Mary Seymour, Duchess of Somerset


Mary Seymour, Duchess of Somerset, formerly Mary Webb, was the wife of Edward Seymour, 8th Duke of Somerset, and the mother of both the 9th and 10th dukes.
Mary Webb was born at Seend, Wiltshire, the only child of Daniel Webb, of Monkton Farleigh, and his wife Elizabeth Somner, who was the daughter of John Somner of Seend. She married the duke, then Sir Edward Seymour, on 8 March 1716 or 5 March 1717, at Monkton Farleigh.
In December 1740, Seymour inherited his father's estates in Wiltshire and Devon. On 11 September 1744, the unexpected death of George Seymour, Viscount Beauchamp, the only son of Algernon Seymour, 7th Duke of Somerset, made Sir Edward the heir presumptive to the dukedom and to the barony of Seymour. On 23 November 1750 the 7th duke died, and Seymour succeeded to the dukedom, his wife then becoming a duchess. The principal Percy family estates and houses of Alnwick Castle, Northumberland House, Petworth House, and Syon House, had been divided between the 7th duke's daughter Elizabeth Percy, Duchess of Northumberland, and his nephew, Charles Wyndham, 2nd Earl of Egremont.
Their children were:
The duchess was a patron of several charities.
The duke died in December 1757, and was buried at Maiden Bradley. The duchess then expanded the Seend Green House, which had belonged to her grandfather, John Somner. She died on 1 February 1768, aged 70, and was buried at Seend. Her will is held in the National Archives at Kew.