George Herbert, 4th Earl of Powis

Herbert was born at Number 26, Bruton Street, Mayfair, London, and baptised at St George's, Hanover Square.{{cite book|title=The Complete Peerage, Volume X|year=1947|publisher=St Catherine's Press|page=655}} 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 (the eldest son of Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne).[http://thepeerage.com/p4556.htm#i45552 thepeerage.com George Charles Herbert, 4th Earl of Powis] 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.{{cite book|title=Alumni Cantabrigienses, Part II, Volume III|last=Venn|first=J. A.|year=1947|publisher=Cambridge University Press|page=337}}

File:Royal Welch Fusiliers parade at Newtown (4345644805).jpg parade, Newtown (1939)]]

After gaining of his first degree, he was employed as a civil servant in the administrative branch of the General Post Office (the GPO) in London, but resigned after succeeding to his peerage.{{cite news|title=Salopians of Note, No.XI. The Earl of Powis|work=The Shrewsbury Chronicle|date=11 June 1926|page=6}}Newspaper profile. The employment was not mentioned in biographical reference books e.g. Burke's Peerage, Who's Who.

He was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire in 1896,{{London Gazette |issue=26761 |date=24 July 1896 |page=4207 }} a post he held until 1951.{{London Gazette |issue=39302 |date=3 August 1951 |page=4167 }} 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.{{cite book|title=Kelly's Handbook to the Titled, Landed and Official Classes, 1951|publisher=Kelly's|page=1682}}

In 1897 he served as treasurer of the Salop Infirmary in Shrewsbury.{{cite book|last=Keeling-Roberts|first=Margaret|title=In Retrospect: A Short History of the Royal Salop Infirmary|year=1981|page=xiii|isbn=0-9507849-0-7}}

In 1898 he was made Honorary Colonel of the 4th (Royal Montgomeryshire Militia) Battalion, South Wales Borderers.{{cite book|title=Shropshire, Historical, Descriptive, Biographical. Part II – Biographical|editor-last=Mate|editor-first=Charles H. |publisher=Mate, Bournemouth|year=1907|page=7}}

File:Violet Herbert, Countess of Powis.jpg]]

In 1890, six months before inheriting the earldom, Herbert was married to The Hon. Violet Ida Evelyn Lane-Fox (1865–1929), the second daughter of The 15th Baron Darcy de Knayth.{{cite web |title=Conyers, Baron (E, 1509) |url=http://www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk/conyers1509.htm |website=cracroftspeerage.co.uk |publisher=Heraldic Media Limited |accessdate=16 November 2019}} Violet's older sister, Hon. Marcia Lane-Fox, was married Charles Pelham, 4th Earl of Yarborough.{{cite web |title=Yarborough, Earl of (UK, 1837) |url=http://www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk/yarborough1837.htm#YARBOROUGH_1837_4 |website=cracroftspeerage.co.uk |publisher=Heraldic Media Limited |accessdate=16 November 2019}} Together, George and Violet were the parents of two sons and one daughter:

• Percy Robert, Viscount Clive (1892–1916), who died of wounds received at the Battle of the Somme in World War I.{{cite news |title=LORD CLIVE DIES OF WOUNDS; Heir of Earl of Powis Succumbs to Battle Injuries. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1916/10/14/archives/lord-clive-dies-of-wounds-heir-of-earl-of-powis-succumbs-to-battle.html |access-date=21 June 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=14 October 1916}}
• Lady Hermione Gwladys (1900–1995), who married Roberto Lucchesi-Palli, 11th Duke della Grazia and 13th Prince di Campofranco.
• Mervyn Herbert, Viscount Clive (1904–1943), who was killed while on active service in World War II.

Lord Powis died at Powis Castle in November 1952, aged 90, and was buried in the churchyard at Christ Church, Welshpool.{{cite news |title=Earl of Powis, 90, Dies in His Castle |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1952/11/10/archives/earl-of-powis-90-dies-in-his-castle.html |access-date=21 June 2022 |work=The New York Times |date=10 November 1952}} He was succeeded in the earldom by his first cousin's edest son, Edward Robert Henry Herbert.{{cite web |title=Powis, Earl of (UK, 1804) |url=http://www.cracroftspeerage.co.uk/powis1804.htm#POWIS_1804_4 |website=cracroftspeerage.co.uk |publisher=Heraldic Media Limited |accessdate=16 November 2019}}

The Earl was fated to survive both his sons, the elder of whom died during World War I and the younger during World War II. While the earldom passed to his first cousin's son, the barony which had been conferred on Clive of India passed to the Earl's only grandchild, Davina, daughter of his younger son, Mervyn.

Lord Powis bequeathed his family seat, Powis Castle near Welshpool, to The National Trust. The very high inheritance taxes which prevailed in the United Kingdom in the post-war years may have influenced his decision. His heir, the 5th Earl, came to an understanding with the National Trust and took up residence at Powis Castle. Since the death of the 6th Earl (Christian Victor Charles Herbert) in 1988, the Earl and his family no longer reside in Powis castle.

{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}

{{s-off}}

{{s-bef|before=The Earl of Bradford}}

{{s-ttl|title=Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire|years=1896–1951 }}

{{s-aft|after=The Viscount Bridgeman}}

{{s-reg|uk}}

{{s-bef|before=Edward Herbert }}

{{s-ttl | title=Earl of Powis | years=1891–1952}}

{{s-aft | after=Edward Herbert }}

{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Powis, George Herbert, 4th Earl Of}}

Category:1862 births

Category:1952 deaths

Category:People educated at Eton College

Category:Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge

Category:Earls of Powis

Category:Montgomeryshire Militia officers

Category:Lord-lieutenants of Shropshire

George

Category:People from Mayfair

Category:Younger sons of earls