Herbert Burke

**Herbert Burke** (**7 January**, **1886** - **2 September**, **1959**) was an English pure-blood wizard who attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1 September, 1897 to June of 1904. He was the only son of Caractacus Burke who was one of the original founders of Borgin and Burkes.

He later married Belvina Black, who was a member of the House of Black, a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. He had three children with her, two of whom survived infancy. One of them, Ulyssa, ended up marrying Cassius Lestrange, and becoming an Acolyte of Grindelwald during the Global Wizarding War. She and her husband both died early deaths.

Herbert's other child, Bartholomew, married a witch called Valerie Blishwick and had one son with her. Herbert was the maternal grandfather of Adolph Lestrange and Philomena Whitlock (née Lestrange) (who was disowned from her father's family for marrying the son of a muggle-born), and the paternal grandfather of Theodorus Burke, who also met an early end during the First Wizarding War serving the Dark Lord Voldemort.

He was the paternal great-grandfather of sisters Helene Burke and Beatrix Crabbe (née Burke), wife of Vincent Crabbe Sr., another Death Eater during the First and Second Wizarding Wars. He was the second great-grandfather of Vincent Crabbe, Jr. He was the great-grandfather of Nancy Whitlock, daughter of Philomena Whitlock (née Lestrange), whose mother was disowned for marrying her father Angus Whitlock.

## Biography

### Early life (1886-1909)

Herbert Burke was born on 7 January, 1886, in Cannock, Staffordshire, England. He was the only son of Caractacus Burke who was one of the original founders of Borgin and Burkes. The shop was located in Knockturn Alley, an infamous street specialising in shops that sold dark arts items.

Herbert Burke began attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in September of 1897. At that time, the Hogwarts Headmaster was Phineas Nigellus Black, widely regarded as Hogwarts' most hated Headmaster of all time. It is unknown what he experienced at school as a student during this time.

He left the school in 1904. He later married Belvina Black, who was a member of the House of Black, a member of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, in 1909. She was also the only daughter of his former Headmaster, Phineas Nigellus Black.

### Later life (1909-1959)

Herbert Burke and Belvina Burke (née Black) had three children together, two of whom survived infancy. One of them, Ulyssa, ended up marrying Cassius Lestrange, and becoming an Acolyte of Grindelwald during the Global Wizarding War. She and her husband both died early deaths in 1943. Herbert's other child, Bartholomew, married a witch called Valerie Blishwick and had one son with her, Theodorus Burke.

He was widowed when his wife, Belvina, passed away in 1962.

#### Death

Herbert Burke died on 2 September, 1959, at the age of 73. He was survived by a son, Bartholomew Burke, and a grandson, Theodorus Burke.

#### Legacy

He was the maternal grandfather of Adolph Lestrange and Philomena Whitlock (née Lestrange) (who was disowned from her father's family for marrying the son of a muggle-born), and the paternal grandfather of Theodorus Burke, who also met an early end during the First Wizarding War serving the Dark Lord Voldemort.

He was the paternal great-grandfather of sisters Helene Burke and Beatrix Crabbe (née Burke), wife of Vincent Crabbe Sr., another Death Eater during the First and Second Wizarding Wars. He was the second great-grandfather of Vincent Crabbe, Jr. He was the great-grandfather of Nancy Whitlock, daughter of Philomena Whitlock (née Lestrange), whose mother was disowned for marrying her father Angus Whitlock.

## Etymology

"Herbert" is derived from the Germanic elements *hari*, "army" and *beraht*, "bright". The Normans introduced this name to England, where it replaced an Old English cognate *Herebeorht*. In the course of the Middle Ages it became rare, but it was revived in the 19th century.

*Burke* means "fortified hill". The Burke family was reportedly also named after Irishman William Burke, a bizarre serial killer who, with help from a partner, murdered dozens of people in Edinburgh in the late 1820s, selling the bodies as fresh cadavers to a local medical school. 'Burk' or 'berk' is also a British term for an annoying and stupid person, with an original meaning in Cockney Rhyming Slang which is far stronger.