| Authorised form of name | Somers; John (1651 - 1716); Baron Somers of Evesham; lawyer and politician |
| Dates | 1651 - 1716 |
| Nationality | British |
| Place of birth | Whiteladies, Claines, Worcester, England, Europe |
| Date of birth | 4 March 1651 |
| Place of death | Brookmans Manor, near North Mimms, Hertfordshire, England, Europe |
| Date of death | 26 April 1716 |
| DatesAndPlaces | Burial:
North Mimms parish church, Hertfordshire, England, Europe |
| Occupation | Barrister |
| Activity | Education:
King's School, Worcester; Walsall Grammar School, Staffordshire, and Mr Woodhouse's School at Sheriff Hales, Shropshire; Trinity College, Oxford (matriculated 1667); Middle Temple (admitted 1669)
Career:
Called to the Bar (1676); Standing Counsel to the Dean and Chapter of Worcester (1681); junior counsel for the defence of the seven non-juror bishops (1688); MP for Worcester (1689-1693); Commissioner for Preventing the Export of Wool (1689-1692); Chairman, Committee of Ways and Means (1689-1693); Commissioner for Assessment for Worcester and Worcestershire (1689-1690), and for the Middle Temple (1690); Bencher of the Middle Temple (1689); Solicitor General (1689-1692); Chairman of the Supply Committee (1690-1693); Recorder of Gloucester (1691); Attorney General (1692-1693); Privy Councillor (1693-1702, 1708-death); Lord Keeper of the Great Seal and Speaker of the House of Lords (1693-1697); one of the Lords Justices (1695-1699); Lord Chancellor (1697-1700); impeached by the House of Commons (1698) but no one appeared on the day of the trial, so the charge was dismissed; Commissioner for the Union with Scotland (1706); Lord President of the Council (1708-1710); Custos Rotulorum for Worcestershire (1715-death)
Honours:
Kt 1689; Baron Sommers of Evesham 1697 |
| Membership category | Fellow |
| Date of election | 30/11/1698 |
| RSActivity | Royal Society roles:
PRS 1698-1703 |
| Other Royal Society activity | Somers was elected Fellow the day he was chosen President but was otherwise not particularly active within the Society |
| Relationships | Parents: John Somers and Catharine Severne; succeeded his father 1681
Siblings: four sisters, incl. Mary Cocks (née Somers); Elizabeth Jekyll (née Somers) |
| OtherInfo | Somers was an active member of parliament during his political and legal career and in 1689 demonstrated clear support for William III's succession to the throne. He was additionally involved in the committee appointed to drawing up what would become the Bill of Rights, in which he could contribute his interest in the history of the constitution. Upon his impeachment, he was accused of multiple offenses, including passing grants of Irish land to royal favourites and his own benefit. He was ultimately acquitted in 1701. Through his membership of the so-called Kit-Cat Club, he remained in contact with prominent whig literary men. Overall, his knowledge of the constitution and political achievements are highly regarded in terms of securing the union with Scotland and the Hanoverian succession. |
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| Source | Sources:
Bulloch's Roll; DNB; GEC; Foster; MT; Henning; ODNB |
| Virtual International Authority File | http://viaf.org/viaf/46796537 |
| Code | NA5503 |