William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke, 1st Baron Herbert of Cardiff (c. 150117 March 1570) was a
Tudor period
The Tudor period occurred between 1485 and 1603 in England and Wales and includes the Elizabethan period during the reign of Elizabeth I until 1603. The Tudor period coincides with the dynasty of the House of Tudor in England that began with t ...
nobleman, politician, and courtier.
Herbert was the son of
Sir Richard Herbert and Margaret Cradock.
[John Bernard Burke. ''A genealogical and heraldic dictionary of the peerage and baronetage of the British Empire'', 14th Edition, Colburn, 1852. pg 783]
''Google eBook''
/ref> His father was an illegitimate son of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke of the eighth creation (1468), by his mistress, Maud, daughter of Adam ap Howell Graunt.
Early life
William Herbert's early life was distinguished by intense ambition coupled with an equally fierce temper and hot-headed nature. Described by John Aubrey
John Aubrey (12 March 1626 – 7 June 1697) was an English antiquarian, antiquary, Natural philosophy, natural philosopher and writer. He is perhaps best known as the author of the ''Brief Lives'', his collection of short biographical pieces. ...
as a "mad fighting fellow", the young Herbert began his career as a gentleman servant to the earl of Worcester. However, when a mercer called Vaughan was killed by Herbert, after an affray between some Welshmen and the watchmen for unknown reasons in Bristol, he fled to France.
Upon arrival, he immediately joined the service of King Francis I as a soldier, earning a reputation for courage and great skill on the battlefield. "In a short time he became eminent, and was favoured by the king, who afterwards recommended him to Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disag ...
, who much valued him, and heaped favours and honours upon him". For his service to Henry, Herbert was granted the estates of Wilton, Remesbury, and Cardiff Castle, and his position as a man of means was secured.
Herbert's first wife, Anne Parr, was a sister of Queen consort Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr (sometimes alternatively spelled Katherine, Katheryn, Kateryn, or Katharine; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen of England and Ireland as the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 12 July 1543 until ...
, sixth wife to Henry VIII. He rose with the Parrs after his sister-in-law's marriage and was knighted in 1544. He had been granted Wilton Abbey and other land by Henry VIII by 1544. He soon pulled down the abbey and built the first Wilton House in its place; the house continues to be the seat of his descendants.
Earldom
Herbert was a guardian of the young King Edward VI after the death of Henry VIII in 1547. As an executor of Henry's will and the recipient of valuable grants of land, Herbert was a prominent and powerful person during Edward's reign, with both the protector Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset
Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset (150022 January 1552) (also 1st Earl of Hertford, 1st Viscount Beauchamp), also known as Edward Semel, was the eldest surviving brother of Queen Jane Seymour (d. 1537), the third wife of King Henry ...
and his rival, John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, angling for his support. He threw in his lot with Northumberland, and after Somerset's fall obtained some of his lands in Wiltshire. He was made a Knight of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George ...
in 1549, and created Baron Herbert of Cardiff on 10 October 1551, and 1st Earl of Pembroke (of the tenth creation) the following day, by Edward VI.
Herbert's eldest son and heir, Henry, married Lady Catherine Grey
Katherine Seymour, Countess of Hertford (formerly Katherine Herbert, Lady Herbert, born Lady Katherine Grey; 25 August 1540 – 27 January 1568), was a younger sister of Lady Jane Grey.
A granddaughter of Henry VIII's sister Mary, she emerge ...
at Durham House on 25 May 1553, the same day as her sister, Lady Jane Grey, was married to Northumberland's son Guilford Dudley. The third couple married that day was Northumberland's youngest daughter, Katherine
Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and other variations are feminine names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria.
In the early Christ ...
, to Henry Hastings, 3rd Earl of Huntingdon.[Ives, Eric. ''Lady Jane Grey: A Tudor Mystery''. John Wiley & Sons, 19 Sep 2011]
pg 182
/ref>
After the death of Edward VI, Herbert initially supported Northumberland's attempt to place Jane on the throne. When it became clear that Lady Mary Tudor
Lady Mary Tudor, Countess of Derwentwater (16 October 1673 – 5 November 1726) was an actress and natural daughter of King Charles II of England by his mistress, Mary "Moll" Davies, an actress and singer.
Biography
Early life and title
...
would take the throne (as Mary I), he cast his daughter-in-law Catherine out of his house and had the marriage annulled. Lady Catherine's father and sister Jane were both executed for high treason
Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplo ...
in February 1554 by order of Queen Mary I. Herbert managed to distance himself from the Grey family after their fall, and obtained the new queen's favour by crushing Wyatt's rebellion.
