Thomas Herbert, 8th Earl of Pembroke

Updated on Sep 21, 2024

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Name Thomas 8th Monarch William III		Succeeded by The Lord Cornwallis Died January 22, 1733

Monarch William III and Mary II Preceded by In CommissionLast held by Lord Halifax Parents Philip Herbert, 5th Earl of Pembroke Children Henry Herbert, 9th Earl of Pembroke Siblings Philip Herbert, 7th Earl of Pembroke, William Herbert, 6th Earl of Pembroke Grandchildren Henry Herbert, 10th Earl of Pembroke Similar People Sidney Godolphin - 1st Earl of, Inigo Jones, James Wyatt, Spencer Compton - 1st Earl of
Preceded by The Earl of Torrington Succeeded by The Viscount Lonsdale

Thomas Herbert, 8th Earl of Pembroke and 5th Earl of Montgomery (c. 1656 – 22 January 1733), styled The Honourable Thomas Herbert until 1683, was an English and later British statesman during the reigns of William III and Anne.

Background

Herbert was the third son of Philip Herbert, 5th Earl of Pembroke and his wife Catharine Villiers, daughter of Sir William Villiers, 1st Baronet. He was educated at Tonbridge School, Kent. Both of his brothers (the 6th Earl and the 7th Earl) having died without a male heir, he succeeded to the earldoms in 1683.

Public life

From 1690 to 1692 Pembroke was First Lord of the Admiralty. He then served as Lord Privy Seal until 1699, being in 1697 the first plenipotentiary of Great Britain at the congress of Ryswick. On two occasions he was Lord High Admiral for a short period; he was also Lord President of the Council and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, while he acted as one of the Lords Justices seven times; and he was President of the Royal Society in 1689–1690. He is the dedicatee of John Locke's An Essay Concerning Human Understanding and Thomas Greenhill's The Art of Embalming.

Marriages & progeny

He married thrice:

Firstly in 1684 to Margaret Sawyer, only daughter of Sir Robert Sawyer of Highclere Castle by his wife Margaret Suckeley, by whom he had seven sons and five daughters:

Henry Herbert, 9th Earl of Pembroke (c. 1689–1750), eldest son and heir

Hon. Robert Sawyer Herbert (d. 1769), who inherited Highclere Castle

Hon. Charles Herbert

Hon. Thomas Herbert (c. 1695–1739)

Maj-Gen. Hon. William Herbert (c. 1696 – 31 March 1757), married Catherine Elizabeth Tewes (– 28 August 1770) and had Henry Herbert, 1st Earl of Carnarvon, who inherited Highclere Castle from his uncle

Hon. John Herbert

Hon. Nicholas Herbert (c. 1706–1775)

Lady Catherine Herbert (d. September 1716), wife of Sir Nicholas Morice, 2nd Baronet

Lady Margaret Herbert (d. 15 December 1752)

Lady Elizabeth Herbert

Lady Anne Herbert

Lady Rebecca Herbert, wife of William Nevill, 16th Baron Bergavenny

Secondly he married Barbara Slingsby (d. 1 August 1721), daughter of Sir Thomas Slingsby, 2nd Baronet and widow of John Arundell, 2nd Baron Arundell of Trerice (1649–1698), of Trerice, Cornwall, by whom he had one daughter:

Lady Barbara Herbert (d. 27 December 1752), who on 3 October 1730 married Edward Dudley North.

Thirdly he married Mary Howe (d. 1749), sister of Scrope Howe, 1st Viscount Howe, without progeny. She subsequently married John Mordaunt, MP.

References

Thomas Herbert, 8th Earl of Pembroke Wikipedia

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Contents

Background

Public life

Marriages & progeny

References