Our common ancestors - Herbert - Contents

Richard Herbert, of Montgomery Castle

• Sources yet to be consulted:
  • W.J. Smith, Herbert correspondence: the sixteenth and seventeenth century letters of the Herberts of Chirbury, Powis Castle, and Dolguog, Cardiff and Dublin, 1968.
  • Herbert of Cherbury Manuscripts and Papers, National Library of Wales. GB 0210 CHERBURY.

  • Edward Herbert in [Aubrey's "Brief Lives"]. See pp.134-135 of 1950 edn.
  • George Herbert in [Aubrey's "Brief Lives"]. See pp.136-137 of 1950 edn.

Tomb of Richard Herbert.
St Nicholas' Church, Montgomery.
Photo 2012. From Geograph.

Richard Herbert, of Montgomery Castle (see here),
of Montgomery Castle, Powys, Wales,
Sheriff of Montgomeryshire,
died 1596,
bur St Nicholas' Church, Montgomery, Powys, Wales,
had issue:

1. Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Chirbury (or Cherbury),
   diplomat, poet and philosopher,
   born 1583.
   
   He is regarded as the father of English deism.
   Deism was the philosophy of choice for western sceptics before Darwin made atheism intellectually respectable with the theory of evolution in 1859.
   Before 1859, atheists existed, but they had no answer to the Argument from Design.
   Modern atheist Richard Dawkins has said: "I could not imagine being an atheist at any time before 1859".
   Herbert disbelieved that atheism could exist. He wrote: "In reality there are no atheists".
   
   He was created a Baron in 1629.
   He died 1648, age 65 yrs.
   He was bur St.Giles in the fields, New Oxford St, London.
   Title of Baron Herbert of Chirbury became extinct 1691.

   
   

2. George Herbert, the metaphysical poet,
   born 3rd Apr 1593, Montgomery Castle.
   Author of The Collar.
   Vicar of Bemerton, Wiltshire (E of Wilton House) 1630-1633.
   He died 1 Mar 1633, age 39 yrs.
   He was bur in Bemerton church [Aubrey's "Brief Lives"].
   Memorial to him in N Quire Aisle of Salisbury Cathedral, Wiltshire.
   See his works.

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Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Chirbury

1st Baron Herbert of Chirbury, c.1603-05.
This is a picture from the NPG used at Wikimedia Commons. NPG has said low-resolution images can be used.

1st Baron Herbert of Chirbury, c.1609-10.
From here.

1st Baron Herbert of Chirbury, 1613-14. By Isaac Oliver.
See full size. From Tudor Place.
See other scan from Wikipedia. See also engraving.

1st Baron Herbert of Chirbury.
From NPG.

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George Herbert

George Herbert, the poet.
From [NPG].
See other versions.
See other version posted here.