William Clarke Somerville was born in
St. Mary's County, Maryland on March 25, 1790. His family had been prominent in
colonial Maryland, and his father William Somerville (1755–1806) was a
militia officer before and during the
American Revolution, and served in the
Maryland House of Delegates and as
Judge of the county
Orphans Court. The younger Somerville was educated by his parents and became involved in managing his family's
plantations. At different times in his life he owned:
Mulberry Fields, which he inherited from his father;
Sotterley, which he won from his brother in law in a dice game; and
Stratford Hall, the birthplace of
Robert E. Lee. He later renamed
Mulberry Fields to
Montalbino. During the War of 1812 Somerville served in the 12th Regiment of Maryland Militia, based in St. Mary's County, and attained the rank of
Major. Following the war Somerville made an extended tour of
Europe, and established several friendships with political, military and society figures that he maintained until the end of his life. As a result of his time in France, he penned a history, entitled
Letters from Paris, on the Causes and Consequences of the French Revolution which was first published in Baltimore in 1822. To capitalize on Somerville's contacts, in 1825
President John Quincy Adams appointed him to be
Minister to Sweden and directed him to carry out a diplomatic assignment in
Greece before proceeding to
Stockholm. While en route to Greece, Somerville became ill while staying at
Château de la Grange-Bléneau, the estate of the
Marquis de Lafayette in
Courpalay,
France. He died there on January 5, 1826, and was buried on the estate. ==Personal life==