Execution of Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset – 22 January 1552

On 22nd January 1552, between 8am and 9am, the former Lord Protector of England, Edward Seymour, Duke of Seymour, was executed on Tower Hill.

He had been arrested on 11th October 1549, his charges, in the words of his nephew, Edward VI, being: “ambition, vainglory, entering into rash wars in mine youth, negligent looking on Newhaven, enriching himself of my treasure, following his own opinion, and doing all by his own authority, etc.”

You can read all about Somerset’s downfall in the following articles:

Also on this day in history

  • 1554 – Thomas Wyatt the Younger met with fellow conspirators at his home of Allington Castle in Kent to make final plans for their uprising against Mary I and her decision to marry Philip of Spain – see Wyatt’s Rebellion 1554
  • 1561 – Birth of Francis Bacon, Viscount St Alban, the Elizabethan Lord Chancellor, politician, philosopher, author and scientist at York House in the Strand, London. Bacon is known as “the Father of the Scientific method”.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *