William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1423-1469)
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William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke KG
(c. 1423 – 27 July 1469), known as "Black William", was the son of William ap Thomas
founder of Raglan Castle
and Gwladys ferch Dafydd Gam
, and grandson of Dafydd Gam
, an adherent of King Henry V of England
.
His father had been an ally of Richard of York, and Herbert supported the Yorkist
cause in the Wars of the Roses
. Herbert was rewarded by King Edward IV
with the title Lord Herbert of Raglan in 1461, having assumed an English-style surname in place of the Welsh patronymic
. In 1468 he was promoted to Earl of Pembroke
. He obtained custody of the young Henry, Earl of Richmond
, whom he planned to marry to his own daughter. However, he soon fell out with his great rival, Warwick "the Kingmaker"
, who turned against the king. Herbert was executed by the Lancastrians
, now led by Warwick, after the Battle of Edgecote Moor
, near Banbury.
Herbert was succeeded by his legitimate son, William, but the earldom was surrendered in 1479. It was later revived for a grandson, another William Herbert, the son of Black William's illegitimate son, Sir Richard Herbert
of Ewyas
.
and Elizabeth Merbury. They had at least ten children:
William had two illegitimate children but the identity of their mother or mothers are uncertain:
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
(c. 1423 – 27 July 1469), known as "Black William", was the son of William ap Thomas
William ap Thomas
William ap Thomas was a member of the Welsh gentry family that came to be known as the Herbert family through his son William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke and is an ancestor of the current Earls of Pembroke....
founder of Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle
Raglan Castle is a late medieval castle located just north of the village of Raglan in the county of Monmouthshire in south east Wales. The modern castle dates from between the 15th and early 17th-centuries, when the successive ruling families of the Herberts and the Somersets created a luxurious,...
and Gwladys ferch Dafydd Gam
Gwladys ferch Dafydd Gam
Gwladys ferch Dafydd Gam was a Welsh noblewoman, the daughter of Dafydd ap Llewelyn ap Hywel, otherwise known as Dafydd Gam, who was killed at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415....
, and grandson of Dafydd Gam
Dafydd Gam
Dafydd ap Llewelyn ap Hywel , better known as Dafydd Gam or Davy Gam, was a Welsh medieval nobleman, a prominent opponent of Owain Glyndŵr, who died at the Battle of Agincourt fighting for King Henry V, King of England in that victory against the French...
, an adherent of King Henry V of England
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
.
His father had been an ally of Richard of York, and Herbert supported the Yorkist
House of York
The House of York was a branch of the English royal House of Plantagenet, three members of which became English kings in the late 15th century. The House of York was descended in the paternal line from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York, the fourth surviving son of Edward III, but also represented...
cause in the Wars of the Roses
Wars of the Roses
The Wars of the Roses were a series of dynastic civil wars for the throne of England fought between supporters of two rival branches of the royal House of Plantagenet: the houses of Lancaster and York...
. Herbert was rewarded by King Edward IV
Edward IV of England
Edward IV was King of England from 4 March 1461 until 3 October 1470, and again from 11 April 1471 until his death. He was the first Yorkist King of England...
with the title Lord Herbert of Raglan in 1461, having assumed an English-style surname in place of the Welsh patronymic
Patronymic
A patronym, or patronymic, is a component of a personal name based on the name of one's father, grandfather or an even earlier male ancestor. A component of a name based on the name of one's mother or a female ancestor is a matronymic. Each is a means of conveying lineage.In many areas patronyms...
. In 1468 he was promoted to Earl of Pembroke
Earl of Pembroke
Earl of Pembroke is a title created ten times, all in the Peerage of England. It was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title is associated with Pembroke, Pembrokeshire in West Wales, which is the site of Earldom's original seat Pembroke Castle...
. He obtained custody of the young Henry, Earl of Richmond
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
, whom he planned to marry to his own daughter. However, he soon fell out with his great rival, Warwick "the Kingmaker"
Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick
Richard Neville KG, jure uxoris 16th Earl of Warwick and suo jure 6th Earl of Salisbury and 8th and 5th Baron Montacute , known as Warwick the Kingmaker, was an English nobleman, administrator, and military commander...
, who turned against the king. Herbert was executed by the Lancastrians
House of Lancaster
The House of Lancaster was a branch of the royal House of Plantagenet. It was one of the opposing factions involved in the Wars of the Roses, an intermittent civil war which affected England and Wales during the 15th century...
