William Herbert

William Herbert (1743 – February 24, 1818) was an Irish American politician, banker, and merchant in Colonial Virginia who served two non-consecutive terms as the mayor of Alexandria, Virginia and mayor of Alexandria, D.C.

Early life and family Herbert was born in 1743 in County Kerry, Ireland. He emigrated to Virginia in 1773.

Herbert married Sarah Fairfax Carlyle, daughter of Col. John Carlyle and Sarah Fairfax Carlyle (daughter of William Fairfax). They had seven children:

Congressman John Carlyle Herbert (1775–1846) (married Mary Snowden) William Herbert Jr. (b. 1778) (married Henrietta Maria Dulany) Margaret Herbert Fairfax (1785–1858) (married her first cousin, Thomas Fairfax, 9th Lord Fairfax of Cameron) 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.

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. In 1798, Herbert became the second president of the Alexandria Bank. 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.