Charlotte Seymour, Duchess Of Somerset

Charlotte Seymour, Duchess of Somerset (née Finch), was born circa 1693 and died on 21 January 1773. She was the second wife of Charles Seymour, the 6th Duke of Somerset. Her parentage traces to Daniel Finch, the 7th Earl of Winchilsea and 2nd Earl of Nottingham, and his second wife, the Honorable Anne Hatton.

Her marriage to the Duke of Somerset took place on 4 February 1726. The couple's union was reportedly unhappy; the Duke was known by the nickname "The Proud Duke" and was described as reproaching her after she subtly tapped him on the shoulder with a fan, reportedly remarking that his first wife, a Percy, had never taken such a liberty. During his marriage to Lady Charlotte, the Duke continued correspondence with Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, a widowed noblewoman, even after remarrying.

The chronology of Lady Charlotte's birth has been subject to discrepancy. Burke's Peerage lists her birth year as 1711, which would have made her approximately 14 years old at her marriage and her husband, the Duke, about 63. Contrarily, evidence from her family bible and her gravestone indicates a birth year of 1693, which would have made her around 33 at marriage and her husband about 63, consistent with other historical accounts.

Lady Charlotte and the Duke of Somerset had two children together. Their daughter, Lady Frances Seymour, was born on 18 July 1728 and married John Manners, Marquess of Granby. She died on 25 January 1761. Their second daughter, Lady Charlotte Seymour, was born on 21 September 1730 and married Heneage Finch, the 3rd Earl of Aylesford; she died on 15 February 1805. Prior to Lady Charlotte’s marriage, the Duke had children from his previous marriage to Lady Elizabeth Percy, who died in 1722. The Duke was known to be a strict father, requiring his daughters to watch him during his afternoon naps. He threatened disinheritance if they failed to pay attention when he awoke.

Correspondence from Lady Charlotte to her father is preserved in the National Archives. Additionally, in Eliza Haywood’s 1726 satire titled *The Secret History of the Present Intrigues of the Court of Carimania*, the Duchess is referred to under the pseudonym "Euridice," while the Duke is called "Doraspe."

Charles Seymour, the 6th Duke of Somerset, died at Petworth House in 1748 at the age of 86. His estate included substantial inheritances for his younger daughters but left Lady Charlotte an annuity of £1,000 and a farm, likely intended to support her and her daughters. Lady Charlotte died on 21 January 1773.

Regarding her involvement in social causes, Lady Charlotte was the first signatory on Thomas Coram’s petition to King George II in 1729 advocating for the establishment of the Foundling Hospital. Her signature was signed on 9 March 1729 at Petworth. The connection between Coram and Lady Charlotte is not explicitly documented, but some suggest it may have been facilitated through Henry Newman, secretary of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK), who previously served the Duke of Somerset. Coram documented the signing dates of the petitioners in his notebooks, indicating her active support for the hospital’s founding.