Alleyne FitzHerbert, 1st Baron St Helens - Ireland

Ireland

At the close of 1787 he returned to England to accompany the Marquis of Buckingham, the newly appointed lord-lieutenant of Ireland, as his chief secretary, and he was in consequence sworn a member of the privy council on the 30 November.

His health was bad, and the first Lord Minto wrote to his wife (9 December 1787) that FitzHerbert was going to Ireland with the greatest danger to his life, his health being very bad in itself, and such as the business and vexation he is going to must make much worse.

In spite of these gloomy prognostications he continued to hold the post until March 1789, when he resigned the secretaryship, and was sent to the Hague as envoy extraordinary, with the pay of ambassador in ordinary, in all about £4,000 a year. In 1788, he stood as Member of Parliament (MP) for Carysfort and served in the Irish House of Commons until 1790. At this time his reputation had reached its highest point, and Fox described him as a man of parts and of infinite zeal and industry. However as years went on his powers of application for the minor duties of his offices seem to have flagged. One hostile critic complained in 1793 that his letters were left unanswered by Fitzherbert, and in the following year he was described by the first Lord Malmesbury as very friendly, but insouciant as to business and not attentive enough for his post. In more important matters he acted with promptness and energy.