Walter Herbert

Also known as: sir Walter Herbert · Family: Wales · Role: nobleman · First appears: Richard III 18

Life events

c. 1485 · Henry VII’s supporters sought an alliance with Walter Herbert through a proposed marriage, but their messenger failed.(Richard III 18)
- With: Henry VII Henry Percy, fourth Earl of Northumberland
- “it was thought most expedicnt to allure by affinitie in his aid, as a companion in armes, sir Walter Herbert, a man of an ancient stocke, & of great power among the Welsh, who had with him a faire ladie to his sister, of age ripe to be coupled with him in matrimonie. And for the atchiuing of this purpose, messengers were secretlie sent to Henrie earle of Northumberland (which had before maried another sister of sir Walter Herberts) to the intent that he should set forward all this deuise and purpose: but the waies were so narowlie watched, and so manie spies laid, that the messenger procéeded not in his iournie and businesse.”

with Henry Percy, fourth Earl of Northumberland (Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, had married a sister of Walter Herbert.) “messengers were secretlie sent to Henrie earle of Northumberland (which had before maried another sister of sir Walter Herberts)”

allies with Richard Griffith (The passage states that Richard Griffith had been confederate with Walter Herbert.) “the which notwithstanding that he was confederate with sir Walter Herbert, and Richard ap Thomas; yet at that verie instant he came to the earle of Richmond with all his companie; which were of no great number.”
enemies with Henry VII “he first determined to set on them, and either to destroie or to take them into his fauour, and after with all his power and puissance to giue battell to his mortall enimie king Richard.”

Extracted from the original text of Holinshed's Chronicles — the reigns Shakespeare dramatized. Made with Rho MD.