Researching James Somerset
Delve into the history of James Somerset using the links below. We hope you find this information useful!
 | Did you know that in the 1881 UK census there were 406 people with the Somerset surname? In that year Somerset was ranked number 3173 for popularity in the UK. |
Good news! There is already a One Name Study on the Somerset surname.
The name James means "one who supplants" and is of Hebrew origin.
Records of James Somerset on Ancestry
Ancestry is a major source of information if you are filling out the detail of James Somerset in your family tree. Many large databases are available to search covering from births, deaths and marriages, military records, census records and immigration records with many other smaller collections too. Free trials are normally available and are a good way to fill out a lot of your tree quickly.
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Ancestry.com Global records search results for James Somerset. |
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Ancestry.com US records search results for James Somerset. |
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Ancestry.co.uk UK records search results for James Somerset. |
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Ancestry.ca Canadian records search results for James Somerset. |
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Ancestry.com.au Australian records search results for James Somerset. |
DNA
Sometimes you can run into a brick wall in your tree and you just don't have enough evidence to make that next step back in time. If you are lucky then you may find some previously undiscovered Somerset ancestors. Additionally, the modern DNA test can give you a breakdown of your ethnic mix - you may be surprised at the results!
Have you reached a brick wall in your Somerset Tree?
Birth, Death and Marriage Records for James Somerset and the Somerset Family History
Birth, Death and Marriage records are often the best method of making the links to the Somerset Genealogy that will form part of your family tree. Although records vary from country to country, they are normally the most formal record of a person's relations. From the sources below you will be able to find a birth record and, from that, a birth certificate can be ordered which lists the names of the mother and father, taking you back another generation in your tree. A marriage certificate may also list the names of the respective fathers of the bride and groom which may then help you to find them earlier in life on a census record enabling you to fill out more detail in the Somerset family tree.
Look at Parish Records for James Somerset at Find My Past.
Search for the UK registered births, marriages and deaths of James Somerset using the FreeBMD database.
Search Genealogy Bank for James Somerset records.
Search MyHeritage for James Somerset information.
Explore the LDS Database for records about James Somerset.
Research the Somerset surname using fold3 Military Archives and view images of original Somerset Military records.
| Did you know that there are currently 500 people with the Somerset surname in the UK? Somerset is now ranked number 3569 for popularity in the UK. |
Somerset Family History Databases
Another way to build your tree quickly is to use the research other people have already done. This can help to confirm or refute your own deductions - however, be wary of taking this data at face value as other researchers may not have been as meticulous as you. Always try to back up deductions with some definitive sources rather than relying too heavily on others.
Look at the WikiTree database for user contributed records for James Somerset.
Study MyTrees for information on the Somerset family and people looking to contact living Somerset relations.
Explore One Great Family for Somerset records submitted by people who are already researching the Somerset Family Tree.
Find James Somerset from Ireland on findmypast.ie
Somerset Forums
There are a number of forums which are dedicated to rearching particular surnames. These can be good places to share your findings and also to tap into the knowledge that others may already have. These can sometimes be a good way of finding living relations as these tend not to show up on the other sources of information for privacy reasons.
Research the Somerset surname using Genealogy.com forums .
Miscellaneous Somerset Databases
Search the Ellis Island Database for information on James Somerset. This database contains over 25 million immigration records detailing passengers arriving in the United States of America.
Some Famous People called James Somerset
James Somerset
James Somerset ( – after 1772) was an African man and the plaintiff in a pivotal court case that was widely reported as outlawing slavery in Britain.
Somerset was born in West Africa around 1741. He was captured when he was about 8 years old, sold to European slave traders, and transported to the Colony of Virginia where Scottish merchant Charles Stewart bought the child. In 1764, Somerset was taken to Boston, where Stewart had been appointed Receiver General of Customs.
In November 1769, Stewart moved to England, taking Somerset along to serve him in his residence in London. In London, Somerset was baptised on 10 February 1771 at the Church of St Andrew, Holborn, with Thomas Walkin, Elizabeth Cade and John Marlow acting as his godparents. Perhaps because baptism was often associated with manumission, Somerset refused to continue serving Stewart and left him. Somerset evidently lived in freedom for several months, but in November 1771 he was kidnapped and forced aboard the Ann and Mary, captained by John Knowles, to be transported to Jamaica and sold.
His godparents, abolitionists, filed a Habeas corpus case with the courts and enlisted Granville Sharp to aid Somerset. The case, Somerset v Stewart, saw powerful interests arguing on both sides, as it challenged the legal basis of slavery in Great Britain. On 22 June 1772, the judge, Lord Mansfield found in favour of Somerset. Although Mansfield had meant for the ruling to be narrowly construed, it was popularly taken to outlaw slavery in Great Britain. Somerset himself appears to have adopted the broader interpretation and wrote to at least one enslaved person encouraging them to desert their master.
Nothing is known of Somerset after 1772.
Source: James Somerset, Wikipedia, The Free EncyclopediaOther names that sound a bit like Somerset
Family names can get corrupted over time, particularly where literacy was not as good. The following list contains some names that have similar sounds so you may want to also look at one or two of the more likely possibilites.
Samarakkody Samaras Samarco Samarzich Sambrok Sambrook Sammars Sanmarco Schambers Schenewerk Schimberg Schmiers Schnurstein Schoenrock Schomberg Sconiers Sconyers Seamark Seamarke Semark Semarke Semiras Semiraz Seymark Shambarger Shamberger Shambroke Shambrook Shambrooke Shamburg Shamburger Shimberg Shinners Shoemark Shomberger Shumberger Sieniarecki Simerson Simmers Sinners Skomerza Skomorowski Smaridge Smerek Smorgonsky Smrcka Smyers Snarski Somaruga Somers Somerscales Somersetcardiff Somersett Sommerkorn Sommers Sommerscales Sommersett Sommerson Songhurst Sumers Summergill Summerhayes Summerhays Summers Summersby Summerscales Summersett Summerside Summersill Summerskill Summerson Sumners Sunners Swinarski Swiniarski Symers Symmers Szmaragd Szymerowski
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