Hugh Somerville, 5th Lord Somerville

Hugh Somerville, 5th Lord Somerville (c. 1484 – 1549) was a lord of the Parliament of Scotland. He is sometimes reckoned to be the 4th Lord Somerville. He succeeded his brother, John Somerville, 4th Lord Somerville. Hugh and John were sons of William Somerville, Master of Somerville, and Marjory Montgomerie.

Hugh Somerville was in dispute with his uncle Sir John Somerville of Cambusnethan (known as Red-bag). John Somerville had forfeited his lands for his part in the fight in Edinburgh called 'Cleanse the Causeway.' Hugh, Lord Somerville, benefitted from John's loss. When Red-bag gained the upper hand in his legal struggle against him in 1528, Hugh asked James Hamilton of Finnart to be his backer. In April 1536, Hugh's son James married Agnes the daughter of James Hamilton of Finnart at Craignethan Castle. Later, Hugh sat on the assize that condemned Hamilton of Finnart to death for treason on 16 August 1540. By Finnart's death he gained the bailiary of Carstairs.

Hugh was captured by the English at the battle of Solway Moss in 1542, and released in 1543. Henry VIII of England gave several of the Scottish prisoners presents of money on 28 January 1543; Somerville got £200. The English soldiers who had captured him, Richard Greme and John Briscoe of Caston, took their dispute over ransom money to the Privy Council which asked the Duke of Suffolk to arbitrate.

On his return to Scotland, Hugh became involved in a factional struggle against the Governor of Scotland, Regent Arran, and was associated with the Earl of Angus. On 1 November 1543, Hugh was imprisoned with Lord Maxwell in Edinburgh Castle. The Abbot of Paisley had kept the pair talking on the Royal Mile while waiting for a serjeant to arrest them in the name of Mary, Queen of Scots and the Regent. Somerville was then taken to Blackness Castle. The English diplomat Ralph Sadler thought they had been foolish to come to Edinburgh where their enemies the Regent and Cardinal Beaton had full control.

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