Sir Edward Seymour, 5th Baronet facts for kids
Sir Edward Seymour (born around 1660 or 1663, died December 29, 1740) was an important English landowner and politician. He lived at Bradley House in Wiltshire. He was known as the 5th Baronet of Berry Pomeroy, a title passed down in his family. Sir Edward was a member of the Tory political party.
Early Life of Sir Edward Seymour
Edward Seymour was born in 1663 and was baptized on December 18. He was the oldest son of Sir Edward Seymour, 4th Baronet, who was also a Royalist and a Tory politician. His mother was Margaret Wale. In 1679, Edward started studying at Christ Church, Oxford University.
On August 11, 1685, he married his cousin, Laetitia Popham. Her father was Sir Francis Popham. Laetitia's aunt, also named Letitia Popham, was Edward's stepmother.
Sir Edward Seymour's Political Career
In 1690, Sir Edward Seymour became a Member of Parliament (MP) for West Looe. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the country's government. He served in this role until 1695.
In 1708, Sir Edward's father passed away. Edward then inherited his father's title, becoming the 5th Baronet. He also inherited the large Bradley House in Wiltshire. That same year, he was elected as an MP again, this time for Totnes. He didn't make a huge impact, but he voted against the political trial of Dr. Sacheverell.
In 1710, he was elected MP for Great Bedwyn alongside Lord Bruce. People saw him as a "worthy patriot" because he helped to find problems with the previous government. However, he later had some doubts about the Tory government led by Harley. He was re-elected in 1713 but did not run for election in 1715.
Sir Edward finished building Bradley House in 1710. This allowed his family to move out of their old, crumbling home at Berry Pomeroy Castle in Devon. In 1733, he also bought and rebuilt Rumwell Hall in Somerset.
Family and Legacy of Sir Edward Seymour
Sir Edward Seymour passed away on December 29, 1740. He and his wife had twelve children:
- Edward Seymour, 8th Duke of Somerset (1694–1757)
- Francis Seymour, of Sherborne, Dorset (1697–1761)
- Alexander Seymour (died April 3, 1731)
- William Seymour (1713 – January 5, 1746/1747)
- Laetitia Seymour, who married John Gapper
- Margaret Seymour, who married Richard Jones
- Elizabeth Seymour (died May 5, 1756), who married Henry Hungerford
- Anne Seymour (died February 1755), who married William Scroggs
- Eleanor Seymour (died before 1756?)
- Mary Seymour, who married Reverend Hammond
- Jane Seymour, who married William Colman
- Katherine Seymour, who married John Philip Fuhr
After Sir Edward's death, his oldest son, Edward, inherited his property. This son later became the Duke of Somerset in 1750. This event brought together two different parts of the Seymour family.
