Edward Herbert, 2nd Earl of Powis, KG (22 March 1785 – 17 January 1848), styled Viscount Clive between 1804 and 1839, was a British peer and

Tory A Tory () is a person who holds a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalism and conservatism, which upholds the supremacy of social order as it has evolved in the English culture throughout history. Th ...

politician. He was the grandson of

Clive of India Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive, (29 September 1725 – 22 November 1774), also known as Clive of India, was the first British Governor of the Bengal Presidency. Clive has been widely credited for laying the foundation of the British ...

Early life

Edward was born on 22 March 1785, the son of

Edward Clive, 1st Earl of Powis Edward Clive, 1st Earl of Powis, (7 March 1754 – 16 May 1839), known as the Lord Clive between 1774 and 1804, was a British politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1774 to 1794 when he was raised to the peerage as Baron Clive. Earl ...

and his wife Henrietta née Herbert. He was one of four children. His younger brother, Robert Henry Clive, was a noted politician. His elder sister, Henrietta, was the wife of

Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th Baronet Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 5th Baronet (25 October 1772 – 6 January 1840) was a Welsh landowner and Tory politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1794 to 1840. Biography Williams-Wynn was the son of Sir Watkin Williams-Wynn, 4th Baronet ...

. His younger sister,

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

, was the wife of

Hugh Percy, 3rd Duke of Northumberland Hugh Percy, 3rd Duke of Northumberland (20 April 178511 February 1847), styled Earl Percy until 1817, was a British aristocrat and Tory politician who served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland under the Duke of Wellington from 1829 to 1830. Backg ...

, and she was famously the governess of the future

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

. Edward was educated at

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England * Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States * Éton, a commune in the Meuse dep ...

and

St John's College, Cambridge St John's College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch Lady Margaret Beaufort. In constitutional terms, the college is a charitable corpo ...

, graduating as

M.A. A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

in 1806 and being awarded

LL.D. Legum Doctor (Latin: “teacher of the laws”) (LL.D.) or, in English, Doctor of Laws, is a doctorate-level academic degree in law or an honorary degree, depending on the jurisdiction. The double “L” in the abbreviation refers to the early ...

by the same university in 1835. He also became an honorary D.C.L. from

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

in 1844, the year he also became a

Knight of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George ...

Peerage and estates

After 1804, when his father was created

Earl of Powis Earl of Powis (Powys) is a title that has been created three times. The first creation came in the Peerage of England in 1674 in favour of William Herbert, 3rd Baron Powis, a descendant of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (c. 1501–15 ...

, he was known by the

courtesy title A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but rather is used through custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title). In some co ...

of Viscount Clive, his father's second title. In 1806, he became a

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...

for

Ludlow Ludlow () is a market town in Shropshire, England. The town is significant in the history of the Welsh Marches and in relation to Wales. It is located south of Shrewsbury and north of Hereford, on the A49 road which bypasses the town. The t ...

, retaining the seat until he inherited the earldom and entered the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...

. He was also heir to his uncle

George Herbert, 2nd Earl of Powis George Edward Henry Arthur Herbert, 2nd Earl of Powis (7 July 1755 – 16 January 1801), styled Viscount Ludlow until 1772, was a British peer. Early life Herbert was born at Finchley, Middlesex, the son of Henry Herbert, 1st Earl of Powis, by ...

, who had died unmarried in 1801, and inherited the

Powis Castle Powis Castle ( cy, Castell Powys) is a British medieval castle, fortress and grand country house near Welshpool, in Powys. The seat of the Herbert family, Earls of Powis, the castle is known for its formal gardens and for its interiors, the form ...

estates on condition that he assume the name and arms of Herbert only in lieu of those of Clive, which he did by

Royal licence Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

on 9 March 1807; other conditions were that he should settle his uncle's large gambling debts and that his father should leave the Clive estates to his younger son, the Robert Henry Clive.

