William Herbert, 1st Baron Powis (1572 – 7 March 1655) was a British nobleman.
He was born in Powis Castle, the son of Sir Edward Herbert (1547–1593) and Mary Stanley, daughter of Sir Thomas Stanley, Under-Treasurer of the Royal Mint. His paternal uncle was Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke and his paternal grandfather William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke.
He was returned as Member of Parliament for Montgomeryshire in 1597-8, 1604-11, 1614, 1621-22 and 1624-29.
He was appointed High Sheriff of Montgomeryshire in 1613. He was created Baron Powis (a new creation) in 1628 and served as Custos Rotulorum of Montgomeryshire (1602–1641). He was High Steward to Elizabeth I of England[1]. [2]
He is a candidate for "Mr WH", the dedicatee of Shakespeare's sonnets. He is buried at Saint Mary Hendon Churchyard . He had married Eleanor Percy with whom he had six children. He was succeeded as baron by his son Percy Herbert, 2nd Baron Powis. His second daughter Lucy married c.1632 to William Habington.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Richard Broughton |
Custos Rotulorum of Montgomeryshire 1602–1641 |
Succeeded by The Earl of Pembroke |
| Peerage of England | ||
| New creation | Baron Powis 1628–1655 |
Succeeded by Percy Herbert |