Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Herbert, Percy Egerton
HERBERT, Sir PERCY EGERTON (1822–1876), lieutenant-general, born on 15 April 1822, was second son of Edward Herbert, second earl Powis [q. v.], who took the name and arms of Herbert only, in lieu of Clive, in 1807, by his wife Lady Lucy Graham, third daughter of the third Duke of Montrose [see Graham, James, third Duke Of Montrose]. He was educated at Eton and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and in January 1840 was appointed ensign 43rd light infantry, in which he became lieutenant in September 1841, captain in June 1846, and major in May 1853. He saw much hard service with his regiment in the Kaffir war of 1851-3 (medal), and was present with it in the expedition to the Orange River sovereignty and at the battle of the Borea. He received a brevet lieutenant-colonelcy for his services in South Africa, and on 28 May 1853 purchased a lieutenant-colonelcy unattached. In 1854 he was appointed assistant quartermaster-general of the second, or Sir De Lacy Evans's, division of the army of the East, with which he landed in the Crimea, and was dangerously wounded at the Alma. He was present with his division at Inkermann and at the siege and fall of Sebastopol (wounded), and was one of the most active and indefatigable staff-officers in the whole army (see Kinglake, vi. 66 et seq.; cf. Sessional Papers, 1855, vol. ix. pt. i. p. 43). After the return home of Sir Richard (afterwards Lord) Airey [q. v.] Herbert was quartermaster-general of the army up to the evacuation of the Crimea. For his Crimean services he was made aide-de-camp to the queen and C.B.; received the brevet rank of colonel, the Crimean medal and three clasps; was appointed an officer of the Legion of Honour, commander of the 2nd class of St. Maurice and St. Lazare in Sardinia; and received the 3rd class of the Medjidie and Turkish medal. On 19 Feb. 1858 Herbert was appointed lieutenant-colonel 82nd foot from half-pay unattached. He joined that regiment at Cawnpore on 21 April 1858; commanded the left wing in the campaign under the commander-in-chief in Rohilcund, including the capture of Bareilly and Shahjehanpore ; and commanded the Cawnpore and Futtehpore districts until the spring of 1859. In December 1858 he was sent in pursuit of Ferozeshah and a body of rebels on the banks of the Jumna (medal). He was deputy quartermaster-general at the Horse Guards in 1860-5, and assistant quartermaster-general at Aldershot 1865-7: was appointed treasurer of the queen's household and was sworn of the privy council in March 1867. He held the treasurership until December 1868. He became major-general in 1868, K.C.B. in 1869, honorary colonel of both battalions of Shropshire rifle volunteers in 1870, lieutenant-general in September 1875, and colonel 74th highlanders in April 1876. He sat in parliament, in the conservative interest, for Ludlow from 1854 to 1860, and for South Shropshire from 1865 to his death. He died at the Styche, Market Drayton, Shropshire, on 7 Oct. 1876, aged 54.
Herbert married, on 4 Oct. 1860, Lady Mary Petty Fitzmaurice, only child of Thomas, earl of Kerry, and granddaughter of the third Marquis of Lansdowne [see Petty-fitzmaurice, Henry, third Marquis of Lansdowne], by whom he had two sons and two daughters.
[Burke's Peerage under ‘Powis;’ Army Lists and London Gazettes under dates; Levinge's Hist. Rec. 43rd Light Infantry (1868); Kinglake's Invasion of the Crimea, 6th edit. (1877-88), vols. iii. v. and particularly vi. passim; Jarvis's Hist. Rec. 82nd Foot (1866); Kaye and Malleson's Hist. of the Indian Mutiny (1888-9, cabinet ed.), v. 251. In the index Herbert is confused with Colonel Charles Herbert, 75th regiment; Ann. Reg. 1876.]