Background
Herbert was the son of Matthew Herbert of Swansea and was descended from an illegitimate son of William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke.
Herbert was the son of Matthew Herbert of Swansea and was descended from an illegitimate son of William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke.
Christ Church.
He was Secretary of State under Elizabeth I and James I.
Herbert may have been educated at Christ Church, Oxford, although this is questioned. Queen Elizabeth appointed him secretary to the Council of the North and Keeper of Signet. He was awarded the degree of Doctor of Civil Law by the University of Oxford in 1587.
In 1588, he was elected Member of Parliament for Gatton.
He was elected Member of Parliament for Christchurch in 1593 and Member of Parliament for Bodmin in 1597. In 1601 he was elected Member of Parliament for Glamorgan and for Wallingford and chose to sit for Glamorgan.
He was knighted in 1602. In 1604 he was elected Member of Parliament for Monmouthshire and sat until 1611.
Herbert was a talented linguist (not just speaking English and Welsh) and so was used to interrogate foreign prisoners and on trade and political missions to Denmark, Poland, Brandenburg, the Netherlands and France.
He continued in office under James I, although James preferred to use unofficial secretaries such as Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke. When Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury died in 1612, Herbert hoped to succeed him as principal secretary of state, but James I left the office vacant until 1614. He was thereafter Secretary of State in name only.
Herbert was of Neath Abbey.
He died in Cardiff aged 67 on 9 July 1617, having fought a duel with Sir Lewis Tresham two months earlier. Herbert married Margaret Morgan, daughter of William Morgan of Cefn Coch.
He was admitted an honorary member of the College of Doctors of Law in November 1573 and awarded Master of Arts. He was a commissioner of the High Court of Admiralty from 1575 to 1584 (with David Lewis) and Master of Requests from 1586 to 1601 (with William Aubrey from 1590). In 1586, Herbert was elected Member of Parliament for Grampound. In April 1600, he was appointed second Secretary of State and a member of the Privy Council.