Percy Herbert (bishop)


Percy Mark Herbert was the first Bishop of Blackburn from 1927 then Bishop of Norwich from 1942 to 1959. He was also a Doctor of Divinity. He was the Clerk of the Closet from 1942–63. An active Freemason, he was Provincial Grand Master for Norfolk.

Life

Percy was the son of Major-General the Honourable William Henry Herbert and his wife Sybella. Educated at Rugby and Trinity College, Cambridge, he was ordained in 1909. After a period as Chaplain to his old school he was appointed Vicar of St George's, Camberwell, and Warden of the Trinity Cambridge Mission until 1922, additionally serving as Rural Dean of the area from 1918.
In 1921 he was also appointed Bishop of Kingston. Further appointments followed, and after retiring from his post as Bishop of Norwich, Herbert became Rector of St Mary Magdalene's Church in Sandringham. It was at that church in 1961 where he baptised the Honourable Diana Spencer. He was appointed Clerk of the Closet from 1942 to 1963.
Above all "a pastoral bishop", he died at the Royal Masonic Hospital in London, aged 82. On 19 September 1922, he had married Hon. Elaine Orde-Powlett, daughter of William Orde-Powlett, 5th Baron Bolton and they had four children: