Mary Elizabeth Herbert, Baroness Herbert of Lea ( 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.

Life

Born in 1822 at

Richmond, Surrey Richmond is a town in south-west London,The London Government Act 1963 (c.33) (as amended) categorises the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames as an Outer London borough. Although it is on both sides of the River Thames, the Boundary Commis ...

, she was the daughter of Mary Elizabeth Gibbs (d. 1878), daughter of a

West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...

planter, and Charles Ashe à Court-Repington. In August 1846, aged 24, she married the young politician, Sidney Herbert, second son of the 11th Earl of Pembroke. Herbert is said to have had a five-year affair in the early 1840s, with author and social reformer

Caroline Norton Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Norton, Lady Stirling-Maxwell (''née'' Sheridan; 22 March 1808 – 15 June 1877) was an active English social reformer and author.Perkin, pp. 26–28. She left her husband, who was accused by many of coercive behaviour, ...

, but they separated since she was unable to obtain a divorce. Elizabeth adopted her husband's politics and became a

Peelite The Peelites were a breakaway political faction of the British Conservative Party from 1846 to 1859. Initially led by Robert Peel, the former Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader in 1846, the Peelites supported free trade whilst the bulk ...

. The Herberts first met

Florence Nightingale Florence Nightingale (; 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English Reform movement, social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during th ...

whilst traveling in Italy in 1848. When Sidney was made

Secretary at War The secretary at war was a political position in the English and later British government, with some responsibility over the administration and organization of the Army, but not over military policy. The Secretary at War ran the War Office. Aft ...

during the

Crimean War The Crimean War was fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Second French Empire, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861), Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont fro ...

, Elizabeth became an ally of Nightingale.Thurston, Herbert. "Lady Elizabeth Herbert of Lea." The Catholic Encyclopedia
Vol. 16 (Index). New York: The Encyclopedia Press, 1914. 13 June 2019 They became devoted friends; both Herberts supported Nightingale in her "calling" to become a nurse and serve God. Sidney Herbert wrote Nightingale to ask her to lead a team of nurses to the Crimean War, Elizabeth Herbert had already sent her own letter to her friend, advising that Sidney wanted to meet with her, adding: "I can only say God guide you aright in your decision. I do feel that if you refuse, you will have lost the most noble opportunity of doing the greatest possible amount of good, just ''the'' sort of good which ''you'' alone can do". Elizabeth Herbert assisted in the selection of nurses for the war. Interviews with applicants were held at the Herbert home in Belgrave Square. In 1861 Sidney Herbert died, shortly after being created

Baron Herbert of Lea Baron Herbert of Lea, of Lea in the County of Wiltshire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom, since 1862 a subsidiary title of the earldom of Pembroke. The barony was created in 1861 for the politician Sidney Herbert, the fourth son ...

, leaving her a widow with three daughters and four sons. Lady Herbert of Lea became a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

convert at

Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...

in 1866, practicing as an "ardent

Ultramontane Ultramontanism is a clerical political conception within the Catholic Church that places strong emphasis on the prerogatives and powers of the Pope. It contrasts with Gallicanism, the belief that popular civil authority—often represented by ...

", under the influence of her intimate friend, Cardinal Manning. She would have converted much earlier, but the Herbert family threatened to have her children taken away from her. Only her eldest daughter, Mary, followed her into the Catholic faith; in 1873, Lady Mary married Friedrich von Hügel. She disliked "of Lea" as an addition to her title, and never used it, becoming known as "Lady Lightning" for her efficiency and ardour working for Catholic charities and interests. She worked in partnership with

Cardinal Vaughan Herbert Alfred Henry Joseph Thomas Vaughan (15 April 1832 – 19 June 1903) was an English prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Westminster from 1892 until his death in 1903, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1893. ...

for St Joseph's Foreign Missionary College, Mill Hill Park, London, which was opened in 1869. The missionary students at Mill Hill became the focus of her life and work. When she died in London in 1911, she was buried along with Vaughan at Mill Hill, where her tomb bore the simple epitaph, 'The Mother of the Mill'.

