Auberon Herbert (landowner)
Encyclopedia
Auberon Herbert was a British landowner and advocate of Eastern European causes after World War II
.
Herbert was the son of Aubrey Herbert
, Member of Parliament
(MP), who died the year after his birth, and brother-in-law of the famous novelist, Evelyn Waugh
. He was named after his great-uncle
, the Voluntarist
philosopher, and in a gesture of familial reconciliation, the Waughs named their son
after him.
Herbert attended Ampleforth College
from 1934-1940, as well as Balliol College, Oxford
from 1940-42. When World War II broke out he made repeated attempts to serve, being rejected by the British Army
, the Free French and the Dutch forces in Britain. He was finally accepted by the Polish forces in Britain. Herbert became an expert in Polish and Ukrainian affairs, and served with the Polish Army during World War Two. He fought throughout the Normandy Campaign. While on a personal mission from Winston Churchill
in Belgium
, Herbert was arrested in 1944 by Canadian military police in a Ghent
bar, on suspicion of being a spy. His eccentric appearance, language proficiency and manner aroused suspicion. He was badly beaten and suffered facial scars thereafter. Herbert spoke six languages fluently. He was unsuccessful in his attempts to enter Parliament
. Auberon Herbert supported various Eastern European anticommunist groups after the war. This included work to help resettle Polish refugees. He generously opened his country home to anticommunist East European groups and financed a textile mill to employ Polish exiles. His assistance extended to Ukrainian
and Belarusian
groups.
He opposed Evelyn Waugh's marriage to his sister Laura Herbert, and Waugh never forgave him for this. An unflattering portrayal of a brother-in-law, 'Boy' Mulcaster, featuring some of his characteristics appears in Waugh's novel Brideshead Revisited
.
Despite high intelligence and a circle of distinguished friends (including Isaiah Berlin
and Malcolm Muggeridge
), he seemed unable to accomplish as much in his life as he hoped. Being the only son, he inherited the family country home of Pixton Park
, near Exmoor
, and the villa at Portofino
in Italy (featured in Waugh's Sword of Honour
trilogy). He died a bachelor at the age of 52. Herbert's estate was probate
d at (GB)£895,722.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Herbert was the son of Aubrey Herbert
Aubrey Herbert
Aubrey Nigel Henry Molyneux Herbert was a British diplomat, traveller and intelligence officer associated with Albanian independence. Twice he was offered the throne of Albania...
, Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP), who died the year after his birth, and brother-in-law of the famous novelist, Evelyn Waugh
Evelyn Waugh
Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh , known as Evelyn Waugh, was an English writer of novels, travel books and biographies. He was also a prolific journalist and reviewer...
. He was named after his great-uncle
Auberon 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...
, the Voluntarist
Voluntaryism
Voluntarism, or voluntaryism, is a philosophy according to which all forms of human association should be voluntary. This moral principle is called the non-aggression principle, which prohibits the initiation of aggressive force or coercion...
philosopher, and in a gesture of familial reconciliation, the Waughs named their son
Auberon Waugh
Auberon Alexander Waugh was a British author and journalist, son of the novelist Evelyn Waugh. He was known to his family and friends as Bron Waugh.-Life and career:...
after him.
Herbert attended Ampleforth College
Ampleforth College
Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire, England, is the largest Roman Catholic co-educational boarding independent school in the United Kingdom. It opened in 1802, as a boys' school, and is run by the Benedictine monks and lay staff of Ampleforth Abbey...
from 1934-1940, as well as Balliol College, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
from 1940-42. When World War II broke out he made repeated attempts to serve, being rejected by the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, the Free French and the Dutch forces in Britain. He was finally accepted by the Polish forces in Britain. Herbert became an expert in Polish and Ukrainian affairs, and served with the Polish Army during World War Two. He fought throughout the Normandy Campaign. While on a personal mission from Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Herbert was arrested in 1944 by Canadian military police in a Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
bar, on suspicion of being a spy. His eccentric appearance, language proficiency and manner aroused suspicion. He was badly beaten and suffered facial scars thereafter. Herbert spoke six languages fluently. He was unsuccessful in his attempts to enter Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. Auberon Herbert supported various Eastern European anticommunist groups after the war. This included work to help resettle Polish refugees. He generously opened his country home to anticommunist East European groups and financed a textile mill to employ Polish exiles. His assistance extended to Ukrainian
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
and Belarusian
Belarusians
Belarusians ; are an East Slavic ethnic group who populate the majority of the Republic of Belarus. Introduced to the world as a new state in the early 1990s, the Republic of Belarus brought with it the notion of a re-emerging Belarusian ethnicity, drawn upon the lines of the Old Belarusian...
groups.
He opposed Evelyn Waugh's marriage to his sister Laura Herbert, and Waugh never forgave him for this. An unflattering portrayal of a brother-in-law, 'Boy' Mulcaster, featuring some of his characteristics appears in Waugh's novel Brideshead Revisited
Brideshead Revisited
Brideshead Revisited, The Sacred & Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder is a novel by English writer Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1945. Waugh wrote that the novel "deals with what is theologically termed 'the operation of Grace', that is to say, the unmerited and unilateral act of love by...
.
Despite high intelligence and a circle of distinguished friends (including Isaiah Berlin
Isaiah Berlin
Sir Isaiah Berlin OM, FBA was a British social and political theorist, philosopher and historian of ideas of Russian-Jewish origin, regarded as one of the leading thinkers of the twentieth century and a dominant liberal scholar of his generation...
and Malcolm Muggeridge
Malcolm Muggeridge
Thomas Malcolm Muggeridge was an English journalist, author, media personality, and satirist. During World War II, he was a soldier and a spy...
), he seemed unable to accomplish as much in his life as he hoped. Being the only son, he inherited the family country home of Pixton Park
Pixton Park
Pixton Park is a country house in the parish of Dulverton, Somerset, England. It is associated with at least three historically significant families or dynasties: the Acland Baronets, the politicians and diplomats the Herberts, and the Waughs, a series of writers...
, near Exmoor
Exmoor
Exmoor is an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England, named after the main river that flows out of the district, the River Exe. The moor has given its name to a National Park, which includes the Brendon Hills, the East Lyn Valley, the Vale of Porlock and ...
, and the villa at Portofino
Portofino
Portofino is a small Italian fishing village, comune and tourist resort located in the province of Genoa on the Italian Riviera. The town is crowded round its small harbour, is closely associated with Paraggi Beach, which is a few minutes up the coast...
in Italy (featured in Waugh's Sword of Honour
Sword of Honour
The Sword of Honour trilogy by Evelyn Waugh is his look at the Second World War. It consists of three novels, Men at Arms , Officers and Gentlemen and Unconditional Surrender , which loosely parallel his wartime experiences...
trilogy). He died a bachelor at the age of 52. Herbert's estate was probate
Probate
Probate is the legal process of administering the estate of a deceased person by resolving all claims and distributing the deceased person's property under the valid will. A probate court decides the validity of a testator's will...
d at (GB)£895,722.