starting to break apart. The Duchess of Marlborough was a member of the Whig political party. She was often away from court and had become very bossy towards the Queen.

Abigail, who was a member of the Tory political party, was very polite and helpful to the Queen. She quickly became a new favorite of Queen Anne, taking the place of the Duchess of Marlborough.

Marriage and Rise to Power

Samuel Masham and Abigail Hill fell in love and got married in 1707. Queen Anne was present at their wedding and even gave Abigail money for her dowry. A dowry was money or property that a bride's family gave to her husband when they married.

The Duchess of Marlborough was not happy about this marriage. She learned about it months later and had a big argument with the Queen. This argument made the Queen turn completely against the Duchess. This opened the way for Abigail to become even more important to the Queen.

Samuel Masham also benefited from Abigail's close relationship with the Queen. He was promoted to brigadier general in the army. In 1710, he became a Member of Parliament (MP) for a place called Ilchester. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the country's government.

Becoming a Baron

In 1712, the leader of the Tory party, Robert Harley, asked Queen Anne to create twelve new peers. A peer is a person who holds a high rank in society, like a Baron or an Earl. These new peers were needed to help pass a peace treaty called the Treaty of Utrecht, which the Whig party was against.

Samuel Masham was one of the people suggested to become a new peer. Queen Anne agreed, but only if Abigail continued her duties as her dresser. A peeress (the wife of a peer) was not usually expected to do such tasks. Samuel Masham then became Baron Masham of Otes. These twelve new peers were famously known as "Harley's Dozen".

Later Life

After Queen Anne died in 1714, a new king, George I, came to power. He favored the Whig party and brought the Marlboroughs back into royal favor. Abigail Masham decided to retire from public life.

However, Samuel Masham continued to serve the government. In 1716, he became the King's Remembrancer. This was an important legal role in the government, responsible for keeping records and managing certain financial matters for the King.

Samuel Masham lived a long life and passed away in 1758. He outlived his wife, Abigail.