Biography of Anne Somerset Countess Norfolk 1631-1662

In 1631 Anne Somerset Countess Norfolk was born to [her father] Henry Somerset 1st Marquess Worcester [aged 54] and [her mother] Anne Russell Countess Worcester [aged 53].

On 6th July 1637 [her brother-in-law] Francis Browne 3rd Viscount Montagu [aged 27] and [her sister] Elizabeth Somerset Viscountess Montague [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Viscountess Montagu. She the daughter of [her father] Henry Somerset 1st Marquess Worcester [aged 60] and [her mother] Anne Russell Countess Worcester [aged 59]. They were fourth cousins.

In 1639 [her brother] Edward Somerset 2nd Marquess Worcester [aged 36] and [her sister-in-law] Margaret O'Brien Marchioness of Worcester were married. She by marriage Marchioness Worcester. She the daughter of Henry O'Brien 5th Earl Thomond [aged 51] and Mary Brereton Countess Thomond [aged 59]. He the son of [her father] Henry Somerset 1st Marquess Worcester [aged 62] and [her mother] Anne Russell Countess Worcester [aged 61]. They were fourth cousins.

On 8th April 1639 [her mother] Anne Russell Countess Worcester [aged 61] died at Worcester House.

On 2nd November 1642 [her father] Henry Somerset 1st Marquess Worcester [aged 65] was created 1st Marquess Worcester.

On 18th December 1646 [her father] Henry Somerset 1st Marquess Worcester [aged 69] died at Covent Garden [Map]. His son [her brother] Edward [aged 44] succeeded 2nd Marquess Worcester, 6th Earl Worcester, 8th Baron Herbert of Raglan.

John Evelyn's Diary. 7th June 1649. I visited Sir Arthur Hopton [aged 61] (brother [Note. Nephew?] to Sir Ralph, Lord Hopton [aged 53], that noble hero), who having been Ambassador extraordinary in Spain, sojourned some time with my father-in-law [aged 44] at Paris, a most excellent person. Also Signora Lucretia, a Greek lady, whom I knew in Italy, now come over with her husband, an English gentleman. Also, the Earl and Countess of Arundel [aged 18], taking leave of them and other friends now ready to depart for France. This night was a scuffle between some rebel soldiers and gentlemen about the Temple.

Before 1652 John Michael Wright [aged 34]. Portrait of Anne Somerset Countess Norfolk [aged 20].

Around 1652 Henry Howard 6th Duke of Norfolk [aged 23] and Anne Somerset Countess Norfolk [aged 21] were married. She the daughter of Henry Somerset 1st Marquess Worcester and Anne Russell Countess Worcester. He the son of Henry Howard 15th or 22nd Earl of Arundel 5th Earl of Surrey 2nd Earl Norfolk [aged 43] and Elizabeth Stewart Countess Arundel and Norfolk [aged 42]. They were fifth cousin once removed.

On 17th April 1652 [her father-in-law] Henry Howard 15th or 22nd Earl of Arundel 5th Earl of Surrey 2nd Earl Norfolk [aged 43] died. His son [her brother-in-law] Thomas [aged 25] succeeded 16th or 23rd Earl Arundel, 6th Earl Surrey, 3rd Earl Norfolk, 13th Baron Maltravers, 13th Baron Arundel, 16th Baron Mowbray, 17th Baron Segrave.

On 3rd June 1654 Alethea Talbot Countess Arundel, Surrey and Norfolk [aged 69] died. Her grandson [her brother-in-law] Thomas [aged 27] succeeded 14th Baron Furnivall, 18th Baron Strange Blackmere, 15th Baron Talbot.

On 11th January 1655 [her son] Henry Howard 7th Duke of Norfolk was born to [her husband] Henry Howard 6th Duke of Norfolk [aged 26] and Anne Somerset Countess Norfolk [aged 24]. He married (1) 8th August 1677 his third cousin twice removed Mary Mordaunt Duchess Norfolk, daughter of Henry Mordaunt 2nd Earl Peterborough and Penelope O'Brien Countess Peterborough.

In 1657 [her son] Thomas Howard was born to [her husband] Henry Howard 6th Duke of Norfolk [aged 28] and Anne Somerset Countess Norfolk [aged 26]. He married before 9th November 1689 Mary Elizabeth Savile, daughter of John Savile 1st Baronet, and had issue.

