Herbert Poore

Herbert Poore or Poo (or - the Norman did not necessarily translate the English poor but represents Latin , a "boy", and particularly one of good family, a knight.)

Life Poore was probably the son of Richard of Ilchester, also known as Richard Toclive, who served as Bishop of Winchester. He was the brother of Richard Poore, who succeeded him as bishop. He may have served under his father in the exchequer but is first recorded as an archdeacon of Canterbury in 1175. He was initially one of a trio in the office but, in 1180, Archbishop Richard reversed himself and left Herbert the sole archdeacon for the area. At some point, he also became a canon of Lincoln and Salisbury, entitling him to their prebends.

The canons of Salisbury unanimously elected Herbert as Hubert's successor around 5 May 1194, and the archbishop confirmed the result on 29 April. Herbert was only in deacon's orders at the time; he was ordained as a priest on 4 June, He was permitted to return to England with his lands and title in June upon payment of a large fine. It was Herbert's idea to move the see from Old Sarum to the Salisbury Plain and he received permission from Richard to that effect, but the plan had to be abandoned after King John came to the throne. It was left to Herbert's brother and successor, Richard, to carry it out decades later, founding modern Salisbury in the process.

Bishop Herbert attended King John's coronation on 27 May 1199. On 19 September 1200, he served as a papal delegate at the reconciliation of Archbishop Geoffrey and the chapter of York at Westminster and, on 22 November, he was present when the king of Scotland paid homage to John at Lincoln. He was summoned to John in Normandy on 14 December 1201. He received six tuns of wine on 2 January 1205.

In 1207, the dispute over the appointment of the new archbishop of Canterbury caused Herbert and Bishop Gilbert of Rochester to flee to Scotland. By 27 May 1208, Herbert appears to have returned to Ramsbury but, the next year, Pope Innocent III wrote to him concerning John's failure to pay Richard's widow Berengaria her pension (21 January) and then directed him, along with Bishop Gilbert, to publish the interdict against John. The king was then excommunicated and Herbert again fled to Scotland. In 1212, he and Bishop Gilbert were instructed to release them from their oaths of allegiance to John. In May 1213, John capitulated; Herbert's lands and revenues were ordered restored to him on 18 July.

Herbert died in 1217. Sources variously place the date on 6 February or 9 May while it was commemorated at Salisbury on 7 January. He was not buried at the cathedral church but at Wilton.