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FitzRoy Somerset, countryman who spent his early years in Castle Goring, the Sussex country house built by Percy Bysshe Shelley’s grandfather – obituary
FitzRoy Somerset, who has died aged 95, farmed in Sussex and was the last of his line to spend his formative years in one of England’s most enchanting country houses, Castle Goring, which until its recent sale had belonged to his family for 200 years.
Designed by John Rebecca, who also designed parts of Knebworth House, Castle Goring had been built near Worthing, Sussex, in about 1790 for Sir Bysshe Shelley, 1st Bt, with the intention that his grandson, Percy Bysshe Shelley, should live there. The poet was drowned, however, in 1822, aged 29, when his sailing boat sank during a storm off Italy.
Rebecca almost uniquely created a building with two facades in very different styles – a Gothic north side thought to be modelled on Arundel Castle and a Greco-Palladian south front inspired by the Villa Lante, overlooking Rome in Italy.
The building was falling into disrepair, and was known as “the Rat House”, when leased in 1826 by Vice-Admiral Sir George Brooke-Pechell, 4th Bt. Brooke-Pechell nevertheless decided to buy the castle from Shelley’s widow Mary and completed its rebuilding. It eventually came to FitzRoy’s grandfather Arthur.
FitzRoy lived in the castle as a boy. In 1941, however, it was requisitioned by the War Office and subsequently used by the Canadian army. When it was returned to the family at the end of the war it was in a parlous state. FitzRoy’s father lacked the will or the funds to begin repairs and the family never moved back in.
FitzRoy Somerset inherited the estate in 1958 but lived in a modest house on the farm.
He continued to manage the estate for almost 60 years, combining this for a time with working as a land agent in London. Outlying buildings and land had to be sold to pay death duties, and the great storm of 1987 devastated large areas of woodland. At the start of this century, Castle Goring was placed on the Heritage at Risk register of Historic England.
Latterly, however, after regaining possession from tenants, Somerset’s son, Clem, had partially restored the building and in 2014 Castle Goring was sold to Lady Colin Campbell.
The youngest of three children, and the only boy, John FitzRoy Pechell Somerset was born on October 14 1923 at Stanhope Lodge on the Castle Goring estate and was educated at Wellington from 1937. He could well recall the death of the headmaster, Robert Longden, who in 1940 was killed by a bomb which fell outside the Master’s Lodge.
After enlisting in the King’s Royal Rifle Corps (60th Rifles) as a private soldier in early 1942, Somerset landed with the 2nd Battalion on Gold Beach, Normandy, on D+2. He was not commissioned because he had a slight speech impediment and it was thought that he would not be understood when he gave commands. His platoon commander was 2nd Lieutenant (now Field Marshal Lord) Bramall, who promoted him to lance-corporal.
He saw heavy fighting south-west of Caen and took part in clearing up the Falaise pocket. At Goirle in Holland at the end of October he was wounded by a mine and evacuated to England. He recovered and was demobilised the following year. He then studied Land Management at London University and, having qualified, worked for the Air Ministry.
At Castle Goring he ran a small but successful shoot in regimental style. As well as having a great love of country sports, Somerset was patron of two churches and president of many local clubs and societies. He was also a life member of MCC. In 2017 he was appointed to the Légion d’honneur.
FitzRoy Somerset married, in 1952, Marigold Topham. She survives him with their son and two daughters.
FitzRoy Somerset, born October 14 1923, died March 17 2019