Auberon Herbert, 9th Baron Lucas
Encyclopedia
Auberon Thomas Herbert, 9th Baron Lucas and 5th Lord Dingwall PC (25 May 1876 – 3 November 1916) was a British
Liberal
politician and fighter pilot
. He was a member of H. H. Asquith
's cabinet as President of the Board of Agriculture
between 1914 and 1915.
, younger son of Henry Herbert, 3rd Earl of Carnarvon
. His mother was Lady Florence, daughter of George Cowper, 6th Earl Cowper
. He was educated at Bedford School
and Balliol College, Oxford
.
(Carabiniers) and worked as a war correspondent during the Boer War
, where he was wounded and lost a leg. His elder brother, Rolf, had died in 1882 and his mother in 1886 and so in 1905 (as the nearest heir) he inherited the barony of Lucas and the lordship of Dingwall
(which are able to pass through female lines) from his maternal uncle, the 7th Earl Cowper
. However, it was not until 1907 that he was confirmed in the titles by the Committee for Privileges of the House of Lords and allowed to take his seat in the House of Lords
.
Lucas was private secretary to Richard Haldane
, the Secretary of State for War
, from 1907 to 1908. In April 1908 he was appointed to his first ministerial post as Under-Secretary of State for War
(with a seat on the Army Council
) by H. H. Asquith
, a post he held until 1911. He was Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies
between March and October 1911 and then served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries
from 1911 to 1914. He was sworn of the Privy Council in 1912 and in August 1914 he entered the cabinet as President of the Board of Trade
. However, he did not hold office in the coalition government
formed by Asquith in May 1915.
Lucas served as a captain in the Royal Flying Corps
in the First World War. In 1916, he went missing and was presumed killed during a flight over German
lines, aged 40.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Liberal
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
politician and fighter pilot
Fighter pilot
A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained in air-to-air combat while piloting a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting...
. He was a member of H. H. Asquith
H. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
's cabinet as President of the Board of Agriculture
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The post was originally named President of the Board of Agriculture and was created in 1889...
between 1914 and 1915.
Background and education
Herbert was the second but eldest surviving son of the Hon. Auberon HerbertAuberon Herbert
Auberon Edward William Molyneux Herbert was a writer, theorist, philosopher, and "19th-century individualist anarchist." A member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, Herbert was the son of the 3rd Earl of Carnarvon, brother of Henry Herbert, the 4th Earl, and father of the 9th Baron Lucas...
, younger son of Henry Herbert, 3rd Earl of Carnarvon
Henry Herbert, 3rd Earl of Carnarvon
Henry John George Herbert, 3rd Earl of Carnarvon FRS , known as Lord Porchester from 1811 to 1833, was a British writer, traveller and politician....
. His mother was Lady Florence, daughter of George Cowper, 6th Earl Cowper
George Cowper, 6th Earl Cowper
George Augustus Frederick Cowper, 6th Earl Cowper , styled Viscount Fordwich until 1837, was a British Whig politician...
. He was educated at Bedford School
Bedford School
Bedford School is not to be confused with Bedford Modern School or Bedford High School or Old Bedford School in Bedford, TexasBedford School is an HMC independent school for boys located in the town of Bedford, England, United Kingdom...
and Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College, Oxford
Balliol College , founded in 1263, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England but founded by a family with strong Scottish connections....
.
Military and political career
Herbert was a captain in the Hampshire YeomanryHampshire Yeomanry
The Hampshire Yeomanry can trace its formation to the late 18th century. King George III was on the throne, William Pitt the Younger was Prime Minister of Great Britain, and across the English Channel, Britain was faced by a French nation that had recently guillotined its King and which possessed...
(Carabiniers) and worked as a war correspondent during the Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, where he was wounded and lost a leg. His elder brother, Rolf, had died in 1882 and his mother in 1886 and so in 1905 (as the nearest heir) he inherited the barony of Lucas and the lordship of Dingwall
Lord Dingwall
Lord Dingwall is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1609 for Sir Richard Preston, with remainder to his heirs whatsoever. In 1619 he was further honoured when he was made Baron Dunmore and Earl of Desmond in the Peerage of Ireland, with remainder to heirs male...
(which are able to pass through female lines) from his maternal uncle, the 7th Earl Cowper
Francis Cowper, 7th Earl Cowper
Francis Thomas de Grey Cowper, 7th Earl Cowper KG, PC, DL , known as Viscount Fordwich from 1837 to 1856, was a British Liberal politician...
. However, it was not until 1907 that he was confirmed in the titles by the Committee for Privileges of the House of Lords and allowed to take his seat in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
.
Lucas was private secretary to Richard Haldane
Richard Haldane, 1st Viscount Haldane
Richard Burdon Haldane, 1st Viscount Haldane KT, OM, PC, KC, FRS, FBA, FSA , was an influential British Liberal Imperialist and later Labour politician, lawyer and philosopher. He was Secretary of State for War between 1905 and 1912 during which time the "Haldane Reforms" were implemented...
, the Secretary of State for War
Secretary of State for War
The position of Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a British cabinet-level position, first held by Henry Dundas . In 1801 the post became that of Secretary of State for War and the Colonies. The position was re-instated in 1854...
, from 1907 to 1908. In April 1908 he was appointed to his first ministerial post as Under-Secretary of State for War
Under-Secretary of State for War
The position of Under-Secretary of State for War was a British government position, first applied to Evan Nepean . In 1801 the offices for War and the Colonies were merged and the post became that of Under-Secretary of State for War and the Colonies...
(with a seat on the Army Council
Army Council (1904)
The Army Council is a governing board for the British military organization. It was created in 1904 along with other institutional changes made in that year to the British Army....
) by H. H. Asquith
H. H. Asquith
Herbert Henry Asquith, 1st Earl of Oxford and Asquith, KG, PC, KC served as the Liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1908 to 1916...
, a post he held until 1911. He was Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies
Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies
The Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies was a junior Ministerial post in the United Kingdom government, subordinate to the Secretary of State for the Colonies and, from 1948, also to a Minister of State....
between March and October 1911 and then served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries was a junior ministerial office in the British government, serving under the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries...
from 1911 to 1914. He was sworn of the Privy Council in 1912 and in August 1914 he entered the cabinet as President of the Board of Trade
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The post was originally named President of the Board of Agriculture and was created in 1889...
. However, he did not hold office in the coalition government
Coalition government 1915–1916
Asquith's British coalition government of 1915-1916 was formed in the aftermath of the Gallipoli disaster, by bringing in the Conservatives to shore up the government. The Conservatives were not terribly pleased with the offices they received in this new government and Tory leader Andrew Bonar Law...
formed by Asquith in May 1915.
Lucas served as a captain in the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
in the First World War. In 1916, he went missing and was presumed killed during a flight over German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
lines, aged 40.