William Herbert, 1st Baron Powis (1572 – 7 March 1655) was a British nobleman.

He was born in Powis Castle

Powis Castle

Powis Castle is a medieval castle, fortress and grand country mansion located near the town of Welshpool, in Powys, Mid Wales.The residence of the Earl of Powis, the castle is known for its extensive, attractive formal gardens, terraces, parkland, deerpark and landscaped estate...

, the son of Sir Edward Herbert (1547–1593) and Mary Stanley, daughter of Sir Thomas Stanley, Under-Treasurer of the Royal Mint

Thomas Stanley (Royal Mint)

Thomas Stanley was a goldsmith and officer of the Royal Mint in Tudor England. Stanley rose to the rank of Under-Treasurer of the Mint at the Tower of London in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I..-Family:...

. His paternal uncle was Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke

Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke

Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke KG was an English peer of the Elizabethan era.-Life:He was the son of William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke and Anne Parr. His aunt was queen consort Catherine Parr, last wife of King Henry VIII. Herbert was responsible for the costly restoration of Cardiff Castle...

 and his paternal grandfather William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke.

He was returned as Member of Parliament for Montgomeryshire

Montgomeryshire (UK Parliament constituency)

Montgomeryshire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Created in 1542, it elects one Member of Parliament , traditionally known as the knight of the shire, by the first-past-the-post system of election.The Montgomeryshire Welsh Assembly...

 in 1597-8, 1604-11, 1614, 1621-22 and 1624-29.

He was appointed High Sheriff of Montgomeryshire

High Sheriff of Montgomeryshire

The office of High Sheriff of Montgomeryshire was established in 1541 since when a High Sheriff was appointed annually until 1974 when the office was transformed into that of High Sheriff of Powys as part of the creation of Powys from the amalgamation of Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire and...

 in 1613. He was created Baron Powis (a new creation) in 1628 and served as Custos Rotulorum of Montgomeryshire

Custos Rotulorum of Montgomeryshire

This is a list of people who have served as Custos Rotulorum of Montgomeryshire.* Sir John Salusbury bef. 1544 – c. 1548* Edward Herbert bef...

 (1602–1641). He was High Steward to Elizabeth I of England

Elizabeth I of England

Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...

.

He is a candidate for "Mr WH", the dedicatee of Shakespeare's sonnets

Shakespeare's sonnets

Shakespeare's sonnets are 154 poems in sonnet form written by William Shakespeare, dealing with themes such as the passage of time, love, beauty and mortality. All but two of the poems were first published in a 1609 quarto entitled SHAKE-SPEARES SONNETS.: Never before imprinted. Sonnets 138 and 144...

. 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

Percy Herbert, 2nd Baron Powis

Percy Herbert, 2nd Baron Powis , known as Sir Percy Herbert, Bt, between 1622 and 1655, was a British nobleman, politician and writer. He was the son of William Herbert, 1st Baron Powis, and Lucy Eleanor . He was named after the surname of his maternal grandfather Henry Percy, 9th Earl of...

. His second daughter Lucy married c.1632 to William Habington

William Habington

William Habington was an English poet.He was born at Hindlip Hall, Worcestershire, and belonged to a well-known Catholic family...

.