George Herbert, 4th Earl of Powis


George Charles Herbert, 4th Earl of Powis DL JP, known as George Herbert until 1891, was a British peer.

Early life

Herbert was born at Number 26, Bruton Street, Mayfair, London, and baptised at St George's, Hanover Square. He was the son of The Hon. Sir Percy Egerton Herbert and Lady Mary Caroline Louisa Thomas Petty-FitzMaurice, daughter of the Earl of Kerry. He succeeded his uncle the 3rd Earl in the peerage in 1891.
He was educated at Eton College and at St John's College, Cambridge, where he graduated BA in 1885 and MA in 1905.

Career

After gaining of his first degree, he was employed as a civil servant in the administrative branch of the General Post Office in London, but resigned after succeeding to his peerage.
He was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire in 1896, a post he held until 1951. He was also a Deputy Lieutenant for the county of Montgomeryshire and JP for the counties of Montgomeryshire and Shropshire, and Alderman of Shropshire County Council. He was Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order of St John of Jerusalem.
In 1897 he served as treasurer of the Salop Infirmary in Shrewsbury.
In 1898 he was made Honorary Colonel of the 4th Battalion of the South Wales Borderers.

Personal life

In 1890, six months before inheriting the earldom, Herbert was married to The Hon. Violet Ida Evelyn Lane-Fox, the second daughter of The 15th Baron Darcy de Knayth. Violet's older sister, Hon. Marcia Lane-Fox was married Charles Pelham, 4th Earl of Yarborough. Together, George and Violet were the parents of two sons and one daughter:
In 1903, Violet succeeded her father in the barony of Darcy de Knayth. Lady Powis died in April 1929, aged 63, and was succeeded in the barony by their younger, and only surviving, son Mervyn. Lord Powis died in November 1952, aged 90, and was buried in the churchyard at Christ Church, Welshpool. He bequeathed his family seat, Powis Castle near Welshpool, to The National Trust. He was succeeded in the earldom by his cousin, Edward Robert Henry Herbert.