Elizabeth Ash à Court-Repington
| The Lady Herbert of Lea | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | 21 July 1822 Richmond, Surrey, England |
| Died | 30 October 1911 (aged 89) Herbert House, Belgrave Square, London, England |
| Occupation | Author and translator |
| Spouse(s) | Sidney Herbert |
| Children | 7 |
| Parent(s) | Gen Charles Ashe à Court-Repington |
Mary Elizabeth Herbert, Baroness Herbert of Lea (née Ashe à Court-Repington; 21 July 1822 – 30 October 1911), known simply as Elizabeth Herbert, was an English Roman Catholic writer, translator, philanthropist, and influential social figure.
She was born in Richmond, Surrey in 1822, the daughter of Charles Ashe à Court-Repington. In August 1846, at the age of 24, she married an ambitious young politician, Sidney Herbert, the second son of the 11th Earl of Pembroke. She became a Peelite; and, when Sidney Herbert was later made Secretary at War during the Crimean War, she became an ally of Florence Nightingale.
In 1861 Sidney Herbert died, shortly after being created Baron Herbert of Lea, leaving her a widow with four sons and three daughters. Lady Herbert of Lea became a Roman Catholic convert at Palermo in 1866, practising as an "ardent Ultramontane", under the influence of her intimate friend, Cardinal Manning. Following her reception into the Catholic Church, as part of a determined effort to ensure the Protestant succession of the Herberts, she was forbidden by Parliament to bring her children to Mass, and her children were taken as wards in Chancery and brought up in the Church of England. Only her eldest daughter, Mary, followed her into the Catholic faith.
She disliked "of Lea" as an addition to her title, and never used it, becoming known as "Lady Lightening" for her efficiency and ardour working for Catholic charities and interests. She worked in partnership with Cardinal Vaughan for St Joseph's Foreign Missionary College, Mill Hill Park, London, which was opened in 1869. The missionary students at Mill Hill became the focus of her life and work. When she died in London in 1911, she was buried along with Vaughan at Mill Hill, where her tomb bore the simple epitaph, 'The Mother of the Mill'.
...
Wikipedia