Henry Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon

The Right Honourable The Earl of Carnarvon PC, DL, FSA, FRS
Secretary of State for the Colonies
In office 6 July 1866 – 8 March 1867
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	The Earl of Derby
Preceded by	Edward Cardwell
Succeeded by	The Duke of Buckingham and Chandos
In office 21 February 1874 – 4 February 1878
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	Benjamin Disraeli
Preceded by	The Earl of Kimberley
Succeeded by	Sir Michael Hicks Beach, Bt
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
In office 27 June 1885 – 28 January 1886
Monarch	Victoria
Prime Minister	The Marquess of Salisbury
Preceded by	The Earl Spencer
Succeeded by	The Earl of Aberdeen
Personal details
Born	24 June 1831 (1831-06-24) Grosvenor Square, London
Died	29 June 1890 (1890-06-30) Portman Square, London
Nationality	British
Political party	Conservative
Spouse(s)	(1) Lady Evelyn Stanhope (1834-1875) (2) Elizabeth Howard (1856-1929)
Alma mater	Christ Church, Oxford

Henry Howard Molyneux Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon, PC, DL, FSA, FRS (24 June 1831 – 29 June 1890), known as Lord Porchester from 1833 to 1849, was a British politician and a leading member of the Conservative Party. He was twice Secretary of State for the Colonies and also served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

Background and education

Born at Grosvenor Square, London, Carnarvon was the eldest son of Henry Herbert, 3rd Earl of Carnarvon, by his wife Henrietta Anna, daughter of Lord Henry Howard-Molyneux-Howard. The Hon. Auberon Herbert was his younger brother. He was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford. In 1849 he succeeded his father in the earldom. His nickname was "Twitters", apparently on account of his nervous tics and twitchy behaviour.

Political career

Carnarvon served under Lord Derby, as Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1858 to 1859.

First Term as Colonial Secretary

In 1866 he was sworn of the Privy Council and appointed Secretary of State for the Colonies by Derby. In 1867 he introduced the British North America Act, which conferred self-government on Canada, and effectively created a confederation. Later that year, he resigned (along with Lord Cranborne and Jonathan Peel) over Benjamin Disraeli's Reform Bill to enfranchise the working classes.

Second Term as Colonial Secretary

Returning to the office of the British colonial secretary in 1874, he submitted a set of proposals, known as the "carnarvon terms", to settle the dispute between British Columbia and Canada over the construction of the transcontinental railroad and the Vancouver Island railroad and train bridge. Vancouver Island had been promised a rail link as a precondition of its entry into British North America confederation.

In 1874 he attempted to impose a confederation on the various states of Southern Africa as he had on Canada. However the times were not ripe and his confederation scheme collapsed, leaving a trail of wars across southern Africa. He addressed the concept of Imperialism in Africa many times while holding the title, but resigned in 1878, in opposition to Disraeli's policy on the Eastern Question.

Lord Lieutenant of Ireland

On his party's return to power in 1885, Carnarvon became Lord Lieutenant of Ireland.

His short period of office, memorable for a conflict on a question of personal veracity between himself and Charles Stewart Parnell as to his negotiations with the latter in respect of Home Rule, was terminated by another premature resignation. He never returned to office.

Other public appointments

Carnarvon also held the honorary posts of Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire between 1887 and 1890 and Deputy Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire. He was regarded as a highly cultured man and was a president and a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and a Fellow of the Royal Society as well as was high steward of Oxford University. He was also a prominent freemason, having been initiated in the Westminster and Keystone Lodge, and with his permission a number of subsequently founded lodges bore his name in their titles.

Family

Lord Carnarvon married firstly Lady Evelyn, daughter of George Stanhope, 6th Earl of Chesterfield, in 1861. They had one son and three daughters. After her death in 1875 he married secondly his first cousin Elizabeth Catherine, daughter of Henry Howard, in 1878. They had two sons, of whom the eldest was the Hon. Aubrey Herbert and the youngest George. His eldest daughter Lady Winifred married as her second husband Lord Burghclere and was the mother of the Hon. Evelyn, first wife of the novelist Evelyn Waugh. Carnarvon's son Aubrey was the father of Laura Herbert, who was the second wife of Evelyn Waugh. Lord Carnarvon died at Portman Square, London, in June 1890, aged 59. His second wife survived him by almost forty years and died in February 1929, aged 72.

References

• Roberts, Andrew. Salisbury: Victorian Titan. London: Orion Books, 2000 [c1999].
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Earl of Carnarvon

Political offices
Preceded by Chichester Fortescue	Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies 1858–1859	Succeeded by Chichester Fortescue
Preceded by Edward Cardwell	Secretary of State for the Colonies 1866–1867	Succeeded by The Duke of Buckingham and Chandos
Preceded by The Earl of Kimberley	Secretary of State for the Colonies 1874–1878	Succeeded by Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, Bt
Preceded by The Earl Spencer	Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1885–1886	Succeeded by The Earl of Aberdeen
Honorary titles
Preceded by The Marquess of Winchester	Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire 1887–1890	Succeeded by The Earl of Northbrook
Peerage of Great Britain
Preceded by Henry John Herbert	Earl of Carnarvon 1849–1890	Succeeded by George Herbert