a county in southwest England, famous for producing very good cider. Its local government is based in Taunton. Administrative (pop., 2001: 498,093), geographic, and historic county, southwestern England. Its county seat is Taunton. The remains of prehistoric villages have been found in the region. The Romans mined lead and built villas there; from the 7th century AD, Somerset formed the westernmost part of the kingdom of Wessex. A large part of western Somerset is made up of Exmoor National Park, and long stretches of coastline are protected. It is mainly an agricultural county and is known for its cider. Tourism draws visitors to its Bristol Channel resorts and historic mansions. Maugham William Somerset Raglan of Raglan FitzRoy James Henry Somerset 1st Baron Somerset Edward Seymour 1st duke of
{i} county in southwest England; name of several cities and towns in the USA; town in Tasmania (island south of Australia); family name
A leap in which a person turns his heels over his head and lights upon his feet; a turning end over end
a building in the Strand in London where documents were kept containing information about British people, such as their names and their date and place of birth, etc. The office dealing with these documents is now at St Catherine's House in Kingsway in London, but people still often call it Somerset House
a British writer of novels and short stories. Many people consider him to be one of the best short story writers in English. His novels include Of Human Bondage and The Moon and Sixpence (1874-1965)
born 1500/06 died Jan. 22, 1552, London, Eng. English politician. After his sister, Jane Seymour, married King Henry VIII in 1536, Somerset rose rapidly in royal favour. He commanded the English forces that invaded Scotland and sacked Edinburgh in 1544, and he decisively defeated the French at Boulogne in 1545. After Henry's death (1547), he was named Protector of England during the minority of Edward VI and acted as king in all but name. When the Scots rejected his appeal for a voluntary union with England, he invaded Scotland and won the Battle of Pinkie (1547). He introduced moderate Protestant reforms, but these provoked Catholic uprisings in western England. His land reforms were opposed by landowners and the duke of Northumberland, who had Somerset deposed from the protectorate in 1549. He was imprisoned in 1551 on a flimsy charge of treason and executed the next year
born Sept. 30, 1788, Badminton, Gloucestershire, Eng. died June 28, 1855, near Sevastopol, Crimea, Russia English army officer. He served as aide and, later, military secretary to the duke of Wellington. Appointed commander in chief of British forces in the Crimean War (1854), he gave an ambiguous order in the Battle of Balaklava that led to the disastrous charge of the Light Cavalry Brigade under the earl of Cardigan. Raglan became the scapegoat for the campaign's lack of progress and the inadequate supplies to the troops in the winter of 1854-55. His name was applied to the raglan sleeve, probably designed to adapt his coat to the arm he had amputated after the Battle of Waterloo
born Sept. 30, 1788, Badminton, Gloucestershire, Eng. died June 28, 1855, near Sevastopol, Crimea, Russia English army officer. He served as aide and, later, military secretary to the duke of Wellington. Appointed commander in chief of British forces in the Crimean War (1854), he gave an ambiguous order in the Battle of Balaklava that led to the disastrous charge of the Light Cavalry Brigade under the earl of Cardigan. Raglan became the scapegoat for the campaign's lack of progress and the inadequate supplies to the troops in the winter of 1854-55. His name was applied to the raglan sleeve, probably designed to adapt his coat to the arm he had amputated after the Battle of Waterloo
born Jan. 25, 1874, Paris, France died Dec. 16, 1965, Nice English novelist, playwright, and short-story writer. He abandoned a short career in medicine when his first novel, Liza of Lambeth (1897), had some success. His plays, mainly Edwardian social comedies, brought him financial security. His reputation rests primarily on the novels Of Human Bondage (1915), The Moon and Sixpence (1919), Cakes and Ale (1930), and The Razor's Edge (1944), all of which were adapted for film and some for television. His short stories often portray the confusion of Europeans in alien surroundings. His works, regarded less highly today than formerly, are characterized by a clear, unadorned style, cosmopolitan settings, and a shrewd understanding of human nature
born Jan. 25, 1874, Paris, France died Dec. 16, 1965, Nice English novelist, playwright, and short-story writer. He abandoned a short career in medicine when his first novel, Liza of Lambeth (1897), had some success. His plays, mainly Edwardian social comedies, brought him financial security. His reputation rests primarily on the novels Of Human Bondage (1915), The Moon and Sixpence (1919), Cakes and Ale (1930), and The Razor's Edge (1944), all of which were adapted for film and some for television. His short stories often portray the confusion of Europeans in alien surroundings. His works, regarded less highly today than formerly, are characterized by a clear, unadorned style, cosmopolitan settings, and a shrewd understanding of human nature