1591–1674

Introduction

portrait

Baptized: Au­gust 24, 1591, Cheap­side, Lon­don, Eng­land.

Died: Oc­to­ber 12, 1674, Dean Pri­or, De­von, Eng­land.

Buried: St. George the Mar­tyr church­yard, Dean Pri­or, Devon, Eng­land.

illustration
Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May
John William Waterhouse, 1909
Wikimedia Commons

Biography

Robert was the son of gold­smith Ni­cho­las Her­rick of Cheap­side and Ju­lia Stone, and ne­phew of Will­iam Her­rick, gold­smith and jew­el­er to the king.

He was edu­cat­ed at St. John’s Col­lege and Tri­ni­ty Hall, Cam­bridge.

Taking Ho­ly Or­ders in 1629, he was as­signed to Dean Pri­or, De­vons­hire. He was eject­ed dur­ing Crom­well’s gov­ern­ment, but was re­in­stat­ed at the Res­tor­a­tion.

Works

Herrick wrote ov­er 2,000 po­ems, in­clud­ing the well known Ga­ther Ye Rose­buds While Ye May.

His pub­lished works in­clude:

Sources

Lyrics