Baron Raglan, of Raglan in the County of Monmouth, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 20 October 1852 for the military commander Lord FitzRoy Somerset, chiefly remembered as commander of the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

troops during the

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the ...

History

The title was created for Lord FitzRoy Somerset, the youngest son of Henry Somerset, 5th Duke of Beaufort (see Duke of Beaufort for earlier history of the family). His second but eldest surviving son, the second Baron, served as a Lord-in-waiting (government whip in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminste ...

) from 1866 to 1868 in the Conservative administrations of the

Earl of Derby Earl of Derby ( ) is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby, under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the en ...

and Benjamin Disraeli. He was succeeded by his son, the third Baron. He held office as

Under-Secretary of State for War The position of Under-Secretary of State for War was a British government position, first applied to Evan Nepean (appointed in 1794). In 1801 the offices for War and the Colonies were merged and the post became that of Under-Secretary of State fo ...

between 1900 and 1902 in the Conservative government of

Lord Salisbury Robert Arthur Talbot Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (; 3 February 183022 August 1903) was a British statesman and Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom three times for a total of over thirteen y ...

. His eldest son, the fourth Baron, was a soldier and also served as

Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire This is a list of people who served as Lord Lieutenant of Monmouthshire. Before the English Civil War, the lieutenancy of Monmouthshire was held by the Lord Lieutenant of Wales, except for the period from 1602 to 1629, when it formed a separate lie ...

. The fifth Baron was active in the

but lost his seat in the upper chamber of parliament after the passing of the

House of Lords Act 1999 The House of Lords Act 1999 (c. 34) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. The Act was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. For centuries, the House of Lords ...

. the title is held by the fourth Baron's third but second surviving son, the sixth Baron, who succeeded in 2010. Like their Beaufort relatives, the Barons of Raglan can boast an unbroken line of male (but illegitimate) descent from Henry II and the earliest

Plantagenets The House of Plantagenet () was a royal house which originated from the lands of Anjou in France. The family held the English throne from 1154 (with the accession of Henry II at the end of the Anarchy) to 1485, when Richard III died in batt ...

. The family seat was

Cefntilla Court Cefn Tilla Court, Llandenny, Monmouthshire, Wales, is a country house dating from the mid-19th century. Its origins date from 1616. During the English Civil War, the court was the headquarters of Thomas Fairfax during the siege of Raglan Castle ...

Llandenny Llandenny ( cy, Llandenni or, lesser used, Mathenni) is a village in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, United Kingdom. Llandenny is located three miles south of Raglan and three miles north of Usk. History and amenities The little village of ...

in Monmouthshire. An inscription over the porch dated 1858 reads: "This house with 238 acres of land was purchased by 1623 of the friends, admirers and comrades in arms of the late Field Marshal

Lord Raglan Baron Raglan, of Raglan in the County of Monmouth, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 20 October 1852 for the military commander Lord FitzRoy Somerset, chiefly remembered as commander of the British troops ...

GCB and presented by them to his son and his heirs for ever in a lasting memorial of affectionate regard and respect". Memorials to a number of members of the Raglan branch of the Somerset family can be seen in St John's Church, the parish church of Llandenny. The fifth baron willed Cefntilla to a nephew, the son of his sister, and not to the heirs of the barony, a decision which was contested. During the legal dispute, the Honourable Arthur Somerset, son and heir of the new Baron, died suddenly on 25 July 2012. The dispute was subsequently settled and Cefntilla sold.

Barons Raglan (1852)

* FitzRoy James Henry Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788–1855) * Richard Henry FitzRoy Somerset, 2nd Baron Raglan (1817–1884) * George FitzRoy Henry Somerset, 3rd Baron Raglan (1857–1921) * FitzRoy Richard Somerset, 4th Baron Raglan (1885–1964) * FitzRoy John Somerset, 5th Baron Raglan (1927–2010) * Geoffrey Somerset, 6th Baron Raglan (born 1932) **Hon. Arthur Geoffrey Somerset (1960–2012) The

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

is the present holder's grandson Iñigo Arthur Fitzroy Somerset (born 2004).

References

External links

A Tribute to the Honourable Arthur Somerset: The King of the Events Industry
* ttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/family-of-military-hero-locked-in-battle-over-sale-of-treasures-7609026.html Family of military hero locked in battle over sale of treasuresbr>Duke of Wellington's treasures in jeopardy
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Raglan Baronies in the Peerage of the United Kingdom * Noble titles created in 1852 Noble titles created for UK MPs

History

Barons Raglan (1852)

See also

References

External links