George Robert Charles Herbert, 13th Earl of Pembroke, 10th Earl of Montgomery (6 July 1850 – 3 May 1895), known as The Lord Herbert of Lea from 1861 to 1862, was a British

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

politician. He was

Under-Secretary of State for War The position of Under-Secretary of State for War was a British government position, first applied to Evan Nepean (appointed in 1794). In 1801 the offices for War and the Colonies were merged and the post became that of Under-Secretary of State fo ...

under

Benjamin Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman and Conservative politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a central role in the creation ...

between 1874 and 1875.

Background

Pembroke was the eldest son of

Sidney Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Lea Sidney Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Lea, PC (16 September 1810 – 2 August 1861) was a British statesman and a close ally and confidant of Florence Nightingale. Early life He was the younger son of George Herbert, 11th Earl of Pembroke, his m ...

, only son of George Augustus Herbert, 11th Earl of Pembroke, by his second wife Catherine (née Countess Woronzow).Woronzow
HumphrysFamilyTree, accessed April 4, 2012 His mother was

Elizabeth Herbert, Baroness Herbert of Lea Mary Elizabeth Herbert, Baroness Herbert of Lea (née Ashe à Court-Repington; 21 July 1822 – 30 October 1911), known simply as Elizabeth Herbert, was an English Roman Catholic writer, translator, philanthropist, and influential social figure ...

, daughter of Lieutenant-General Charles Ashe A'Court. He succeeded his father in the barony of Herbert of Lea in 1861 and the following year he inherited the earldom of Pembroke on the death of his uncle.

Political career

Pembroke served as

from 1874 to 1875 in the second Conservative administration of

. Lord Pembroke never accepted office again, and rarely spoke in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by appointment, heredity or official function. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminst ...

, but he continued to take a keen interest in public affairs, both imperial and domestic, and communicated his views, through various periodicals and by speeches in the country, upon Ireland, the land question, imperial defence, and the navy. He took a leading part in the volunteer movement, holding a commission for upwards of twenty years, and commanding the South Wilts battalion until within a few months of his death. He believed firmly in the advantage of technical instruction, and gave practical proof thereof by building and endowing the Pembroke technical school near

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...

. Lord Pembroke was a good sportsman, having been first a master of harriers for many years, and later of foxhounds; but a bad fall put an end to his hunting, and latterly he spent much of his time afloat, yachting and boat-sailing.

Family

Lord Pembroke married Lady Gertrude Frances, daughter of

Henry Chetwynd-Talbot, 18th Earl of Shrewsbury Henry John Chetwynd-Talbot, 18th Earl of Shrewsbury, 18th Earl of Waterford, 3rd Earl Talbot, CB, PC (8 November 1803 – 4 June 1868), styled Viscount of Ingestre between 1826 and 1849 and known as The Earl Talbot between 1849 and 1858, was a ...

, in 1874. He died in

Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on it ...

on 3 May 1895, aged 44, and was succeeded in his titles by his younger brother the Honourable Sidney Herbert. The Countess of Pembroke died in September 1906, aged 66.

Background

Political career

Family

References

Further reading