Schomberg, Frederick Herman, 1st duke of

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Schomberg, Frederick Herman, 1st duke of (1615–90). Schomberg was one of the greatest soldiers of the 17th cent. His father had been ambassador for Frederick of the Palatinate to James I and his mother was a daughter of the 5th Lord Dudley. Born in Heidelberg, he pursued a military career with the Swedes and Dutch before entering French service in 1652 and rising to be a marshal of France. A Huguenot by religion, he left France in 1685 at the revocation of the edict of Nantes and accompanied William of Orange to England in November 1688. After the success of the Glorious Revolution, he became a naturalized Englishman in 1689, was given the Garter, and created duke of Schomberg. In the summer of 1689 he took over William's forces in Ireland and was killed at the battle of the Boyne encouraging his troops: ‘allons, Messieurs, voilà vos persécuteurs.’ His son, the 3rd duke, had a distinguished military career under William III.

J. A. Cannon

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Frederick Herman 1st duke of Schomberg

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