Family and Education

b. by 1503, 1st s. of Sir William Herbert of Troy by Blanche, da. and coh. of Simon Milborne of Tillington, Herefs.; bro. of Thomas. m. (1) Elizabeth, da. of Gruffydd ap Rhys of Dynevor, Carm., 2da.; (2) Cecily, da. of Sir John Gage of Firle Place, Suss., s.p.; 1s. illegit. suc. fa. 1524. Kntd. Nov. 1549/Dec. 1550.1

Offices Held

Dep. steward, duchy of Lancaster, Monmouth 8 July 1533, receiver, Monmouth 29 Nov. 1547-Aug. 1554, steward, Ebbw temp. Edw. VI; steward, lands of Grace Dieu abbey, Tintern abbey and Usk priory, Mon. by 1535, bp. of Llandaff’s manor of Bishton, Mon. by 1535; commr. tenths of spiritualities, Llandaff diocese 1535, benevolence, Mon. 1544/45, relief 1550, goods of churches and fraternities 1553; gent. pens. 1540-8 or later; sheriff, Mon. 1540-1, 1548-9, Herefs. 1551-2; j.p.q. Mon. 1543.2

Biography

The Herbert family of Troy, near Monmouth, was established by Sir William Herbert, a bastard son of William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke of the first creation. This Sir William Herbert was an annuitant of Edward, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, and a frequent visitor with his wife and sons to Thornbury castle, Gloucestershire, where Charles Herbert first appears in 1508. He is next met with in 1524, when with George Whitney of Iccomb, Gloucestershire, he stood surety for James Whitney as receiver of Monmouth for the duchy of Lancaster. In July 1533 he himself became deputy to Henry, 2nd Earl of Worcester, as duchy steward for Monmouth, and he remained in the duchy’s service until he ran into debt towards the end of his life; he also took as his second wife the daughter of a chancellor of the duchy. By the time the valor ecclesiasticus was compiled Herbert held a number of offices with religious houses. After the Union he was one of the leading figures of the newly formed shire and was pricked its first sheriff. In 1544 he went to France for the Boulogne campaign, supplying seven men for the expedition; he was also chosen as the King’s standard-bearer at a wage of 10s. a day. It was doubtless on the strength of his local and national prominence that he was elected knight of the shire in Henry VIII’s last Parliament.3

The last years of Herbert’s life saw his fortunes crumble. Under Edward VI he remained active locally and received a knighthood, but with the advent of Mary his arrears of payments to the duchy caught up with him and in August 1554 John Philip Morgan was put in charge of his office. It is likely that his Membership of the Queen’s first Parliament was in part designed to protect him from creditors and to give him the chance of recovery. His indebtedness was the main theme of the will which he had made on 23 Apr. 1552. Before providing for his children, wife and mother, he directed his executors to sell his manors of Wonastow and St. Wogan’s to meet his arrearages, Wonastow being bought by his brother Thomas. He named as executors Edward Herbert and William Herbert III. As the will was not proved until 22 Jan. 1558 Herbert survived its making by several years, probably dying shortly before his replacement on 20 Mar. 1557 as the duchy’s steward for Ebbw.4

Ref Volumes: 1509-1558

Author: P. S. Edwards

Notes

• 1. Date of birth estimated from his standing surety. J. A. Bradney, Mon. i(1), 38; G. T. Clark, Limbus Patrum Morganiae, 290; PCC 19 Bodfelde.
• 2. Somerville, Duchy, i. 646, 649, 651; Val. Eccles. iv. 345, 361, 366, 370; LP Hen. VIII, viii, xviii; xix(1) 275; E179/69/35; CPR, 1547-8, p. 87; 1553, pp. 112, 360, 418; C193/12/1; The Gen. n.s. xxx. 21.
• 3. Clark, 290, 292; E36/220, p. 28; Staffs. RO, D1721/1/5 passim; Somerville, i. 646, 649, 651; LP Hen. VIII, xix.
• 4. Somerville, i. 646, 651; PCC 17 Noodes, 19 Mellershe.