Edward Somerset, 4th Earl of Worcester

He married Lady Elizabeth Hastings on 16 December 1571 at Whitehall Palace in a triple wedding with Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford and bride, Anne Cecil, and Edward Sutton, 4th Baron Dudley and bride, Mary Howard.^[9] She was a daughter of Francis Hastings, 2nd Earl of Huntingdon and Catherine Pole. Catherine was a daughter of Henry Pole, 1st Baron Montagu and Jane Neville. Jane was in turn a daughter of George Nevill, 4th Baron Bergavenny and his wife Margaret, daughter of Hugh Fenn. They had fifteen children among whom were:

• William Somerset, born before 20 Apr 1576, died 1597/98. Edward's eldest son, preceded his father unmarried and without issue.
• Henry Somerset, 5th Earl of Worcester, his heir and successor, who was later created the 1st Marquess of Worcester;
• Thomas Somerset, 1st Viscount Somerset (Peerage of Ireland), who was born in 1579,^[10] died in 1649; he was created Viscount Somerset on 8 December 1626; in 1616 he married Helen Barry – her third marriage -, with whom he had one daughter:
  • Elizabeth Somerset, who might have died young, but that is unsure;
• Lady Anne Somerset, who married Sir Edward Wynter (als Wyntour) of Lydney, Gloucestershire, on 11 August 1595.^[11]
• Lady Catherine or Katherine Somerset, who died on 6 November 1654 and, before 14 January 1607, married Thomas Windsor, 6th Baron Windsor,^[12] with whom she had no issue.
• Lady Blanche Somerset, who died 28 October 1649, and married Thomas Arundell, 2nd Baron Arundell of Wardour, with whom she had one son and two daughters, his only children; the settlement for this marriage was on 11 May 1607.
• Lady Frances Somerset, wife of William Morgan of Llantarnam^[13] and mother of Edward Morgan (c. 1612 – 24 June 1653), who was the great-great-grandfather of Daniel Boone.
• Sir Charles Somerset (1587/8 – 1665), traveller and writer, Knight of the Bath,^[10] who married Elizabeth Powell in February 1609.^[14]
• Lady Elizabeth Somerset, married Sir Henry Guildford.
• Lady Katherine Somerset (1575–1624), married William Petre, 2nd Baron Petre.

Four of his daughters danced as the rivers of Monmouthshire in the court masque Tethys' Festival on 5 June 1610; Lady Catherine Windsor as the "Nymph of Usk"; Lady Katherine Petre as the "Nymph of Olwy"; Lady Elizabeth Guildford as the "Nymph of Dulesse"; and Lady Mary Wintour as the "Nymph of Wye".^[15]

Somerset is buried in the family chapel in the Church of St Cadoc, Raglan, Monmouthshire^[16]

Political offices
Preceded by The Earl of Essex	Master of the Horse 1601–1616	Succeeded by Sir George Villiers
Preceded by The 2nd Earl of Pembroke	Custos Rotulorum of Monmouthshire 1601–1628	Succeeded by The 3rd Earl of Pembroke
	Lord Lieutenant of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire jointly with Henry Somerset 1626–1628 1602–1628	Succeeded by The Earl of Worcester
Preceded by In Commission	Earl Marshal 1603	Succeeded by In Commission
Preceded by The Earl of Somerset	Lord Privy Seal 1616–1625	Succeeded by Sir John Coke
Peerage of England
Preceded by William Somerset	Earl of Worcester 1589–1628	Succeeded by Henry Somerset
	Baron Herbert (descended by acceleration) 1589–1604