Herbert, Sidney (1810-1861), first Baron Herbert of Lea, and Lady Herbert (1822-1911)

Purchased from:

Stevens, London, January 1931 (acc.68115); Glendining, London, July 1934 (acc.67832); Sotheby's, London, July 1931 (acc.67541).

Sidney Herbert was born at Richmond, Surrey, on 16 September 1810. He graduated from Oriel College in Oxford in 1831 and entered the House of Commons as Conservative member of Parliament for a division of Wiltshire in 1832 (he held the seat until 1861). He was made secretary to the Admiralty in 1841 and reformed the naval school at Greenwich.

He was Secretary at War from 1852 to 1855, being responsible for the War Office during the Crimean War (1854-1856). He was a close ally and confidant of Florence Nightingale, sending her to Scutari and together they led the movement for Army Health and War Office reform after the war.

In 1846 he married Elizabeth à Court-Repington and they had 7 children. Sidney Herbert died from Bright's Disease on 2 August 1861.

At Wellcome Collection:

MS.9047; MS.9049; MS.5482;RAMC/1139/S/2/1-10; RAMC/1139/LP/43/1-8; RAMC/423/1; RAMC/397/F/CO/23; MS.7965; RAMC/801/22/9.