Career

A defender of Church of England interests in Wales, in the Lords he led a successful opposition over 1843 to 1847 to a proposal to unite the sees of Bangor and

St Asaph St Asaph (; cy, Llanelwy "church on the Elwy") is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and community (Wales), community on the River Elwy in Denbighshire, Wales. In the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 Census it had a population of 3,355 ...

. He was ultimately appointed to a Royal Commission on English and Welsh bishoprics. A sum of £5,000 raised in testimonial to him was devoted to found the Powis Exhibitions to assist Welsh students at Oxford and Cambridge Universities intending to take holy orders. Powis had long service in the

yeomanry Yeomanry is a designation used by a number of units or sub-units of the British Army, British Army Reserve (United Kingdom), Army Reserve, descended from volunteer British Cavalry, cavalry regiments. Today, Yeomanry units serve in a variety of ...

within Shropshire. In 1807 he was appointed major in command of a troop raised from

and

Bishop's Castle Bishop's Castle is a market town in the south west of Shropshire, England. According to the 2011 Census it had a population of 1,893. Bishop's Castle is east of the Wales-England border, about north-west of Ludlow and about south-west of ...

towns, which merged into a larger South Shropshire Yeomanry Cavalry regiment in 1814. He continued under command within the new regiment, to which he succeeded as lieutenant-colonel in 1827. Succeeding his father as Lord-Lieutenant of

Montgomeryshire Montgomeryshire, also known as ''Maldwyn'' ( cy, Sir Drefaldwyn meaning "the Shire of Baldwin's town"), is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It is named after its county tow ...

in 1830, Powis played a leading role in the suppression of the Chartist riots of 1839, himself deploying four troops of his own regiment to disperse rioters from Newtown and apprehend some ringleaders while the

Montgomeryshire Yeomanry The Montgomeryshire Yeomanry was a Welsh auxiliary unit of the British Army first formed in 1803. It served in home defence and for internal security, including deployments to deal with Chartist disturbances in the 1830s. It provided volunteers ...

were deployed in other parts of the same county. In addition to his yeomanry regiment, he was colonel commanding the Royal Montgomeryshire Militia from 1846 to his death. In 1812, as Viscount Clive, he served as treasurer of the Salop Infirmary in

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Sh ...

. The Earl was a

bibliophile Bibliophilia or bibliophilism is the love of books. A bibliophile or bookworm is an individual who loves and frequently reads and/or collects books. Profile The classic bibliophile is one who loves to read, admire and collect books, often ama ...

who built up by 1816 a book collection in Powis Castle sourced from travels in France, purchased partly from booksellers and partly from an auction of

Empress Joséphine Joséphine Bonaparte (, born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie; 23 June 1763 – 29 May 1814) was Empress of the French as the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 January 1810. ...

's library at Malmaison.Powis Castle guidebook. He was elected to the

Roxburghe Club The Roxburghe Club is a bibliophilic and publishing society based in the United Kingdom. Origins The spur to the Club's foundation was the sale of the enormous library of the Duke of Roxburghe (who had died in 1804), which took place over 46 days ...

in 1828 and became President in 1835, the year he sponsored their publication of ''The Lyvys of Seyntys'' (i.e. The Lives of Saints). In 1847, he stood for

election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...

as Chancellor of the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

, but was defeated by only 117 votes by

Albert, Prince Consort Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Franz August Karl Albert Emanuel; 26 August 1819 – 14 December 1861) was the consort of Queen Victoria from their marriage on 10 February 1840 until his death in 1861. Albert was born in the Saxon duch ...

. An encourager of canal building in Shropshire and into Montgomeryshire, he was at the time of his death Chairman of the

Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company The Shropshire Union Railways and Canal Company was a Company in England, formed in 1846, which managed several canals and railways. It intended to convert a number of canals to railways, but was leased by the London and North Western Railway (LN ...

Personal life

On 9 February 1818, Powis married Lady Lucy Graham, the daughter of

James Graham, 3rd Duke of Montrose James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...