During the Italian War of 1551–1559, Herbert commanded the English army sent to France in support of Spain. His troops did not arrive in time for the Battle of St. Quentin (1557), but played a significant role in the capture of the city afterwards. Pembroke was Mary's most effective commander in the war with France. Mary sometimes suspected Pembroke's loyalty, but he was employed as governor of Calais
The town of Calais, now part of France, was in English hands from 1347 to 1558, and this page lists the commanders of Calais, holding office from the English Crown, called at different times Captain of Calais, King's Lieutenant of Calais (Castl ...
, as president of Wales and in other ways. He was also to some extent in the confidence of Philip II of Spain
Philip II) in Spain, while in Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September 1598), also known as Philip the Prudent ( es, Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal fro ...
. The earl retained his place at court under Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen".
Eli ...
until 1569, when he was suspected of favouring the projected marriage between Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567.
The only surviving legitimate child of James V of S ...
, and the Duke of Norfolk
Duke of Norfolk is a title in the peerage of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the county of Norfolk. The current duke is Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk. The duke ...
.
According to John Aubrey
John Aubrey (12 March 1626 – 7 June 1697) was an English antiquarian, antiquary, Natural philosophy, natural philosopher and writer. He is perhaps best known as the author of the ''Brief Lives'', his collection of short biographical pieces. ...
's very colourful '' Brief Life'', he could "neither read nor write" but "had a stamp for his name." Aubrey wrote: "He was of good naturall parts, but very colericque. In Queen Mary's time, upon the return of the Catholique religion, the nunnes came again to Wilton Abbey; and this William, Earl of Pembroke, came to the gate which lookes towards the court by the street, but now is walled up, with his cappe in his hand, and fell upon his knees to the Lady Abbess and nunnes, crying peccavi. Upon Queen Mary's death, the Earl came to Wilton (like a tigre) and turned them out crying, 'Out, ye jades! to worke, to worke—ye jades, goe spinne!'"
Herbert had a secretary, Robert Streynsham, who lived in the parsonage in Ospringe (near Faversham
Faversham is a market town in Kent, England, from London and from Canterbury, next to the Swale, a strip of sea separating mainland Kent from the Isle of Sheppey in the Thames Estuary. It is close to the A2 road (Great Britain), A2, which foll ...
in Kent).
Herbert is reported to have had a close bond with his pet dog. Aubrey wrote that he "had a little cur-dog which loved him, and the earl loved the dog. When the earl died the dog would not go from his master's dead body, but pined away, and died under the hearse." Herbert's dog can be seen in the portrait on the left.
Arms
* 1: Herbert with difference of ''a bordure componée gules bezantée and or'', for illegitimacy of Sir Richard Herbert of Ewyas (d.1510), father of the 1st Earl);
* 2: ''Sable, a chevron between three lance heads argent'' (Bleddin ap Maenarch) (per A.P. Shaw)
* 3: ''Argent, three cockerels gules'' (Einion Sais and Gam, a Cradock heiress, per A.P. Shaw, "The Heraldic Stained Glass at Hassop Hall, co. Derby". Part I, published in Journal of the Derbyshire Archeological and Natural History Society; (Derbyshire Archaeological Journal), Volume 31, 1909, pp. 191–220, esp. pp. 203–207, . (Source:
* 4: ''Argent, a lion rampant sable crowned or'' ("Arms of the valiant knight Sir John Morley", per File:Quarterings of 2nd Earl of Pembroke as recorded by York Herald, 1620.jpg, matched with File:Arms of 2nd Earl of Pembroke as recorded by York Herald, 1620.jpg)
* 5: ''Gules (azure?) semée of cross-crosslets three boar's heads couped argent'' (Cradock, for his mother Margaret Cradock, heiress of Candleston Castle, Glamorgan; Cradock was heir of Horton))
* 6: ''Argent, three bends engrailed gules a canton or'' (Horton of Candleston Castle, Glamorgan, and of Tregwynt, Pembrokeshire, heir of Cantilupe)
* 7: ''Gules, three leopard's faces jessant-de-lys or (de Cantilupe of Candleston Castle, Glamorgan; as for Cantilupe (modern) feudal barons of Eaton Bray in Bedfordshire)''
Marriages and issue
Herbert married twice:
*Firstly to Anne Parr (b. 1515; d. 20 February 1552), the younger sister of Queen Catherine Parr
Catherine Parr (sometimes alternatively spelled Katherine, Katheryn, Kateryn, or Katharine; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen of England and Ireland as the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 12 July 1543 until ...
