‘Ever curious building’: The Architectural Patronage of Edward Seymour

This dissertation examines the architectural patronage of Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset and Lord Protector of the Realm from 1547 to 1549. Following his downfall, his critics claimed that his houses were evidence of his misrule. Seymour developed an interest in building during the reign of Henry VIII, while directing various military engineering projects. The level of his engagement in his domestic building programmes indicates that this interest was personal. Yet, the question remains whether Seymour’s houses were, as his political enemies alleged, a manifestation of his self-aggrandisement and an abuse of the powers conferred upon him. In political terms, they were practical; however, Seymour’s buildings reflected poorly on him. He built several houses in London and Wiltshire that were royal in scale and expense, all during a time of economic and social crisis, which his policies worsened. Was Seymour deliberately antagonising his political rivals and exercising what was essentially monarchical power, or was he pursuing a passion shared with other influential and newly risen men in his household and the Edwardian political administration?