, and they had seven children, five boys and two girls: *

Edward Herbert, 3rd Earl of Powis Edward James Herbert, 3rd Earl of Powis (5 November 1818 – 7 May 1891), styled Viscount Clive between 1839 and 1848, was a British peer and politician. Background Powis was born at The Angel Hotel, Pershore, Worcestershire, the eldest son o ...

(1818–1891), who died unmarried. *

Percy Egerton Herbert Lieutenant-General Sir Percy Egerton Herbert (15 April 1822 – 7 October 1876) was a British Army officer and Conservative politician. Background and education Herbert was born at Powis Castle, near Welshpool, the second son of Edward Herbe ...

(1822–1876), who in 1860 married Mary, only child of the

Earl of Kerry Baron Kerry is an ancient title in the Peerage of Ireland named after County Kerry. It was created circa 1223 for Thomas FitzMaurice, Lord OConnello. In 1325, Maurice FitzMaurice, 4th Baron Kerry, murdered Diarmaid Óg MacCarthy (son of Corma ...

(himself the eldest son of the 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne). They were the parents of the 4th Earl. *

George Herbert George Herbert (3 April 1593 – 1 March 1633) was an English poet, orator, and priest of the Church of England. His poetry is associated with the writings of the metaphysical poets, and he is recognised as "one of the foremost British devoti ...

(1825–1894), who married Elizabeth Beatrice Sykes, fourth daughter of

Sir Tatton Sykes, 4th Baronet Sir Tatton Sykes, 4th Baronet (1772–1863) was an English landowner and stock breeder, known as a patron of horse racing. Life A younger brother of Sir Mark Masterman Sykes, he was educated from 1784 at Westminster School. Matriculating at Bras ...

and Mary Anne Foulis (second daughter of Sir William Foulis, 7th Baronet), in 1863. * Robert Charles Herbert (1827–1902), who married Anna Maria Cludde, only child and heiress of Edward Cludde and Catherine Harriett Cockburn (only daughter of Lt.-Gen. Sir William Cockburn, 6th Baronet), in 1854. He was the grandfather of the 5th and the 6th Earls. * William Henry Herbert (1834–1909), who married Sybella Augusta Milbank, eldest daughter and coheirss of Mark William Vane Milbank (grandson of

William Vane, 1st Duke of Cleveland William Henry Vane, 1st Duke of Cleveland, KG (27 July 1766 – 29 January 1842), styled Viscount Barnard until 1792 and known as The Earl of Darlington between 1792 and 1827 and as The Marquess of Cleveland between 1827 and 1833, was a Britis ...

) and Barbarina Sophia Farquhar (a daughter of Sir Thomas Farquhar, 2nd Baronet), in 1871. * Lady Lucy Caroline Herbert (d. 1884), who married Frederick Calvert in 1865. * Lady Charlotte Elizabeth Herbert (d. 1906), who married Hugh Montgomery in 1846. The Earl of Powis died on 17 January 1848 at Powis Castle after being accidentally shot during a pheasant hunt by one of his sons, Robert Charles Herbert. He was buried at St Mary's Parish Church,

Welshpool Welshpool ( cy, Y Trallwng) is a market town and community in Powys, Wales, historically in the county of Montgomeryshire. The town is from the Wales–England border and low-lying on the River Severn; its Welsh language name ''Y Trallwng'' m ...

Descendants

Through his second son Percy, he was a grandfather of

George Herbert, 4th Earl of Powis George Charles Herbert, 4th Earl of Powis GCStJ DL JP (24 June 1862 – 9 November 1952), known as George Herbert until 1891, was a British peer. Early life Herbert was born at Number 26, Bruton Street, Mayfair, London, and baptised at St G ...

, who married Violet Lane-Fox (youngest daughter of

Sackville Lane-Fox, 12th Baron Conyers Sackville George Lane-Fox, 12th Baron Conyers and ''de jure'' 15th Baron Darcy de Knayth (14 September 1827 – 24 August 1888) was a British peer and soldier. Early life Lane-Fox was the eldest son of Lady Charlotte Osborne (d. 1836) and Sackv ...

References

Bibliography

External links

Edward Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sa ...