Berkeley family

Arms of the Berkeley family from about 1200: Gules, a chevron between 10 crosses pattée 6 in chief and 4 in base argent. This version is sometimes blazoned as 6 in chief 3 and 3 corner-wise. Motto: Virtute non vi ("By virtue not force").

Jan Kip's aerial view of Berkeley Castle engraved for the antiquary Sir Robert Atkyns' The Ancient and Present State of Glostershire, 1712.

The Berkeley family is an ancient English noble family. It is one of only five families in Britain that can trace its patrilineal descent back to an Anglo-Saxon ancestor (the other four being the Arden family, the Swinton family, the Wentworth family, and the Grindlay family). The Berkeley family retains possession of much of the lands it held from the 11th and 12th centuries, centred on Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire, which still belongs to the family.

History

The Berkeley family descends in the male line from Robert Fitzharding (d. 1170), 1st feudal baron of Berkeley, Gloucestershire, reputedly the son of Harding of Bristol, the son of Eadnoth the Constable (Alnod), a high official under King Edward the Confessor. His wife was Eva fitz Harding.

Berkeley Castle, the caput of the barony, and the adjoining town of Berkeley are located in the county of Gloucestershire and are situated about five miles west of Dursley and eighteen miles southwest of Gloucester, and northeast of Bristol. The location has conferred various titles on the family over the centuries, including Baron Berkeley (barony by writ), Earl of Berkeley, and Marquess of Berkeley.

The royal manor of Berkeley was originally granted by William the Conqueror to the Norman Roger de Berkeley under the feudal tenure of fee-farm. However, the royal manor was privatized by King Henry II (1154–1189) shortly before he became king. Most of the manor was then re-granted to his supporter and financier the Anglo-Saxon Robert Fitzharding (d. 1170), of Bristol, as a feudal barony. A second barony was also created for the original family who retained their own lands within Berkeley manor as the barony of Dursley.

Shortly afterwards, under the encouragement of Henry II, who had clearly regretted the effect of his dispossession of Roger, the two families were contracted to the intermarriage of the eldest son and heir of each to the other's eldest daughter. Though only the marriage of Maurice FitzHarding and Alice de Berkeley was completed, the heirs of Robert Fitzharding thus adopted the surname "de Berkeley" and established this line as the feudal barons of Berkeley Castle.

Both lines of Berkeleys therefore originated as cousins, but it was the line of the feudal barons of Berkeley, descended from Fitzharding in the male line, which was the more powerful. By both fair means and foul, they acquired the superiority of all the lands in Berkeley in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries and would go on to play a prominent role in British history in the next several centuries. The original family became extinct in England, but the Scottish Clan Barclay are descended in the male line from the original family.

Bruton branch

Sir Maurice Berkeley and his two wives, Church of St Mary, Bruton

The Bruton branch descends from Maurice Berkeley (by 1514–1581), a politician who rose rapidly in the Tudor court. He came from the Berkeleys of Stoke Gifford, a cadet branch of the main Berkeley family, as a descendant of Sir Maurice de Berkeley (14th century), younger son of Maurice de Berkeley, 2nd Baron Berkeley. This Sir Maurice, before being killed at the Siege of Calais in 1347, had acquired Stoke Gifford in 1337, and founded the line of Berkeley of Stoke Gifford.

By now a remote cousin of the main line, in his career the Tudor Sir Maurice's initial advantage was his mother's second marriage to Sir John FitzJames, Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench, 1526–1539. By 1538 this had brought him into the household of Thomas Cromwell, from which he passed into the royal household by 1539. He built a house on the site of Bruton Priory, a spoil of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, incorporating some of the buildings, but this was demolished in 1786. His "Bruton branch" of the family produced a number of notable figures until the 18th century, including five Barons Berkeley of Stratton (extinct in 1773), and four Viscount Fitzhardinges (extinct in 1712), as well as William Berkeley, Governor of Virginia. Berkeley Square in London derives its name from this branch. One of the most distinguished members of the family was Elizabeth, Princess Berkeley, the only daughter of Augustus Berkeley, 4th Earl of Berkeley by his wife, Elizabeth Drax, widow of William Craven, 6th Baron Craven and morganatic wife of Alexander, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, brother of Queen Caroline.