In 1660 [her brother-in-law] Thomas Howard 5th Duke of Norfolk [aged 32] was restored 5th Duke Norfolk by King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland in response to a petition by Parliament it having previously been forfeited in 1572 by his great-great-grandfather Thomas Howard 4th Duke of Norfolk who had been executed for his involvement in the Ridolphi Plot.

In 1662 Anne Somerset Countess Norfolk [aged 31] died.

John Evelyn's Diary. 17th October 1671. My [her former husband] Lord Henry Howard [aged 43] coming this night to visit my Lord Chamberlain, and staying a day, would needs have me go with him to Norwich, Norfolk [Map], promising to convey me back, after a day or two; this, as I could not refuse, I was not hard to be pursuaded to, having a desire to see that famous scholar and physician, Dr. T. Browne [aged 65], author of the Religio Medici and Vulgar Errors, now lately knighted. Thither, then, went my Lord and I alone, in his flying chariot with six horses; and by the way, discoursing with me of several of his concerns, he acquainted me of his going to marry his eldest son to one of the King's [aged 41] natural daughters [Note. Either Anne Fitzroy Countess Sussex [aged 10] or Charlotte Fitzroy Countess Lichfield [aged 7].], by the Duchess of Cleveland [aged 30]; by which he reckoned he should come into mighty favor. He also told me that, though he kept that idle creature, Mrs. B-- [Note. Jane Bickerton Duchess Norfolk [aged 28]], and would leave £200 a year to the son [Note. Henry Howard and Jane Bickerton had three sons; not clear which is being referred to since the eldest may have died and the reference may be to a surviving son.] he had by her, he would never marry her, and that the King himself had cautioned him against it. All the world knows how he kept his promise [Note. meaning he didn't keep his promise since Henry Howard did marry Jane Bickerton - this a case of John Evelyn writing his diary retrospectively?], and I was sorry at heart to hear what now he confessed to me; and that a person and a family which I so much honored for the sake of that noble and illustrious friend of mine, his grandfather, should dishonor and pollute them both with those base and vicious courses he of late had taken since the death of Sir Samuel Tuke [aged 56], and that of his own virtuous lady (my Lady Anne Somerset, sister to the [her brother] Marquis); who, while they lived, preserved this gentleman by their example and advice from those many extravagances that impaired both his fortune and reputation.

Around 1675 [her former husband] Henry Howard 6th Duke of Norfolk [aged 46] and Jane Bickerton Duchess Norfolk [aged 32] were married. He the son of [her former father-in-law] Henry Howard 15th or 22nd Earl of Arundel 5th Earl of Surrey 2nd Earl Norfolk and [her former mother-in-law] Elizabeth Stewart Countess Arundel and Norfolk.

John Evelyn's Diary. 25th August 1678. There was at Weybridge the Duchess of Norfolk [aged 35], Lord Thomas Howard [aged 21] (a worthy and virtuous gentleman, with whom my son [aged 23] was sometime bred in Arundel House [Map]), who was newly come from Rome, where he had been some time; also one of the Duke's daughters, by his first lady. My Lord [aged 50] leading me about the house made no scruple of showing me all the hiding places for the Popish priests, and where they said mass, for he was no bigoted Papist. He told me he never trusted them with any secret, and used Protestants only in all businesses of importance.

On 13th January 1684 [her former husband] Henry Howard 6th Duke of Norfolk [aged 55] died. His son Henry [aged 29] succeeded 7th Duke Norfolk, 18th or 25th Earl Arundel, 8th Earl Surrey, 5th Earl Norfolk, 2nd Earl Norwich, 18th Baron Mowbray, 19th Baron Segrave, 16th Baron Furnivall, 20th Baron Strange Blackmere, 17th Baron Talbot, 15th Baron Maltravers, 15th Baron Arundel, 2nd Baron Howard of Castle Rising, Earl Marshal. Mary Mordaunt Duchess Norfolk [aged 25] by marriage Duchess Norfolk.

[her daughter] Frances Howard was born to Henry Howard 6th Duke of Norfolk and Anne Somerset Countess Norfolk.