Social figure

The Herberts lived at Number 49 in fashionable

Belgrave Square Belgrave Square is a large 19th-century garden square in London. It is the centrepiece of Belgravia, and its architecture resembles the original scheme of property contractor Thomas Cubitt who engaged George Basevi for all of the terraces for ...

, which Baron Herbert named "Belgrave Villa". Lady Herbert was the intimate friend and correspondent of many eminent

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...

s, including politicians, such as

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

, Palmerston and

Gladstone William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party. In a career lasting over 60 years, he ...

; reformers, such as

; and leaders in the Roman Catholic revival, such as

Cardinal Newman John Henry Newman (21 February 1801 – 11 August 1890) was an English Catholic theologian, academic, philosopher, historian, writer, and poet. He was previously an Anglican priest and after his conversion became a cardinal. He was an ...

and Cardinal Manning. She figures as Lady Chiselhurst in W.H. Mallock's novel, ''The Old Order Changes'' (1886), and as Lady St Jerome in Disraeli's

roman à clef A ''roman à clef'' ( ; ; ) is a novel about real-life events that is overlaid with a façade of fiction. The fictitious names in the novel represent real people and the "key" is the relationship between the non-fiction and the fiction. This m ...

, '' Lothair'' (1870). Disraeli described her as:

She was the daughter of a Protestant house, but, during a residence at Rome after her marriage, she had reverted to the ancient faith, which she professed with the enthusiastic convictions of a convert. Her whole life was dedicated to the triumph of the Catholic cause; and, being a woman of considerable intelligence and of an ardent mind, she had become a recognised power in the great confederacy which has so much influenced the human race, and which has yet to play perhaps a mighty part in the fortunes of the world.

Lady Herbert was a familiar figure in Rome, which she visited annually until almost the close of her long life.

Writings

* ''Impressions of Spain in 1866'' (Richard Bentley, 1867) * ''Cradle Lands'' (travels in Egypt and Palestine) (1867) *''Wives and Mothers of the Olden Time'' (1871) *''A Search after Sunshine, or Algeria in 1871'' (Bentley, 1872) *''Wayside Tales'' (1880) *''Edith'' (autobiographical novel) Besides these she wrote several stories, some of them autobiographical, articles (many contributed to the '' Dublin Review''), and a number of biographies and biographical essays, mostly of religious figures, which were translated or paraphrased from French originals. The latter included biographies of St. Monica, St.

John Baptist de Rossi Giovanni Battista de' Rossi (22 February 1698 – 23 May 1764) was an Italian Roman Catholic priest. He served as the canon of Santa Maria in Cosmedin after his cousin, who was a priest serving there, died. He was a popular confessor despite his ...

, Bishop

Félix Dupanloup Félix Antoine Philibert Dupanloup (3 January 180211 October 1878) was a French Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Orléans from 1849 to 1878. He was among the leaders of Liberal Catholicism in France. Biography Dupanloup was born at Sai ...

, St.

Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows (born Francesco Possenti 1 March 1838 – 27 February 1862) was an Italian Passionist clerical student. Born to a professional family, he gave up ambitions of a secular career to enter the Passionist congregation. ...

, Garcia Moreno, Frédéric-François-Xavier Ghislain de Mérode, Sister Apolline Andreveau DC, etc.: *''Three Phases of Christian Love'' (St Monica, Mlle Victorine de Galard Terraube, Ven. Mère Devos) (translated, 1866) *Devin, A., ''Abyssinia and its Apostle'' (life of Saint

Justin de Jacobis Giustino Sebastiano Pasquale de Jacobis, CM (9 October 1800 – 31 July 1860) was an Italian Catholic bishop and member of the Congregation of the Mission who served as Apostolic Vicar of Abyssinia and the Titular Bishop of Nilopolis. He is of ...

