William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke

Also known as: William lord Herbert · Family: House of York · Role: earl · First appears: Edward IV 3

Life events

• c. 1463 · Edward IV created John Neville Earl of Northumberland and William Herbert Earl of Pembroke.(Edward IV 3 · 📍 Yorke)
  • With: Edward IV John Neville, Marquess of Montagu
  • “he created sir Iohn Neuill, lord Montacute earle of Northumberland; and in reproofe of Iasper earle of Penbrooke he created William lord Herbert earle of the same place.”
• c. 1469 · Edward IV ordered William Herbert to raise forces and fight the northern rebels.(Edward IV 8)
  • With: Edward IV
  • “King Edward hauing perfect knowledge of all the dooings of the earle of Warwike, and of his brother the duke of Clarence, was by diuerse letters certified of the great armie of the northerne men, with all spéed comming toward London; and therefore in great hast he sent to William lord Herbert, whom (as yée haue heard) he had created earle of Penbroke; requiring him without delaie to raise his power, and incounter with the northerne men.”
• c. 1469 · John Clapham’s force routed the Welsh army, killing more than five thousand.(Edward IV 8 · 📍 Hedgecote)
  • With: John Clapham Richard Herbert
  • “The Welshmen, thinking that the earle of Warwike had come on them with all his puissance, suddenlie as men amazed, fled: the northerne men them pursued, and slue without mercie, so that there died of the Welshmen that daie, aboue fiue thousand, besides them that fled and were taken.”
• c. 1469 · William Herbert and Richard Herbert were captured and beheaded with other gentlemen.(Edward IV 8 · 📍 Banberie)
  • With: Richard Herbert
  • “The earle of Penbroke, and his brother sir Richard Herbert, with diuerse gentlemen, were taken and brought to Banberie, where the earle with his brother, and other gentlemen, to the number of ten, that were likewise taken, lost their heads.”
• c. 1485 · Henry VII organizes his army under commanders, with Thomas Stanley and his brothers supporting the battle.(Richard III 21)
  • With: Henry VII John de Vere, Earl of Oxford Gilbert Talbot John Savage Thomas Stanley, Earl of Derby William Stanley
  • “He made his fore-ward somewhat single and slender, according to the small number of his people. In the front he placed the archers, of whome he made capteine Iohn earle of Oxenford. To the right wing of the battell he appointed sir Gilbert Talbot to be the leader. To the left wing, he assigned sir Iohn Sauage who had brought thither with him a crue of right able personages, clad in white coats and hoods, which mustered in the eies of their aduersaries right brimlie. The earle of Richmond himselfe, with aid of the lord Stanleie, gouerned the battell, accompanied with the earle of Penbroke, hauing a good companie of horssemen, and a small number of footmen. For all his whole number excéeded not fiue thousand men, beside the power of the Stanleies, wherof thrée thousand were in the field, vnder the standard of sir William Stanleie.”

Edward IV 3

• sworn: Edward IV “he created William lord Herbert earle of the same place.”

Edward IV 8

• rivals with Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick “The earle of Penbroke, commonlie called the lord Herbert, both readie to obeie the kings commandement, according to his dutie, and also desirous to reuenge the malice which he bare to the earle of Warwike, for that he knew how he had béene the onelie let whie he obteined not the wardship of the lord Bonneuilles daughter and heire for his eldest sonne”
• sworn: Edward IV “King Edward hauing perfect knowledge of all the dooings of the earle of Warwike, and of his brother the duke of Clarence, was by diuerse letters certified of the great armie of the northerne men, with all spéed comming toward London; and therefore in great hast he sent to William lord Herbert, whom (as yée haue heard) he had created earle of Penbroke; requiring him without delaie to raise his power, and incounter with the northerne men.”
• siblings with Richard Herbert “accompanied with his brother sir Richard Herbert, a valiant knight, and aboue six or seauen thousand Welshmen, well furnished, marched forward to incounter with the northerne men.”
• allies with Humphrey Stafford, Earl of Devonshire “And to assist him with archers, was appointed Humfrie lord Stafford of Southwike, named but not created earle of Deuonshire by the king, in hope that he would serue valiantlie in that iournie: he had with him eight hundred archers.”
• enemies with Henry Neville “The earle of Penbroke did right valiantlie, and so likewise did his brother sir Richard Herbert, in so much that with his polax in his hand, he twise by fine force passed thorough the battell of his aduersaries, and without anie hurt or mortall wound returned. But sée the hap, euen as the Welshmen were at point to haue obteined the victorie, Iohn Clappam esquier, seruant to the earle of Warwike, mounted vp the side of the east hill, accompanied onelie with fiue hundred men, gathered of the rascals of the towne of Northampton, and other villages about, hauing borne before them the standard of the earle of Warwike, with the white beare, crieng; A Warwike, a Warwike.”

Richard III 21

• allies with Henry VII “The earle of Richmond himselfe, with aid of the lord Stanleie, gouerned the battell, accompanied with the earle of Penbroke, hauing a good companie of horssemen, and a small number of footmen.”

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