Mary Elizabeth ASHE À COURT REPINGTON

21st Jul 1822 - 30th Oct 1911

Life History

21st Jul 1822	Born in Heytesbury, Wiltshire
10th Oct 1822	Baptised in Heytesbury, Wiltshire
12th Aug 1846	Married Baron Sidney HERBERT
21st May 1849	Birth of daughter Mary Catherine HERBERT
6th Jul 1850	Birth of son George Robert Charles HERBERT
30th Jul 1851	Birth of daughter Elizabeth Maud HERBERT
1853	Birth of son Sidney HERBERT
12th May 1854	Birth of son William Reginald HERBERT
1857	Birth of son The Rt Hon. Sir Michael Henry HERBERT
24th Apr 1859	Birth of daughter Constance Gladwys HERBERT
2nd Aug 1861	Death of Baron Sidney HERBERT in Wilton House, The Park, Wilton, Wiltshire
7th Sep 1870	Death of son William Reginald HERBERT
3rd May 1895	Death of son George Robert Charles HERBERT
1904	Death of son The Rt Hon. Sir Michael Henry HERBERT
30th Oct 1911	Died in Herbert House, 38 Chesham Place, London

Notes

Authoress, and philanthropist, Lady Herbert was the daughter of General Charles à Court-Repington, who was a member of Parliament as well as a soldier, while her uncle, who afterwards became Lord Heytesbury, was British Ambassador at St. Petersburg.
At the age of twenty-four Elizabeth à Court, who moved in the best circles of early Victorian society, married one of the most promising and independent of the young politicians of the day, Sidney Herbert, the second son of the Earl of Pembroke.
Naturally the wife made herself the sharer of her husband's interests.
In the forties she was an ardent Peelite and, when young Herbert was made Secretary of War during the Crimean campaign, she became the ally and ardent helper of Florence Nightingale.
In 1861 Sidney Herbert, shortly after being created Baron Herbert of Lea, died, leaving her a widow with four sons and three daughters.
Two of her sons succeeded to the Earldom of Pembroke, but only one of her children, who afterwards became by marriage Lady Mary von Hügel, followed Lady Herbert in her change of faith.
This took place at Palermo in 1866 and was largely due to the influence of Manning, who had been the friend both of herself and of her husband.
From the time of her conversion Lady Herbert became the centre and most zealous promoter of all Catholic charities and interests.
The pen more especially was consecrated to the cause, and for many years she produced a large number of books in rapid succession, partly original and partly translations, which found for the most part a ready sale.
Among the best known of these may be mentioned: "Impressions of Spain" (1866); "Cradle Lands", i.e. Egypt and Palestine (1867); "Wives and Mothers of the Olden Time" (1871); "Wayside Tales" (1880).
Besides these there several stories, some of them autobiographical and a number of Lives, mostly translated or abbreviated from French originals, e.g. those of St. Monica, St. John Baptist de Rossi, Mgr. Dupanloup, Garcia Moreno, Mgr. de Merode, etc. Lady Herbert was a familiar figure in Rome, which she visited annually until almost the close of her long life.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Herbert,_Baroness_Herbert_of_Lea