In 1845 he was transferred to the office of Secretary of War, with a seat in the Cabinet. He gave special attention to the regimental schools and introduced very necessary reforms in their management, and also instituted an inquiry into the state of the Royal Military Asylum at Chelsea. On the resignation of Sir Robert Peel’s Ministry, Sidney Herbert left office, and his work of military reform remained in abeyance. He remained out of office for six years, and during that period devoted himself largely to private philanthropy in the vicinity of his home, Wilton House, near Salisbury. He had married in 1846 Elizabeth, the daughter of General Aske A’Court and the niece of Lord Heytesbury, a young lady of singular beauty and charm, who entered most sympathetically into his many philanthropic enterprises, and herself instituted several benevolent schemes. She became the authoress of several books dealing with biography and travel. Florence Nightingale was a frequent visitor at Wilton House and Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Herbert were amongst her dearest and most sympathetic friends. She took a great interest in the home for scrofulous children which they had founded and maintained at Mudiford in Hampshire, and was able to give much practical help in its management. Having heard from Miss Nightingale of a particular bath which she had seen employed with good effect at Kaiserswerth, Mr. Herbert procured the ingredients from that distant institution for use in the Mudiford home. One can readily imagine how useful her technical knowledge was to her friends in their various undertakings, and how congenial interests drew them more and more together. Humanity in every form appealed to Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Herbert. They erected at Wilton a model lodging-house for agricultural labourers, and formulated schemes for the emigration of poor women. So actively interested were they in the latter that they frequently accompanied parties of emigrants on to the vessel to speed them on their way. Some of their later schemes were for the establishment of day-rooms and institutes in the rural districts around their county town of Salisbury. Like Miss Nightingale, Sidney Herbert was a devoted worker in connection with the Established Church, and proved a generous benefactor to his diocese. He built at his own cost of £30,000 the magnificent church at Wilton, and presented a new rectory and grounds. He also built the new church at Bemerton in memory of his saintly kinsman, George Herbert, and gave liberally to the restoration of churches in the Salisbury diocese. He was a great supporter of missionary bishops. It has well been said of him that the “bede-role of his private charities would weary the patience of any reader.” He was the founder of hospitals, the builder of churches, the maintainer of schools, and his right hand knew not what his left hand gave.