Herbert was born in 1743 in County Kerry, Ireland.[4] He emigrated to Virginia in 1773.[5]
Herbert married Sarah Fairfax Carlyle, daughter of Col. John Carlyle and Sarah Fairfax Carlyle (daughter of William Fairfax).[6] They had seven children:[7][5][8]
Sarah Herbert (1792–1825) (married Rev. Oliver Norris, Rector of Christ Church, Alexandria)
Anne Herbert (died in childhood)
Eliza Herbert (died in childhood)
Lucinda Herbert (died in childhood)
Career
Upon moving to Alexandria, Herbert established himself as a merchant and quickly entered Virginia society.[9][10][2] Herbert was a personal friend of George Washington and frequent visitor to Mount Vernon.[11][12][13]
In 1780, Herbert became a vestryman of Christ Church. In 1783, he was elected as Secretary of Masonic Lodge No. 39 in Alexandria. Herbert was one of the founding trustees of the Alexandria Bank in 1792.[14] In 1798, Herbert became the second president of the Alexandria Bank.[15][16] During the building of the bank, the funds of the bank were kept in the Carlyle House which was his primary residence at the time.[14] In 1799, he was an honorary pallbearer for George Washington's funeral.[4]
Mayor
Herbert was elected as the third mayor of Alexandria, serving from 1782 to 1783. From 1809 to 1812, Herbert again served as mayor of Alexandria.[4] During the War of 1812, Herbert was appointed to the Alexandria Committee of Vigilance, which was responsible for monitoring the approach of British troops.[14]
Death
Herbert died in 1818.[2] He is interred at the Christ Church Episcopal Cemetery.[17]
^“[May 1774],” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/01-03-02-0004-0009 . [Original source: The Diaries of George Washington, vol. 3, 1 January 1771–5 November 1781, ed. Donald Jackson. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1978, pp. 248–252.]
^“[January 1774],” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/01-03-02-0004-0001 . [Original source: The Diaries of George Washington, vol. 3, 1 January 1771–5 November 1781, ed. Donald Jackson. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1978, pp. 225–228.]
^“[Diary entry: 6 January 1774],” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/01-03-02-0004-0001-0006 . [Original source: The Diaries of George Washington, vol. 3, 1 January 1771–5 November 1781, ed. Donald Jackson. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1978, p. 225.]