, 6th and last wife of King Henry VIII, by whom he had progeny:
**Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke, KG, KB (in or after 153819 January 1601) was a Welsh nobleman, peer and politician of the Elizabethan era. He was the nephew of Catherine Parr, and brother-in-law of Lady Jane Grey, through his first wif ...
(c. 1539-1601), eldest son and heir, who in 1553 married Lady Catherine Grey
Katherine Seymour, Countess of Hertford (formerly Katherine Herbert, Lady Herbert, born Lady Katherine Grey; 25 August 1540 – 27 January 1568), was a younger sister of Lady Jane Grey.
A granddaughter of Henry VIII's sister Mary, she emerge ...
. The marriage was annulled in 1554 and he married secondly Catherine Talbot, a daughter of George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, in a double wedding with his sister Lady Anne Herbert who married Catherine's brother Francis. Catherine and Francis were children of George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, and his wife Lady Gertrude Manners, daughter of Thomas Manners, 1st Earl of Rutland
Thomas Manners, 1st Earl of Rutland, 12th Baron de Ros of Helmsley, KG (c. 1497{{snd20 September 1543), of Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire (adjacent to the small county of Rutland), was created Earl of Rutland by King Henry VIII in 1525.
Or ...
. His third wife was Mary Sidney
Mary Herbert, Countess of Pembroke (born Sidney, 27 October 1561 – 25 September 1621) was among the first Englishwomen to gain notice for her poetry and her literary patronage. By the age of 39, she was listed with her brother Philip Sidney ...
, a granddaughter of John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland, by whom he had issue, including William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke
William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke (8 April 158010 April 1630) , of Wilton House in Wiltshire, was an English nobleman, politician and courtier. He served as Chancellor of the University of Oxford and together with King James I founded P ...
and Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke
Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke and 1st Earl of Montgomery, (10 October 158423 January 1650) was an English courtier, nobleman, and politician active during the reigns of James I and Charles I. Philip and his older brother William w ...
.
**Sir Edward Herbert
Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Cherbury (or Chirbury) KB (3 March 1583 – 5 August 1648) was an English soldier, diplomat, historian, poet and religious philosopher of the Kingdom of England.
Life
Early life
Edward Herbert was the ...
(1547–1595), who married Mary Stanley, a daughter of Sir Thomas Stanley
''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only ...
, Under-Treasurer of the Mint, by whom he had issue including William Herbert, 1st Baron Powis.
**Lady Anne Herbert (1550–1592), who in February 1563 married Francis, Lord Talbot, in a double wedding with her brother Henry, at his wedding to Catherine Talbot. Francis was the eldest son and heir apparent
An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...
of George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, whom he predeceased. There is no known issue from this marriage.
*Secondly he married Anne Talbot, a daughter of George Talbot, 4th Earl of Shrewsbury
George Talbot, 4th Earl of Shrewsbury, 4th Earl of Waterford, 10th Baron Talbot, KG, KB, PC (c. 1468 – 26 July 1538) was the son of John Talbot, 3rd Earl of Shrewsbury, and Lady Catherine Stafford, daughter of the 1st Duke of Buckingham. He ...
, and widow of Peter Compton. There was no issue from this marriage.
Death
William died on 17 March 1570, in Hampton Court
Hampton Court Palace is a Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. The building of the palace began in 1514 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the chie ...
. He was buried on 18 April 1570 in Old St Paul's Cathedral,["Memorials of St Paul's Cathedral" Sinclair, W. p93: London; Chapman & Hall, Ltd; 1909] where his first wife, Anne (Parr) Herbert, had been buried. His grave and monument were destroyed in the Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through central London from Sunday 2 September to Thursday 6 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall, while also extending past th ...
in 1666. A modern monument in the crypt lists him as one of the important graves lost.
References
Citations
Bibliography
*G. E. Cokayne, Complete Peerage, 1910–1959
*
External links
''Luminarium Encyclopedia: William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1501?–1570)''
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pembroke, William Herbert, 01st Earl of (1551 creation)
Place of birth missing
1500s births
1570 deaths
Year of birth uncertain
William Herbert, 01st Earl of Pembroke (1551 creation)
1
Peers of England created by Edward VI
Knights of the Garter
Lord-Lieutenants of Somerset
Lord-Lieutenants of Wiltshire
Members of the Privy Council of England
Burials at St Paul's Cathedral
16th-century English politicians
Knights Bachelor