Family tree

Family tree of the Barons Berkeley of the Berkeley family

Robert Fitzharding "Robert the Devout" c. 1095–1170 1st Feudal Baron of Berkeley Maurice FitzRobert FitzHarding "Maurice the Make-Peace" c. 1120–1190/1191 2nd Feudal Baron of Berkeley Robert de Berkeley "Robert the Observer or Temporiser" c. 1165–1220 3rd Feudal Baron of Berkeley Thomas I de Berkeley "Thomas the Observer or Temporiser" c. 1170–1243 4th Feudal Baron of Berkeley Maurice de Berkeley "Maurice the Resolute" 1218–1281 5th Feudal Baron of Berkeley Baron Berkeley (1st creation by writ), 1295 Thomas de Berkeley "Thomas the Wise" 1245–1321 1st Baron Berkeley, 6th Feudal Baron of Berkeley Maurice de Berkeley "Maurice the Magnanimous" 1271–1326 2nd Baron Berkeley, 7th Feudal Baron of Berkeley Bruton cadet branch Thomas de Berkeley "Thomas the Rich" c. 1293/1296–1361 3rd Baron Berkeley, 8th Feudal Baron of Berkeley Maurice de Berkeley 1298–1347 Maurice de Berkeley "Maurice the Valiant" 1320–1368 4th Baron Berkeley, 9th Feudal Baron of Berkeley Maurice Berkeley 1333–1361 Thomas de Berkeley "Thomas the Magnificent" 1353–1417 5th Baron Berkeley, 10th Feudal Baron of Berkeley James de Berkeley d. 1405 Maurice Berkeley d. 1400 Barony Berkeley (1st creation by writ) extinct, 1417 Baron Berkeley (2nd creation by writ), 1421 Elizabeth Berkeley, Countess of Warwick 1386–1422 James Berkeley "James the Just" c. 1394–1463 1st Baron Berkeley, 11th Feudal Baron of Berkeley Maurice Berkeley 1401–1464 Viscount Berkeley, 1481 Earl of Nottingham (4th creation), 1483 Marquess of Berkeley, 1489 Barony Berkeley disinherited, 1492 William de Berkeley "William the Waste-All" 1426–1492 Marquess of Berkeley, Earl of Nottingham, Viscount Berkeley, 2nd Baron Berkeley, 12th Feudal Baron of Berkeley Maurice Berkeley "Maurice the Lawyer" 1436–1506 de jure 3rd Baron Berkeley, 13th Feudal Baron of Berkeley William Berkeley 1433–1501 Marquessate of Berkeley, Earldom of Nottingham (4th creation), and Viscountcy Berkeley extinct, 1492 Maurice Berkeley "Maurice the Courtier" 1467–1523 de jure 4th Baron Berkeley, 14th Feudal Baron of Berkeley Thomas Berkeley "Thomas the Sheepmaster" 1472–1533 de jure 5th Baron Berkeley, 15th Feudal Baron of Berkeley Richard Berkeley 1470–1514 Thomas Berkeley "Thomas the Hopeful" 1505–1534 de jure 6th Baron Berkeley, 16th Feudal Baron of Berkeley Maurice Berkeley by 1514–1581 Henry Berkeley "Henry the Harmless" 1534–1613 de jure 7th Baron Berkeley, 17th Feudal Baron of Berkeley Henry Berkeley d. 1601 Baron Berkeley de facto, 1553 Anne Savage c. 1496–1564 Thomas Berkeley 1575–1611 Maurice Berkeley d. 1617 Succeeded to predeceased son's title Baron Berkeley of Stratton, 1658 George Berkeley 1601–1658 8th Baron Berkeley, 18th Feudal Baron of Berkeley Charles Berkeley 1599–1666 2nd Viscount Fitzhardinge and Baron Berkeley of Rathdowne John Berkeley 1602–1678 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton Earl of Berkeley and Viscount Dursley, 1679 Viscount Fitzhardinge and Baron Berkeley of Rathdowne, 1663 Earl of Falmouth, 1664 George Berkeley 1627–1698 1st Earl of Berkeley and Viscount Dursley, 9th Baron Berkeley, 19th Feudal Baron of Berkeley Maurice Berkeley 1628–1690 3rd Viscount Fitzhardinge and Baron Berkeley of Rathdowne