George Seymour, 7th Marquess of Hertford

Seymour was born 20 October 1871. He was the second child and eldest son of eight children born to Hugh Seymour, 6th Marquess of Hertford (1843–1912) and the Hon. Mary Hood.[2] His siblings were Lady Margaret Alice Seymour (1869–1901), Lady Emily Mary Seymour (1873–1948), Lady Victoria Frederica Wilhelmina Georgina Seymour (1874–1960), Lady Jane Edith Seymour (b. 1877), Lord Henry Charles Seymour (1878–1939), who married Lady Helen Grosvenor, a daughter of the 1st Duke of Westminster, Lord Edward Beauchamp Seymour (1879–1917), and Lord George Frederick Seymour (1881–1940).[1][3]

His paternal grandparents were Francis Seymour, 5th Marquess of Hertford, and Lady Emily Murray, daughter of David Murray, 3rd Earl of Mansfield.[4] His maternal grandparents were Alexander Hood, 1st Viscount Bridport, a British Army officer, and Lady Mary Penelope, the daughter of Arthur Hill, 3rd Marquess of Downshire.[5]

In 1895,[6] he was sent to Australia by his family "for the good of his health and the country", due to his blatant behaviour.[7] He settled in Mackay, growing sugar cane and bananas, but quickly created great animosity, due to being a dishonest employer:[8] he was sued by a labourer (who won the case) for underpayment, and boasted tricking kanakas who purchased his chickens into thinking gold sovereigns were less valuable than silver half crowns.[7]

He was noted for all-male house parties at his isolated residence 'The Rocks' near Mackay, and achieved notoriety for "skirt dancing" in a sequinned outfit with butterfly wings,[6] as one newspaper phrased it: "gyrating in the fluffy serpentine dance before a Kanaka audience... His legs being tough and skinny his audience show little inclination to pot him as long pig."[9][10] When he returned to England in 1897, a Mackay newspaper noted the citizens were "more interested in his departure" than his arrival.[7]

From 1889 to 1894, he served in the Black Watch and was a Lieutenant in the Warwickshire Imperial Yeomanry.[1] He held the office of Deputy Lieutenant for Warwickshire and Justice of the Peace for Warwickshire.[11]

He appeared on stage in the United States in one of Charles Frohman's companies under the name of Eric Hope.[2]

He filed for bankruptcy in 1909 and 1910, shortly before inheriting his father's titles and estate, Ragley Hall.[6]

On 27 April 1903, he married heiress Alice Cornelia Thaw (1880–1955).[14] She was the daughter of William Thaw Sr.[15] At the wedding he extorted her parents to increase the dowry under the threat he would not go through the marriage.[16] The marriage was annulled in 1908 due to non-consummation.[17][18] As part of the divorce, all financial interests were returned to Thaw,[19][20] and she resumed using her maiden name.[21][22]

In May 1913, he became engaged to Mrs. Moss-Cockle, who was much older than him and received $3,250,000 by her former husband.[23] By July of the same year, the engagement was called off, with The New York Times writing: "It is rumored that lately the course of true love has not been running as smoothly as it ought to in the case of the Marquis of Hartford and Mrs. Moss Cockie, whose engagement was recently announced."[24]

Lord Hertford died at his home in Torquay, Devonshire in 1940, aged 68 and childless. His titles passed to his nephew, Hugh Seymour.[1]

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Marquess of Hertford
• George Photographs of Francis Alexander Seymour, 7th Marquess of Hertford (1871-1940) at the National Portrait Gallery, London