Person

Lord Charles Somerset

1767–1831 · 19th century

Lord Charles Somerset was a British soldier and politician who governed the Cape Colony from 1814 to 1826. He ruled in an autocratic manner, made English the official language of government and encouraged the settlement of the 1820 Settlers in the Eastern Cape. His clashes with the free press and his handling of the eastern frontier with the Xhosa led to his recall.

Lord Charles Somerset
Image: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 profile

Cape ColonyGovernance

Mentioned in 1 state history

Cape Colony

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Lord Charles Somerset. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/lord-charles-somerset
MLA
“Lord Charles Somerset.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/lord-charles-somerset. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Lord Charles Somerset.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/lord-charles-somerset.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Lord Charles Somerset’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/lord-charles-somerset (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