Herbert Raphael

Major Sir Herbert Henry Raphael, 1st Baronet (23 December 1859 – 24 September 1924) was a British barrister and Liberal Party politician.

The second son of Henry Louis Raphael, banker, of Raphaels Bank and his wife and cousin, Henriette née Raphael. He practiced law for only a few years, choosing to pursue a career in public and political activities. He was also a member of the London School Board. He held the seat until the 1918 general election.

Town planner In the 1890s he was living at Havering Court, Havering Road, Havering-atte-Bower, about north of Romford, Essex. From 1897, he owned Gidea Hall (demolished 1930) in Essex, which estate consisted of . Later, he lived at Allestree Hall, Derby, where he gave a Memorial Hall to the village.

Raphael began to develop his estate as Gidea Park from 1910 into a garden suburb, now known as Romford Garden Suburb, with two other MPs. The suburb started in 1911 Romford as an exhibition to showcase the work of some of the most eminent architects of the day, such as Clough Williams-Ellis and Charles Robert Ashbee, prominent in the Arts and Crafts Movement. The idea was to demonstrate new ideas in town planning. Raphael Park and Raphael Avenue in the suburb are named after him.

War service Raphael held a commission in the 1st Volunteer Battalion, Essex Regiment at the beginning of the twentieth century. Soon after the outbreak of World War I, Raphael enlisted as private in the 24th (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (2nd Sportsmen's). Later in the war he was Assistant Provost Marshal at Folkestone, Kent. He was also a governor of Guy's Hospital and a justice of the peace for Essex and Derbyshire.

Family and death In 1884 Raphael married Rosalie Coster, daughter of William Frederick Coster of Upper Chine, Shanklin, Isle of Wight. The couple settled at Hockley Sole, Capel-le-Ferne, near Folkestone. Raphael was a keen sportsman, and died suddenly from heart failure while out shooting on his estate in September 1924 aged 64. He had no children, and the baronetcy became extinct on his death.