Charles Berkeley 1630–1665 1st Earl of Falmouth, 1st Viscount Fitzhardinge and Baron Berkeley of Rathdowne John Berkeley 1650–1712 4th Viscount Fitzhardinge and Baron Berkeley of Rathdowne Feudal barony of Berkley abolished, 1660 Earldom of Falmouth extinct, 1665 Viscountcy Fitzhardinge extinct, 1712 Charles Berkeley 1649–1710 2nd Earl of Berkeley and Viscount Dursley, 10th Baron Berkeley Charles Berkeley 1662–1681 2nd Baron Berkeley of Stratton John Berkeley 1663–1697 3rd Baron Berkeley of Stratton William Berkeley d. 1741 4th Baron Berkeley of Stratton James Berkeley after 1679–1736 3rd Earl of Berkeley and Viscount Dursley, 11th Baron Berkeley John Berkeley 1697–1773 5th Baron Berkeley of Stratton Barony Berkeley of Stratton extinct, 1773 Augustus Berkeley 1715–1755 4th Earl of Berkeley and Viscount Dursley, 12th Baron Berkeley Frederick Augustus Berkeley 1745–1810 5th Earl of Berkeley and Viscount Dursley, 13th Baron Berkeley George Cranfield Berkeley 1753–1818 Baron Segrave, 1831 Earl FitzHardinge, 1841 Baron FitzHardinge, 1861 William FitzHardinge Berkeley 1786–1857 1st Earl FitzHardinge, Baron Segrave Maurice Frederick FitzHardinge Berkeley 1788–1867 1st Baron FitzHardinge Thomas Moreton FitzHardinge Berkeley 1796–1882 de jure 6th Earl of Berkeley and Viscount Dursley, 14th Baron Berkeley Craven FitzHardinge Berkeley 1805–1855 George Berkeley 1785–1857 Earldom FitzHardinge and Barony Segrave extinct, 1857 Francis William FitzHardinge Berkeley 1826–1896 2nd Baron FitzHardinge Charles Paget Fitzhardinge Berkeley 1830–1916 3rd Baron FitzHardinge Louisa Mary Berkeley 1840–1899 15th Baroness Berkeley George Lennox Rawdon Berkeley 1827–1888 7th Earl of Berkeley and Viscountcy of Dursley Barony FitzHardinge extinct, 1916 Peerage confirmed, 1891 Illegitimate line Eva Mary FitzHardinge Milman 1875–1964 16th Baroness Berkeley Randal Thomas Mowbray Berkeley 1865–1942 8th Earl of Berkeley and Viscountcy of Dursley Captain Hastings George Fitzhardinge Berkeley (1855–1934) Barony Berkeley abeyant, 1964 Earldom of Berkeley dormant, 1942 Baron Berkeley abeyance terminated, 1967 Mary Lalle Foley-Berkeley 1905–1992 17th Baroness Berkeley Cynthia Ella Foley 1909–1991 Sir Lennox Randal Berkeley (1903–1989) Baron Gueterbock, 2000 Baron Berkeley of Knighton, 2013 Anthony Fitzhardinge Gueterbock b. 1939 18th Baron Berkeley, Baron Gueterbock Michael Fitzhardinge Berkeley (b. 1948) Baron Berkeley of Knighton

See also

• Anglo-Saxon lineage – the Arden family
• Anglo-Saxon lineage – the Swinton family
• Anglo-Saxon lineage – the Wentworth family
• Anglo-Saxon lineage – the Grindlay family

References

• Virgoe, Roger, BERKELEY, Sir Maurice I (bef. 1514–81), of Bruton, Som., History of Parliament Online, accessed 22 November 2015

Bibliography

• Cokayne, G. E., The Complete Peerage, new edition, Vol. 2, pp. 118–149, Berkeley
• Sanders, I. J. English Baronies, Oxford, 1960, p. 13, Berkeley
• Smyth, John. The Lives of the Berkeleys, Lords of the Honour, Castle and Manor of Berkeley from 1066 to 1618, ed. Sir John Maclean, 3 vols., Gloucester, 1883-1885 (first published c. 1628)
  • Vol. 1, 1883
  • Vol. 2, 1883
  • Vol. 3, 1885

External links

• "Archival material relating to the Berkeley family". UK National Archives.