Catalogue description HERBERT FAMILY OF PIXTON PARK, Dulverton (including the 1st, 2nd 3rd and 4th Earls of Carnarvon)

First Deposit

The Pixton and Tetton estates in Somerset were inherited by Elizabeth Kitty Acland on the death of her brother, Sir John Dyke Acland, 8th Bt, in 1785. In 1796 she married Henry Herbert, Lord Porchester, who in 1811 succeeded his father as 2nd Earl of Carnarvon. The Teversal estate in Nottinghamshire, formerly belonging to the Molyneux family, was brought into the Herbert family by Henrietta Howard, daughter of Lord Henry Howard-Molyneux-Howard of Greystoke, who married Henry Herbert, Lord Porchester, later 3rd Earl of Carnarvon, in 1830.

Henry Howard Molyneux Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon, the distinguished politician and writer, married firstly Lady Evelyn Stanhope, the heir to the Earl of Chesterfield's Bretby estates in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, and secondly his cousin Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Howard of Greystoke. On his death in 1890 the 4th Earl left the principal family estate of Highclere in Hampshire, the Somerset estates and the Bretby estates to his eldest son the 5th Earl, but Teversal, together with his Italian estate and properties in Australia and Canada, to his widow. In 1900-1 Elizabeth, Lady Carnarvon, added to her properties by acquiring Pixton from her step-son, the 5th Earl, as a seat for her own son Aubrey Herbert, to whose descendants it subsequently passed.

The papers in this collection from Pixton Park consist principally of papers of the 4th Earl and his widow, together with some papers of earlier Earls of Carnarvon; and the papers of Aubrey Herbert and his wife Mary, together with papers of her parents the 4th Viscount de Vesci and Evelyn, eldest daughter of the 10th Earl of Wemyss. Groups of papers of particular interest include the literary MSS and travel journals of the 3rd Earl (DD/DRU/1/15-46), the papers of the 4th Earl relating to Hampshire politics and county affairs (DD/DRU/2/26-30, 39-52), Aubrey Herbert's political and Near Eastern correspondence and papers for the period 1912-14 (DD/DRU/4/2-17 passim), Mary Herbert's Albanian papers for the period 1924-32 (DD/DRU/4/23), and the political correspondence of Lord de Vesci covering mainly the period 1886-97 (DD/DRU/5/1). A considerable quantity of material relates to the Teversal estate, in which Elizabeth Countess of Carnarvon took a close personal interest (DD/DRU/3/36-65, DD/DRU/6/1-14). Less survives for the Somerset properties (DD/DRU/3/66-70, DD/DRU/6/15).

These papers from Pixton are closely related to collections now deposited elsewhere. After the fourth Earl's death his widow went carefully through his papers, and a three-volume Life was published in 1925. In 1926 Lady Carnarvon presented a collection of the 4th Earl's papers, relating mainly to his second term as Colonial Secretary 1874-8 and to his lord lieutenancy of Ireland 1885-6, to the Public Record Office (PRO 30/6; NRA 20656). This deposit presumably came from Pixton. In 1978 the executors of Auberon Herbert sold a large collection of the 4th Earl's papers at Sotheby's (24 July, lot 260). It was purchased by the British Library and is now Add MSS 60757-61100. It contains general, political and family correspondence, political and literary papers, diaries and other material, and is complemented at several points by the papers in this deposit. A small group of papers had previously been sold at Sotheby's in 1977 (4 Apr, lot 183), but its present whereabouts is not known.

Other papers of the 4th Earl remained at Highclere. In 1959 the 6th Earl presented some additional papers to the Public Record Office, relating principally to the 4th Earl's first term as Colonial Secretary 1866-7, and in 1977 he deposited some Molyneux family papers (late 17th-mid 19th cent) in Nottingham University Library (NRA 27729).

The letters, diaries and memoranda of Aubrey Herbert used by Margaret FitzHerbert for her biography of her grandfather (The Man who was Greenmantle, 1983) do not appear in this collection.

Some deeds and estate papers for the Somerset properties were among records listed by the Commission at Highclere Castle in 1958 (NRA 7289). Some more recent estate material formerly at the Pixton estate office is said to have been destroyed.

Second Deposit

The two major elements of the present collection comprise the personal and political papers of the Hon. Aubrey Herbert (1880-1923), son of the 4th Earl of Carnarvon by his second wife, Elizabeth Howard (1856-1929), and the correspondence of Evelyn Charteris, Viscountess de Vesci (d.1939), whose daughter Mary Vesey (1889-1970) married Aubrey Herbert in 1910.

The papers of Aubrey Herbert form a distinguished group, and are of special importance for the material they contain relating to Albania. Herbert played a crucial role in the struggle for Albanian independence and together with M. Edith Durham (see item 47.) was largely responsible thereafter for keeping its claims to territorial integrity before the public. His papers include many that were used by his granddaughter Margaret FitzHerbert in her biography The Man who was Greenmantle: A Biography of Aubrey Herbert (1983). They do not, however, include his diaries or numerous other letters and papers cited by FitzHerbert. Further Albanian material is contained in the collection among the papers of Herbert's mother, the Countess of Carnarvon, and of his wife, Mary.

His domestic political interests as M.P. for South Somerset are also relatively well represented. The remaining Herbert family papers in the collection chiefly consist of items relating to the 4th Earl of Carnarvon [for the location of further of his papers see introduction to the first deposit.]

Evelyn Charteris, Viscountess de Vesci, was one of the leading society figures of her day, and a prominent member of the group called 'the Souls'. Her correspondence reflects her wide-ranging friendships and aristocratic connections, and among many items of interest includes, for example, a letter of Lady Desborough on the death of her son Julian Grenfell, the war poet (see DD/DRU 103.).

Abbreviations:

A.H.: Aubrey Nigel Hy. Molyneux Herbert

M.H.: Mary Gertrude Herbert (nee Vesey)

Herbert Family Papers:

7-17 Henry Howard Molyneux Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon (1831-1890)

18-29 Elizabeth Catharine [Elsie] Herbert [née Howard], Countess of Carnarvon (1856-1929)

30 Auberon Edward William Molyneux Herbert (1838-1906)

31-60 Aubrey Nigel Henry Molyneux Herbert (1880-1923)

61-66 Mary Gertrude Herbert [née Vesey] (1889-1970)

67 Auberon Mark Henry Yvo Molyneux Herbert (1922-1974)

68-70 Margaret FitzHerbert [née Waugh]

Herbert Estate Papers:

71-75 Pixton Estate

76 Highclere Estate, Hants

77-81 Teversal Estate, Notts

Vesey Family Papers

82-105 Evelyn Vesey [nee Charteris], Viscountess de Vesci (d.1939)

106-107 Georgina Mary Vesey (d.1923)

Gore-Browne Family Papers:

108 Gore-Browne Family

See also DD/HER and A/BBM

S/980

S/2562

• Herbert, Henry Howard Molyneux, d 1890, 4t h Earl of Carnarvon
• Charteris, Evelyn, d 1939, Viscountess de Vesci
• Herbert family of Pixton Park, Dulverton, Somerset
• Somerset
• Hampshire
• Nottinghamshire