Mervyn Herbert
Encyclopedia
The Honourable Mervyn Robert Howard Molyneux Herbert (27 December 1882 – 26 May 1929) was a career diplomat and a first-class
cricket
player. He was born at Highclere Castle
, Hampshire
and he died at the British Embassy, Rome
.
, the full brother of the writer and politician Aubrey Herbert
and the half-brother of George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon
, who financed the excavation of Tutankhamun
's tomb. He married Mary Elizabeth Willard, daughter of Joseph Willard
, the US ambassador to Spain, in 1921 and had three children. His wife's older sister married Kermit Roosevelt
, son of the former US president Theodore
.
He was educated at Eton College
and at Balliol College, Oxford
.
cricket match at Lord's, and in a house match at Eton that season he and George Lyttelton
put on 476 for the second wicket, both scoring double centuries. In the same year, he made the first of six appearances in first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire
, starting off with an innings of 65 in a match against the MCC
at Lord's.
Though Herbert played occasional matches for Oxford University
he was not selected as a blue
, and from 1903 most of his first-class cricket was for Somerset
. Only in 1909 was he able to play at all regularly and in that season he made his highest first-class score, 78, in the match against Middlesex
at Lord's. He also played an innings of 55 in 1909, batting at No 9 and sharing an eighth wicket partnership of 125 with Talbot Lewis
that enabled Somerset to save the match against Kent
, the 1909 County Champions
, after following on. He did not play at all after 1912 until he reappeared in one match in each of the 1922, 1923 and 1924 seasons.
in 1910. In 1916 he was further promoted to become a second secretary. And then in 1919 he became a first secretary. He served in embassies and delegations in Rome, Lisbon, Madrid and Cairo, and was first secretary in Madrid up to 1922, returning to a Whitehall job in the Foreign Office between 1924 and 1926. He was reported in the New York Times as having died at the British Embassy in Rome of "malarial pneumonia".
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
player. He was born at Highclere Castle
Highclere Castle
Highclere Castle is a country house in the Jacobethan style, with park designed by Capability Brown. The 1,000 acre estate is in the English county of Hampshire, about south of the border with Berkshire, and south of Newbury...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
and he died at the British Embassy, Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
Family and education
Herbert was the third son of Henry Herbert, 4th Earl of CarnarvonHenry Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon
Henry Howard Molyneux Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon, PC, DL, FSA, FRS , known as Lord Porchester from 1833 to 1849, was a British politician and a leading member of the Conservative Party...
, the full brother of the writer and politician 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...
and the half-brother of George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon
George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon
George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon was an English aristocrat best known as the financial backer of the search for and the excavation of Tutankhamun's tomb in the Valley of the Kings.-Biography:...
, who financed the excavation of Tutankhamun
Tutankhamun
Tutankhamun , Egyptian , ; approx. 1341 BC – 1323 BC) was an Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th dynasty , during the period of Egyptian history known as the New Kingdom...
's tomb. He married Mary Elizabeth Willard, daughter of Joseph Willard
Joseph Willard
Joseph Willard was a U.S. Congregational clergyman and academic. He was educated at the Dummer Academy and Harvard College and served as pastor in Beverly, Massachusetts...
, the US ambassador to Spain, in 1921 and had three children. His wife's older sister married Kermit Roosevelt
Kermit Roosevelt
Kermit Roosevelt I MC was a son of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. He was an explorer on two continents with his father, a graduate of Harvard University, a soldier serving in two world wars, with both the British and U.S. Armies, a businessman, and a writer...
, son of the former US president Theodore
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
.
He was educated at Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
and at 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....
.
Cricket career
Herbert was a right-handed middle-order batsman. He played for Eton in the 1901 Eton v HarrowEton v Harrow
The Eton v Harrow cricket match is an annual cricket match between Eton College and Harrow School. It one of the longest-running annual cricket fixtures in the world. It is the last annual school cricket match played at Lord's Cricket Ground...
cricket match at Lord's, and in a house match at Eton that season he and George Lyttelton
George Lyttelton
George Lyttelton may be:*George Lyttelton , MP for Droitwich in 1586*George Lyttelton, 1st Baron Lyttelton , English politician*George Lyttelton, 2nd Baron Lyttelton , Anglo-Irish peer and politician...
put on 476 for the second wicket, both scoring double centuries. In the same year, he made the first of six appearances in first-class cricket for Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
, starting off with an innings of 65 in a match against the MCC
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
at Lord's.
Though Herbert played occasional matches for Oxford University
Oxford University Cricket Club
Oxford University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team, representing the University of Oxford. It plays its home games at the University Parks in Oxford, England...
he was not selected as a blue
University Sporting Blue
A Blue is an award earned by sportsmen and women at a university and some schools for competition at the highest level. The awarding of Blues began at Oxford and Cambridge Universities...
, and from 1903 most of his first-class cricket was for Somerset
Somerset County Cricket Club
Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...
. Only in 1909 was he able to play at all regularly and in that season he made his highest first-class score, 78, in the match against Middlesex
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Middlesex. It was announced in February 2009 that Middlesex changed their limited overs name from the Middlesex Crusaders, to the...
at Lord's. He also played an innings of 55 in 1909, batting at No 9 and sharing an eighth wicket partnership of 125 with Talbot Lewis
Talbot Lewis
Albert Edward Lewis , known as "Talbot Lewis", was an English first-class cricketer who played for Somerset between 1899 and 1912. He reappeared for Somerset in one match after the start of the First World War in August 1914, although he played under an assumed name, A...
that enabled Somerset to save the match against Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
, the 1909 County Champions
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
, after following on. He did not play at all after 1912 until he reappeared in one match in each of the 1922, 1923 and 1924 seasons.
Diplomatic career
Herbert was appointed as an attache in the Foreign Office in 1907. He became a third secretary in the Diplomatic ServiceDiplomatic service
Diplomatic service is the body of diplomats and foreign policy officers maintained by the government of a country to communicate with the governments of other countries. Diplomatic personnel enjoy diplomatic immunity when they are accredited to other countries...
in 1910. In 1916 he was further promoted to become a second secretary. And then in 1919 he became a first secretary. He served in embassies and delegations in Rome, Lisbon, Madrid and Cairo, and was first secretary in Madrid up to 1922, returning to a Whitehall job in the Foreign Office between 1924 and 1926. He was reported in the New York Times as having died at the British Embassy in Rome of "malarial pneumonia".