Sidney Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Lea

spent much of his time in Mount Merrion or Wilton, while his half-brother the 12th Earl lived in Paris, "Sidney Herbert's initials may still be seen on the iron gates which keep intruders from the fruit garden" [at Mount Merrion], the great wrought iron gates in the rosewalk originally came from the Fitzwilliam villa at Richmond, see [Wilkinson, 1925],
contributed to the founding of the Catholic Sisters of Mercy convent beside Booterstown church 1838,
also contributed to the founding of Blackrock Catholic church 1842, see [Lyng, 2000],
he is remembered, along with the Duke of Leinster and others, as one of the few decent Irish landlords during the Famine,

Peelite politician,
Secretary of State for War 1845-6 (under Sir Robert Peel),
mar 1846 to Elizabeth à Court-Repington,
in 1850 built St.John's church (Church of Ireland), Sandymount, Co.Dublin (still in use),

Secretary of State for War 1852-5 (under Earl of Aberdeen), started the Crimean War (1854-6),
war against the Russians, his mother's own people,
and his mother and his uncle were still alive to see it,
he sent Florence Nightingale to the Crimea, and was a champion of her nursing reforms in the war hospitals, she was friend of the family,

founder Trustee of NPG 1856,
Secretary of State for War 1859-60 (under Viscount Palmerston),
his 1st cousin's son Arthur Augustus Gibbon worked at War Office also,
instigated the building of St.Stephen's Parochial School, Northumberland Rd, Dublin (designed think 1856, opened 1861), this quaint building survives,
cr 15th Jan 1861,
died 2nd Aug 1861, age 50 yrs,
having had issue:

1. Constance Herbert, mar St.George Henry Lowther, 4th Earl of Lonsdale and had issue.

2. George Herbert, 13th Earl of Pembroke (and 10th Earl of Montgomery, and 2nd Baron Herbert of Lea),
   born 6th July 1850, succ 1862,
   mar 1874 to Gertrude Talbot [dau of Henry Talbot, 18th Earl of Shrewsbury, see TALBOT],
   Under-Secretary for War 1874-5,
   resided at Mount Merrion for a short time,
   Pembroke Town Hall, Merrion Rd, Dublin, was built 1879,
   died 3rd May 1895, age 44 yrs.
   Statue of him stands at gates of Wilton.
   Gertrude, who had spent time at Mount Merrion, died 30th Sept 1906, leaving over £30,000 to Dublin hospitals.
   There is a plaque to her just outside the operating theatre of Holles St Hospital, Dublin.
   There is another plaque to her inside the door of the Royal City of Dublin Hospital, Upr Baggot St, Dublin, with arms "Herbert", "Talbot".

3. Sidney Herbert, 14th Earl of Pembroke, born 20th Feb 1853.

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