Lewis Hertslet (1787–1870) was an English librarian and editor of state papers.

Life

He was the eldest son of Jean Louis Pierre Hertslett (or Hiertzelet), a Swiss

king's messenger The Corps of King's Messengers (or Corps of Queen's Messengers during the reign of a female monarch) are couriers employed by the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). They hand-carry secret and important documents to B ...

who had migrated to Great Britain, born in November 1787. He entered the Civil Service, and on 5 February 1801 was appointed sub-librarian in the

Foreign Office Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * Unit ...

; and on 6 January 1810 librarian and keeper of the papers. Hertslet was one of the two secretaries of the lords justices in England while

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...

was absent in

Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...

in 1821. He remained librarian till 20 November 1857, when he retired on a pension. He died at his house,

Great College Street Royal College Street is a major thoroughfare in London, England, within the St Pancras and Somers Town ward in the Borough of Camden. The street, which is one-way, is home to the London headquarters of Parcelforce and the London campus of ...

, Westminster, 16 March 1870.

Works

Hertslet wrote: *''A Complete Collection of the Treaties and Conventions at present subsisting between Great Britain and Foreign Powers, so far as they relate to Commerce and Navigation, to the Repression and Abolition of the Slave Trade, and to the Privileges and Interests of the Subjects of the high contracting Powers'', 2 vols., 1820. *''A Complete Collection of the Treaties and Conventions and reciprocal Relations subsisting between Great Britain and Foreign Powers, and of the Laws, Decrees, and Orders in Council concerning the same'', 16 vols., of which the first 11 are by Hertslet, and the rest by his son Edward. *''Treaties, &c., between Turkey and Foreign Powers'', 1835–55 (privately printed 1855).

Family

Hertslet married Hannah Harriet, daughter of George Cooke of Westminster. His youngest son,

Edward Edward is an English given name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortune; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-Sax ...

(1824–1902) succeeded him as librarian at the Foreign Office.

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Hertslet, Lewis 1787 births 1870 deaths English librarians Civil servants from London English book editors