George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert (1866 - 1923)

Born 26 Jun 1866 in 66 Grosvenor St, London, England

Ancestors

Husband of Almina Victoria Maria Alexandra (Wombwell) Herbert — married 26 Jun 1895 in St. Margaret's, Westminster, England

Descendants

Died 5 Apr 1923 at age 56 in Continental-Savoy Hotel, Cairo, Egypt

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Biography

George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon (1866-1923),
Sportsman, egyptologist and photographer . . photo . . 2 portraits - npg uk

Birth & Early Life

Highclere Castle

George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert was born on 26 June 1866, at the family's London home, 66 Grosvenor St, London, England.^[1] Other sources give his place of birth as their country seat, Highclere Castle, in Hampshire. He was christened at Highclere Castle, Hampshire, on 5 August 1866.^[2]

He was the only son of Henry Howard Molyneux Herbert, 4th Earl of Carnarvon,^[2] a distinguished Tory statesman,^[3] and Lady Evelyn (Evelyn Georgiana Catherine) Stanhope,^[2] daughter of George Stanhope, 6th Earl of Chesterfield . Aubrey Herbert was his half-brother.^[3]

Educated at Eton College^[4][5] and Trinity College, Cambridge,^[5] he inherited the Bretby Hall estate from his maternal grandmother, Anne Elizabeth, Dowager Countess of Chesterfield (1802–1885),^[6] and succeeded his father in the earldom in 1890.^[5]

Marriage and Children

George Carnarvon "married Almina Victoria Maria Alexandra Wombwell, illegitimate daughter of millionaire banker Alfred de Rothschild, at St. Margaret's Church, Westminster, on 26 June 1895."^[3][7][8] They had two children:

1. "Henry George Herbert, 6th Earl of Carnarvon (1898–1987), who married Anne Catherine Tredick Wendell (d.1977) and had one son, the 7th. Earl and a daughter. They divorced in 1936 and from 1939 to 1947, he was married to actress/dancer Tilly Losch."^[3]
2. "Lady Evelyn Leonora Almina Herbert (15 August 1901 – 1980), who married Sir Brograve Beauchamp, 2nd Baronet "^[3]

Highclere Stud

Lord Carnarvon was originally known as an owner of racehorses and a driver of early cars. In 1901, he had a serious motoring accident near Bad Schwalbach in Germany. This left him badly disabled. In 1902, he started the Highclere Stud to breed thoroughbred racehorses. The family has maintained a connection with Newbury racecourse since 1905.^[3]

Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings , KV62

Burial site of Tutankhamun

After his automobile accident, Lord Carnarvon, spent time in the warmer climate of Egypt, for his health. He began by collecting local artifacts and soon became interested in Egyptology. He hired a team of archaeologists to excavate the area of Sheikh Abd el-Qurna. The expedition ended up in failure, but he realized he needed someone with more expertise.^[9] He therefore financed Howard Carter. This collaboration brought great success and world reknown, culminating in their excavation in 1923 of the Egyptian New Kingdom Pharaoh Tutankhamun's tomb in Ancient Egypt's Valley of the Kings.^[3]

On 17 Feb 1923, they opened the tomb of Tutankhamun, an Egyptian king buried some 1300 years before Christ was born.^[3][10] It contained "treasures unsurpassed in the history of archaeology."^[3] "The tomb was completely intact, piled to the ceiling with treasures."^[9] "Craftsmen in precious metals, fabrics, and pottery have found a treasure trove of design and workmanship in the wealth of art objects ..."^[11]

Death: "The Curse of Tutankhamun" or the "Mummy's Curse"

Less than two months after Herbert opened the tomb of Tutunkhamun, on 5 April 1923, at the Continental-Savoy Hotel in Cairo, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon was dead.^[12][13] However, unlike the fictional curse, there is a scientific explanation for his sudden death. He died from blood poisoning (followed by pneumonia) caused by shaving a mosquito bite infected with erysipelas. His illness had been announced on 19 March 1923. His wife arrived on the 26th, and it was believed that, despite the seriousness of the illness, his strength and vitality would carry him through to recovery. He passed peacefully at two in the morning, with his wife, son, and daughter at his bedside.^[13]

Sources

1. ↑ England & Wales Birth Registrations: Sep 1866, Herbert, George S. H. M. District: St. George Hanover Square Vol 1a Page 259. Accessed at FreeBMD (http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl)
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NTXT-C9M : accessed 17 November 2015), George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Herbert, 05 Aug 1866; citing Highclere, Hampshire, England, reference item 4; FHL microfilm 1,596,166.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8} George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, Wikipedia Article
4. ↑ 1881 Census of England & Wales (RG11/1458 f117 p15), Cotton Hall, Eton College, Eton, Buckinghamshire, George Herbert (Lord Portchester), age 14, Boarder. Accessed at Findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com)
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} Venn, John. Alumni Cantabrigienses: A Biographical List of All Known Students, Graduates and Holders of Office at the University of Cambridge, from the Earliest Times to 1900, Volume 2 p. 337. Cambridge University Press, 2011.
6. ↑ Bretby Hall. Wikipedia Article accessed 11/21/2015.
7. ↑ England & Wales Marriage Registrations: Jun 1895, Herbert, George Edward S. M. District: St. George Hanover Square Vol 1a Page 916. Accessed at FreeBMD (http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl)
8. ↑ Date given: The San Francisco Call. Thursday 27 June 1895 p. 4.
9. ↑ ^{9.0 9.1} George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon New World Encyclopedia
10. ↑ Tutankamun. Wikipedia Article.
11. ↑ "Opening of Ancient Tomb of Absorbing Interest." The Decatur Herald (Decatur, Illinois) Thursday 22 Feb 1923. p 12.
12. ↑ "Probate Calendars of England & Wales", 1923, Earl of Carnarvon the right honorable George Edward Stanhope Molyneux of Highclere Castle Hampshire and of 1 Seamore place Middlesex died 5 April 1923 at the Continental Hotel Cairo Egypt Probate London 14 May to right honorable Sir John Grenfell Maxwell G.C.B., K.C., M.G. Sir Robert Hutchinson K.C.M.G. Arthue Fitzhardinge Berkeley Portman esquire. Effects £398925 7s 11d. Accessed at Findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com)
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} Canadian Press. "Earl Carnarvon Dead; 'Curse of Egypt' Cited By Credulous as Cause" The Winnipeg Tribune (Winninpeg, Canada). Thursday, 5 April 1923. p 3 column 1&2.

See also:

• Britannica.com entry for George Herbert 5th Earl of Carnarvon
• Wikipedia entry for Earl of Carnarvon
• Wilson, Christopher (21 October 2011). "Downton's greatest secret: A lonely countess, an illicit love affair with an Egyptian prince... and an Earl who has no right to his title. The extraordinary claims about real life Lord." Daily Mail.
• Wikipedia entry for Highclere Castle
• Today in Science entry for Earl Carnarvon
• Wikipedia entry for Tutankhamun
• Wikipedia entry for Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings
• The Life of Lord Carnarvon at www.touregypt.net
• Highclere Castle - the Egyptian Exhibition
• Wikipedia entry for Howard Carter