in 1804 she met her first husband, her distant cousin lieutenant samuel greig, son of admiral samuel greig, when he came to pay a visit. he was commissioner of the russian navy and russian consul for britain. they married and had two children, one of whom, woronzow greig, would become a barrister and scientist. they lived in london, but it was not a happy time for somerville. although she could study, her husband did not think much of women's capacity to pursue academic interests. indeed, greig "possessed in full the prejudice against learned women which was common at that time." somerville took lessons in french. when her husband died in 1807, while she was still nursing their youngest child, she returned home to scotland.