My Maternal 16th. Great Grandfather, Baron Thomas Somerville, 1st. Lord of Somerville

Name: Baron Thomas Somerville, 1st. Lord of Somerville

Born: January 1370 in Carnwath, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Married: July 1391 in  Lanarkshire, Scotland to Janet Stewart, of Darnley

Children: (5)
Margaret, William, Thomas, Giles, and Mary Somerville

Died: December 1444 in Carnwath, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Burial: December 1444 in Carnwath Churchyard, Carnwath, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Thomas Somerville, 1st Lord Somerville, (d. 1434), was a Lord of the Parliament of Scotland.
Thomas succeeded to the estates and became the first Lord Somerville. 

About 1427 both coal and limestone had been found in the lands of Gilmerton, which made him a very rich man. 
He married Janet Stewart, daughter of Alexander Stewart, Lord Darnley, and had two sons, William and Thomas, and three daughters, Mary, Giles, and Margaret.

He died in December 1444 and was succeeded by son Sir William
In 1423 Thomas Somerville, as Lord of Carnwath came to London as an ambassador to treat for the release of James I of Scotland, who had been captive in England for many years. Somerville was also recorded as a Warden of the Scottish Borders in 1424.
Thomas Somerville probably founded the Collegiate Church at Carnwath with his family burial aisle around 1425-1430, and repaired the church at Linton, Roxburghshire.

Sir THOMAS de SOMERVILLE, who succeeded also to his uncle Thomas's estates of Gilmerton, Drum, and Goodtrees, and was the first lord Somerville.

He was a man of great honour and virtue, and a liberal benefactor to the religious.

He made a donation to the monastery of Lesmahagoe, to which William Somerville his brother was a witness, anno 1421; and it was afterwards confirmed by king James I. anno 1427.

He made another mortification out of his lands of Manuel, for a chaplain to the same monastery, with consent of William Somerville his son and heir apparent, pro salute ani∣mae suae, &c. dated third June 1424, and confirmed by king James,* June 5th that same year.

He was one of the commissioners sent to England to negotiate king James I.'s liberty, anno 1423, and is then designed Thomas Somerville of Carnwath; but upon the king's return home the year thereafter, he was cal∣led to parliament by his majesty, as a lord baron, along with five others that had been hostages for his ransom, most of whom are either arrived at higher dignities, or are extinct.

He was one of the sureties for a seven years truce with the English, was appointed one of the wardens of the marches towards England,* and is then designed Thomas domi∣nus Somerville,*anno 1424. That same year he sat as a peer on the trial of Murdoch duke of Albany, &c.

As therefore there is sufficient proof that lord Somerville was a lord of parliament in the year 1424, he appears to be the first lord baron of Scotland; and by a resolution of the house of lords of Great Britain, in the year 1722, when the honours were confirmed to this lord, there is a saving clause, that, upon application to that house at any time,* and upon proper proof, he may have his rank ascertained.

He also sat as a peer in the parliament held at Edinburgh, anno 1429, and was by his majesty appointed justice-general of Scotland be south the river Forth, which appears by an authentic decreet pronounced by him, wherein he is designed justiciarius domini regis, ex parte austrail aquae de Forth. He passed sentence against the delinquents at Stirling, the 4th day of November, in the year of God 1430. The decreet concludes thus:*In cujus rei testimonium, sigillum officii nosiri justiciarii est appensum, anno die mensis, et l•co supra∣script.

Immediately thereafter, Thomas demius Somerville was appointed one of the warden
of the marches towards England, in December 1430.

He married Janet, daughter of Alexander Stewart, lord Darnly, ancestor of king James VI. with whom he got the lands and barony of Cambusnethan, which is confirmed by a charter from king Robert III. Thomae de Somerville, filio et haeredi apparenti Willielmi Somerville, militis, et Janetae Senescal sponsae suae, et eorum diutius viventi, omnes terras ba∣roniae de Cambusnethan, &c. jacen. in vicecom. de Lanark,*quae fuerunt dilecti consanguinei no∣stri Alexandri Senescalli de Darnly, militis, &c. dated in July 1392.
He died anno 1444, and was succeeded by his eldest son.
source: Peerage of Scotland