) (London: Burns and Oates, 1867) *Berthe, P. Augustine, ''Garcia Moreno, President of Ecuador, 1821–1875'', abridged edition translated from the French (London: Burns and Oates, 1889) *Lagrange, F., ''Life of Monseigneur Dupanloup: Bishop of

Orléans Orléans (,"Orleans"
(US) and Charles Ashe à Court-Repington, who was a member of parliament as well as a soldier, and niece of

William à Court, 1st Baron Heytesbury William à Court, 1st Baron Heytesbury (11 July 1779 – 31 May 1860), known as Sir William à Court, 2nd Baronet, from 1817 to 1828, was an English diplomat and Conservative politician. Background and education Heytesbury was the eldest son o ...

, who was British Ambassador at

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

. She had seven children by Lord Herbert of Lea:''Armorial Families: A Complete Peerage, Baronetage, and Knightage, and a Directory of Some Gentlemen of Coat-armour, and Being the First Attempt to Show which Arms in Use at the Moment are Borne by Legal Authority'', Part 1, 1895, p. 488
/ref> # George Robert Charles Herbert (1850–1895), who succeeded in the title and later became the 13th Earl of Pembroke, and the barony is now merged in that earldom. # Sidney Herbert (1853–1913), also a member of parliament, who succeeded his brother as the 14th Earl of Pembroke. # William Reginald Herbert, b. 12 May 1854; lost at sea on 7 September 1870 aboard . # Michael Henry Herbert (The Rt Hon. Sir Michael Herbert) (1857–1904), a diplomat who ended his career as British Ambassador to the United States in Washington, D.C., in succession to Lord Pauncefote, after whom the town of Herbert, Saskatchewan, Canada, is named. # Mary Catherine, b. 21 May 1849; m. 27 November 1873 the Roman Catholic modernist theologian, Baron Friedrich von Hügel; and d. 2 December 1935. # Elizabeth Maud, b. 30 July 1851; m. 25 June 1872 the composer, Sir Charles

Hubert Parry Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, 1st Baronet (27 February 1848 – 7 October 1918), was an English composer, teacher and historian of music. Born in Richmond Hill, Bournemouth, Parry's first major works appeared in 1880. As a composer he is ...

, 1st

Baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

(son of Thomas Gambier Parry), of

Highnam Court Highnam Court is a Grade I listed country house in Highnam, Gloucestershire, England, constructed in the 17th century. The estate passed from the Cooke family to the Guise baronets, Guise family and, in the mid-19th century, was purchased by a mem ...

, near

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...

; and d. 28 February. 1933. # Constance Gladwys, patroness of the arts and of the

Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is a theatre in Covent Garden, central London. The building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. The ROH is the main home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, and the Orch ...

, b. 24 April 1859; m. 1st 6 July 1878

St. George Henry Lowther, 4th Earl of Lonsdale St George Henry Lowther, 4th Earl of Lonsdale (4 October 1855 – 8 February 1882) was a British nobleman, the eldest son of Henry Lowther, 3rd Earl of Lonsdale and Emily Caulfeild. From 1872 until his succession to the earldom in 1876, he was st ...

(d. Feb. 1882) (1 daughter); m. 2ndly 7 May 1885 Frederick Oliver Robinson, the Earl de Grey, later 2nd and last Marquess of Ripon (no issue); she d. 27 October 1917 at 13 Bryanston Square.

References

Attribution

* The entry cites: ** Autobiographical details incidentally included in her writings ** ''

The Tablet ''The Tablet'' is a Catholic Church, Catholic international weekly review published in London. Brendan Walsh, previously literary editor and then acting editor, was appointed editor in July 2017. History ''The Tablet'' was launched in 1840 by ...

'' (4 and 11 November 1911) ** Herbert Alfred, Cardinal Vaughan, ''Letters of Herbert Cardinal Vaughan to Lady Herbert of Lea'' (London, Burns & Oates, 1942) ** Sir Tresham Lever, ''The Herberts of Wilton'' (Murray, 1967)

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Herbert, Elizabeth 1822 births 1911 deaths

Elizabeth Herbert, Baroness Herbert of Lea Mary Elizabeth Herbert, Baroness Herbert of Lea ( 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. L ...

Herbert of Lea Converts to Roman Catholicism from Anglicanism English Roman Catholic writers English philanthropists Nobility from Wiltshire Writers from London People from Surrey Victorian women writers Victorian writers 19th-century English women writers