Sir Robert de Herle was an English military commander who was Admiral of all the Fleets about England and Lord Warden of the

Cinque Ports The Confederation of Cinque Ports () is a historic group of coastal towns in south-east England – predominantly in Kent and Sussex, with one outlier (Brightlingsea) in Essex. The name is Old French, meaning "five harbours", and alludes to th ...

during the mid-14th century.

Personal

He was the son of William de Herle (Chief Justice of the

Court of Common Pleas A court of common pleas is a common kind of court structure found in various common law jurisdictions. The form originated with the Court of Common Pleas at Westminster, which was created to permit individuals to press civil grievances against one ...

intermittently between 1327–37 and one of the king's council until his death in 1364).

Early career

Robert de Herle became an important official in the

earl of Warwick Earl of Warwick is one of the most prestigious titles in the peerages of the United Kingdom. The title has been created four times in English history, and the name refers to Warwick Castle and the town of Warwick. Overview The first creation c ...

's administration of the West Midlands, becoming his most senior official for at least the decade beginning after 1339. Robert was overlord at the

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...

village of

Kirby Muxloe Kirby Muxloe is a large village and civil parish that forms part of the Blaby district of Leicestershire, England. Located to the west of Leicester, its proximity to the city has resulted in its inclusion in the Leicester Urban Area. The Le ...

, but more significantly became one of Thomas, the earl of Warwick's most prominent retainers and was granted a life indenture at Wadborough. During the 1340–50s all legal settlements in

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Avon an ...

were subject to the goodwill of Thomas, earl of Warwick, who has been called 'the most powerful lay figure in the West Midlands', at the time. The earl's absolute control over Warwickshire's administration caused a large number of people to depart the county, not 'willing to be judged by' the earl, or his officials, chief amongst, them being de Herle. In February 1345, de Herle was required by the king, along with others in the administration 'to provide a list of those who were refusing to be judged by him'. Shortly thereafter, in the July 1345 he was in the group Warwick had entrusted some of his lands to, as marriage settlements for his daughters. In 1355 and 1357 Sir Robert Herle fought in the Scottish Campaign where he received substantial rewards for the return of a number of prisoners. Herle was one of the ‘bachelors’ of Warwick's household during times of peace, and was required to attend the earl at tournaments and in the event of war. Warwick granted Herle the wardenship of

Barnard Castle Barnard Castle (, ) is a market town on the north bank of the River Tees, in County Durham, Northern England. The town is named after and built around a medieval castle ruin. The town's Bowes Museum's has an 18th-century Silver Swan automato ...

along with its forests and lands, this, it has been stated made Herle a pivotal figure in the running of the earl's estates. Herle's was further granted a lifetime lease on several lands and rents in the vicinity of the Castle. "''In September 1343, Herle obtained a pardon of the king's suit for homicides, felonies, robberies and larcenies perpetrated by him and any consequent outlawries, and it is noted that the pardon was sealed personally in front of Edward III and Thomas, earl of Warwick.''" Robert Herle was associated with the Bassett family of Drayton in 1339 as retainer to the Bassett manors of

Moulton Moulton may refer to: Places in the United Kingdom ;In England *Moulton, Cheshire * Moulton, Lincolnshire **Moulton Windmill * Moulton St Mary, Norfolk * Moulton, Northamptonshire ** Moulton College, agricultural college ** Moulton Park, indus ...

, Buckby, Olney and

Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands County, England. Historic counties of England, Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east ...

Constable of Dover Castle and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports

Until now all lists state that the Lord Warden of the

for the year 1361 was Sir Richard de Herle, this was however not the case and in fact the appointment was granted to Sir Robert Herle. No evidence has been found in this short study for the existence of a Richard, and I conclude this to be an age old error now rectified. "''By November of 1360 he is described as the ‘king's lieutenant in

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...

’, whilst a year later he was referred to as the ‘king's admiral’, and was Constable of

Dover Castle Dover Castle is a medieval castle in Dover, Kent, England and is Grade I listed. It was founded in the 11th century and has been described as the "Key to England" due to its defensive significance throughout history. Some sources say it is the ...

and Lord Warden of the Cinque ports.''" (see ref. below). In addition from November 1354, Robert Herle acted for the king as the steward of the lands and castles of the king's sons, Edmund and John. In addition to his long service to the earl of Warwick, during the later years of the 1340s Herle also became an important agent of the Crown and an officer of the king's household. He continued his service for, and close association with the earl of Warwick, who was instrumental in Herle's career, and is found named on a number of Warwick's most important charters between 1350–60.

Senior naval command

He was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the English Navy from 2 December 1360 - 7 July 1364 with the title of

Admiral of the Kings Southern, Northern and Western Fleets K, or k, is the eleventh letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''kay'' (pronounced ), plural ''kays''. The letter K ...

References

Footnotes

Sources

* Nicolas, Sir Nicholas Harris (1847). A History of the Royal Navy: 1327–1422. London, England: R. Bentley. * Rodger, N.A.M. (2004). The safeguard of the sea : a naval history of Britain 660 to 1649. New York: W.W. Norton.

External links

Barfield and the Beauchamp family
{{s-end English admirals Herle, Robert de 14th-century English Navy personnel 1316 births 1364 deaths