Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford Edward Seymour, 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Baron Beauchamp, KG (22 May 1539 – 6 April 1621), of Wulfhall and Tottenham House in Great Bedwyn, Wiltshire, of Hatch Beauchamp in Somerset, of Netley Abbey, Hampshire, and of Hertford House, Cannon Row in Westminster, is most noted for incurring the displeasure of Queen Elizabeth I by more than one clandestine marriage. He was the eldest son of Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset (c.1500–1552), brother of Queen Jane Seymour, uncle of King Edward VI and Lord Protector of England, by his second wife Anne Stanhope
Frances Seymour, Duchess of Somerset thus incurred the Queen's wrath. Essex was executed on 25 February 1601 for allegedly conspiring to murder the Queen. He left behind his wife and small children; Frances was less than two years old at the time. Frances's brother was Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex, and she had an elder sister, Dorothy. She also had three younger half-siblings from her mother's third marriage in 1603 to Richard Burke, 4th Earl of Clanricarde. These were Honora, Mary and Ulick Burke, 1st Marquess of Clanricarde. On 3 March 1616, Frances married at Drayton Bassett William Seymour, 2nd Duke of Somerset (1588-1660),