George Edward Henry Arthur Herbert, 2nd Earl of Powis (7 July 1755 – 16 January 1801), styled Viscount Ludlow until 1772, was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

peer.

Early life

Herbert was born at

Finchley Finchley () is a large district of north London, England, in the London Borough of Barnet. north of Charing Cross, nearby districts include: Golders Green, Muswell Hill, Friern Barnet, Whetstone, London, Whetstone, Mill Hill and Hendon. It is ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

, the son of

Henry Herbert, 1st Earl of Powis Henry Arthur Herbert, 1st Earl of Powis His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, PC (before 9 April 1703Baptism date. – 10 September 1772), known as Henry Herbert until 1743 and as The Lord Herbert of Chirbury between 1743 and 1748, was a ...

, by Barbara Herbert, daughter of Lord Edward Herbert.''Burke's Peerage 2003'', page 3209 He was educated at

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

Career

He succeeded his father in the earldom in 1772 and was appointed Recorder of

Ludlow Ludlow ( ) is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire (district), Shropshire, England. It is located south of Shrewsbury and north of Hereford, on the A49 road (Great Britain), A49 road which bypasses the town. The town is near the conf ...

and

Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire The following is a list of people who have held the title of Lord Lieutenant of Montgomeryshire. After 1761, all Lord Lieutenants were also Custos Rotulorum of Montgomeryshire. The office was abolished on 31 March 1974 and replaced by the Lord Lie ...

in 1776. Also in 1776 he served as treasurer of the Salop Infirmary in

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , ) is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire (district), Shropshire, England. It is sited on the River Severn, northwest of Wolverhampton, west of Telford, southeast of Wrexham and north of Hereford. At the 2021 United ...

. Powis was commissioned as

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

to embody the Montgomeryshire Militia in 1778. In 1798 he was also made Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire; he was also appointed colonel of the Shropshire Militia in place of the Montgomeryshire. He retained both Lord-Lieutenancies until his death in 1801. Lord Powis made a Grand Tour in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

in 1775–76, when he probably acquired a collection of marble sculpture preserved at his family seat,

Powis Castle Powis Castle () is a medieval castle, fortress and grand country house near Welshpool, in Powys, Wales. The seat of the Herbert family, Herbert family, earls of Powis, the castle is known for its formal gardens and for its interiors, the former ...

. He added a ballroom but did little to maintain the house, visitor John Byng in 1784 ascribing its neglected state to his time spent ''"in the prodigalities of London and in driving high phaetons up

St James's Street St James's Street is the principal street in the district of St James's, central London. It runs from Piccadilly downhill to St James's Palace and Pall Mall. The main gatehouse of the Palace is at the southern end of the road; in the 17th centu ...

."'' At a later visit (1793) he wrote: ''"The present (grandly-descended peer) is a mean silly man, the bubble of his mistress (and of his steward consequently) who rarely comes here, to sneak for about a day or two."''Powis Castle guidebook.

Personal life

Lord Powis died at the York House Hotel, Albemarle Street, London, in January 1801, aged 45, and was buried at St Mary's Church,

Welshpool Welshpool ( ) is a market town and Community (Wales), community in Powys, Wales, historically in the Historic counties of Wales, county of Montgomeryshire. The town is from the Wales–England border and low-lying on the River Severn. The c ...

. He was unmarried and the titles died with him. His sister and heir, Lady Henrietta, married Edward Clive, 2nd Baron Clive, who 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 ...

in 1804.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Powis, George Herbert, 2nd Earl Of 1755 births 1801 deaths People educated at Eton College Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge Earls of Powis Lord-lieutenants of Montgomeryshire Montgomeryshire Militia officers Lord-lieutenants of Shropshire

George George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Gior ...