Elizabeth à Court-Repington ^{16,22,46,48,105}

  General 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 andmost 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.

Sponsors: Reverend Richard Beadon. Hon. Mrs. Phillip Pleydell Bouverie. Sir William à Court.

  Noted events in her life were:

1. She appeared on the census in 1851 in Angel Inn, 84 High Street, Oxford.

2. She appeared on the census in 1861 in Wilton House, The Park, Wilton, Wiltshire.

3. She appeared on the census in 1881 in Herbert House, 38 Chesham Place, London.

4. Census UK 1911: 1911, Herbert House, 38 Chesham Place, London.

5. Resided: 30 October 1911, Herbert House, 38 Chesham Place, London. ¹³

6. She had an estate probated on 30 December 1911 in London. ¹³

Elizabeth married Sidney Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Lea, son of George Augustus Herbert, 11th Earl of Pembroke and Catherine Woronzow, on 12 August 1846. (Sidney Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Lea was born on 16 September 1810 in Richmond, Surrey and died on 2 August 1861 in Wilton House, The Park, Wilton, Wiltshire.)