, now led by Warwick, after the Battle of Edgecote Moor
Battle of Edgecote Moor
The Battle of Edgecote Moor took place 6 miles northeast of Banbury , England on 26 July 1469 during the Wars of the Roses. The site of the battle was actually Danes Moor in Northamptonshire, at a crossing of a tributary of the River Cherwell. The battle pitted the forces of Richard Neville, 16th...
, near Banbury.
Herbert was succeeded by his legitimate son, William, but the earldom was surrendered in 1479. It was later revived for a grandson, another William Herbert, the son of Black William's illegitimate son, Sir Richard Herbert
Sir Richard Herbert
Sir Richard Herbert of Ewyas, Herefordshire was the illegitimate son of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke and Maud, daughter of Adam ap Howell Graunt...
of Ewyas
Ewyas
Ewyas was a possible early Welsh kingdom which may have been formed around the time of the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 5th century. The name was later used for a much smaller commote or administrative sub-division, which covered the area of the modern Vale of Ewyas and a larger area to...
.
Marriage and children
He married Anne Devereux, daughter of Walter Devereux, Lord Chancellor of IrelandLord Chancellor of Ireland
The office of Lord Chancellor of Ireland was the highest judicial office in Ireland until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. From 1721 to 1801 it was also the highest political office of the Irish Parliament.-13th century:...
and Elizabeth Merbury. They had at least ten children:
- William Herbert, 2nd Earl of PembrokeWilliam Herbert, 2nd Earl of PembrokeWilliam Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke was the son of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke and Anne Devereux. His maternal grandparents were Walter Devereux, Lord Chancellor of Ireland and Elizabeth Merbury....
(5 March 1451 – 16 July 1491). - Sir Walter Herbert. (c. 1452 - d. 16 September 1507) Married Anne Hastings, Countess of HuntingdonAnne Hastings, Countess of HuntingdonAnne Hastings was the youngest daughter of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and his wife Catherine Woodville. In 1510, her affair with King Henry VIII was the subject of a scandal at court.-Background:...
, sister to the Duke of BuckinghamEdward Stafford, 3rd Duke of BuckinghamEdward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham, KG was an English nobleman. He was the son of Henry Stafford, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and the former Lady Catherine Woodville, daughter of the 1st Earl Rivers and sister-in-law of King Edward IV.-Early life:Stafford was born at Brecknock Castle in Wales...
. - Sir George Herbert of St. Julians.
- Philip Herbert of Lanyhangel.
- Cecilie Herbert.
- Maud Herbert, Countess of Northumberland. Married Henry Percy, 4th Earl of NorthumberlandHenry Percy, 4th Earl of NorthumberlandHenry Percy, 4th Earl of Northumberland, KG son of Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland and his wife Eleanor Poynings, daughter of Richard Poynings, Lord Poynings....
. - Katherine Herbert. Married George Grey, 2nd Earl of KentGeorge Grey, 2nd Earl of KentGeorge Grey, 2nd Earl of Kent was the son of Edmund Grey, 1st Earl of Kent and Lady Katherine Percy. He was the Second Earl of Kent from 1490 to 1505....
. - Anne Herbert. Married John Grey, 1st Baron Grey of Powis, 9th Lord of Powys (died 1497).
- Isabel Herbert. Married Sir Thomas Cokesey.
- Margaret Herbert. Married first Thomas Talbot, 2nd Viscount LisleThomas Talbot, 2nd Viscount LisleThomas Talbot, 2nd Baron Lisle and 2nd Viscount Lisle , English nobleman, was the son of John Talbot, 1st Viscount Lisle and Joan Cheddar.He married Margaret Herbert, the daughter of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke....
and secondly Sir Henry Bodringham.
William had two illegitimate children but the identity of their mother or mothers are uncertain:
- Sir Richard HerbertSir Richard HerbertSir Richard Herbert of Ewyas, Herefordshire was the illegitimate son of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke and Maud, daughter of Adam ap Howell Graunt...
of Ewyas. Father of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (1551 creation). Probably son of Maud, daughter of Adam ap Howell Graunt (Gwynn). - Sir George Herbert. Most likely the son of Frond Verch Hoesgyn. Married Sybil Croft.