From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Herbert William Fisher (1826–1903) was a British historian, best known for his book Considerations on the Origin of the American War (1865).

Fisher was born at Poulshot, Wiltshire, the son of Rev. William Fisher (1799–1874) and his wife Elizabeth Cookson (c. 1803–1851). He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford and became a tutor in 1851 being tutor to the future King Edward VII. He was called to the bar at Inner Temple in 1855 and served as private secretary to Henry Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle-under-Lyne. In 1863 he became private secretary to the Prince of Wales, his former pupil, before being appointed to the position of Vice-Warden of the Stannaries, Cornwall in 1870.[1]

Fisher married Mary Louisa Jackson (1841–1916) born in Calcutta, a daughter of John Jackson, physician in the Bengal Medical Service. Her sister, Julia, was the mother of Virginia Woolf. Fisher and his wife had seven sons and several daughters. The sons included historian Herbert Fisher, and Admiral Sir William Wordsworth Fisher. Among the daughters was Florence, Lady Darwin. Another daughter, Adeline Maria, was the first wife of the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams.

   * Florence Henrietta Fisher (1864–1920), married Frederic William Maitland and secondly Sir Frank Darwin.
   * Herbert Fisher (1865–1940), the historian
   * John Francis Fisher (1866–1901), artillery officer killed in the Second Boer War
   * Emmaline Fisher (1869–?)
   * Adeline Fisher (1870–1951), married Ralph Vaughan Williams
   * Edward Fisher (1872–?
   * Henry Fisher (1874–?
   * William Wordsworth Fisher (1875–1937), Knight Admiral
   * Charles Fisher (1877–1916), killed during the First World War
   * Cordelia Fisher (1880–?)

References

  1. ^ Fisher, Herbert William in Venn, J. & J. A., Alumni Cantabrigienses, Cambridge University Press, 10 vols, 1922–1958.

   * Mary Bennett: an Autobiography (published by St Hilda's College, 2006, no ISBN)
   * Papers of Admiral Fisher