Lords of Berkeley
Robert Fitz Harding [a], Lord of Berkeley, b 1096, d 5 Feb 1170/71. He md Eva Fitz Estmond abt 1118. She was b abt 1104, d 12 Mar 1170.
Child of Robert Fitz Harding and Eva Fitz Estmond was:

Sir Maurice Fitz Robert Fitz Harding [b], Lord of Berkeley, b abt 1135, Bristol, Gloucestershire, England, d 16 Jun 1190, Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire, England. He md Alice de Berkeley 1153/1154, daughter of Sir Roger de Berkeley, Lord of Dursley.
Children of Maurice Fitz Robert Fitz Harding and Alice de Berkeley were:

  • Maud de Berkeley b abt 1165, of Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England. She md Elis III Giffard abt 1178, son of Elis II Giffard and Berta de Cilfford.
  • Sir Thomas de Berkeley, Lord of Berkeley, b abt 1176.
Sir Thomas de Berkeley [c], Lord of Berkeley, b abt 1176, of Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England, d 29 Nov 1243. He md Joan de Somery 1217, Worcestershire, England, daughter of Sir Ralph de Somery and Margaret Marshal.
Child of Thomas de Berkeley and Joan de Somery was:

Maurice de Berkeley [d], "the Resolute", b abt 1218, Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England, d 4 Apr 1281, Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England. He md Isabel Fitz Roy abt 12 Jul 1247, daughter of Richard Fitz Roy and Rohese de Dover.
Child of Maurice de Berkeley and Isabel Fitz Roy was:

Sir Thomas de Berkeley [e], Lord of Berkeley, "the Wise", b abt 1245, Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England, d 23 Jul 1321, Gloucestershire, England. He md Joan de Ferrers 1267, Gloucestershire, England, daughter of Sir William de Ferrers, Earl of Derby, and Margaret de Quincy.
Children of Thomas de Berkeley and Joan de Ferrers were:

  • Alice de Berkeley b abt 1275, prob Gloucestershire; md Ralph de Stourton abt 1315.
  • Sir Maurice de Berkeley, Lord of Berkeley, b Apr 1276.
Sir Maurice de Berkeley [f], Lord Berkeley, b Apr 1276, Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England, d 31 May 1326, Wallingford, Berkshire, England. He md [1] Eva La Zouche 1289, Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire, England, daughter of Eudo La Zouche and Millicent de Cantelou. He md [2] Isabel de Clare abt 1316.
Children of Maurice de Berkeley and Eva La Zouche were:
  • Sir Thomas de Berkeley, Lord Berkeley, b 1293.
  • Ela/Millicent de Berkeley b 1300, Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England, d aft 1322. She md Sir John Maltravers, Lord Maltravers, Knight, abt 1313, son of Sir John Maltravers and Eleanor de Gorges.
  • Isabel de Berkeley b abt 1305, Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England, d 25 Jul 1362, Westmorland, England. She md Sir Robert de Clifford, Lord of Clifford, 2 Jun 1328, Berkeley Castle, son of Sir Robert de Clifford and Maud de Clare.
Sir Thomas de Berkeley [g], Lord Berkeley, Knight, b 1293, Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England, d 27 Oct 1361. He md [1] Margaret de Mortimer Jul 1320, and [2] Katherine de Clivedon 30 May 1347, Charfield, Gloucestershire, England, daughter of Sir John de Clivedon and Emma. She was b 1310, Charfield, Gloucestershire, England, d 13 Mar 1385.
Child of Thomas de Berkeley and Katherine de Clivedon was:

Sir John de Berkeley b 21 Jan 1349/50, Wotton, Gloucestershire, England. He md Elizabeth Betteshorne abt 1389, daughter of Sir John Betteshorne. She was b abt 1365, Beverstone, Gloucestershire, England.
Children of John de Berkeley and Elizabeth Betteshorne were:

  • Eleanor de Berkeley b abt 1397, Beverstone, Gloucestershire, England, d 1 Aug 1455. She md [1] John de Arundel, [2] Sir Richard de Poynings, Knight, 1420/21, son of Sir Robert Poynings, Lord Poynings, Knight, and Eleanor Grey, and [3] Sir Walter Hungerford bef 8 May 1439.
  • Elizabeth de Berkeley b 1400, Beverstone, Gloucestershire, England, d bef 8 Dec 1478. She md Sir John Sutton/Dudley, Lord Dudley, Knight of the Garter, 1420/21, son of John V Sutton and Constance Blount.
NOTES:
a. He received a grant of the Castle and herness of Berkeley from Henry of Anjou (later Henry II) in 1153-54, upon its forfeiture from Roger de Berkeley. He was said to have been a merchant and of great wealth and influence. In 1168 he entertained Dermot MacMurrough, the King of Leinster upon his arrival to solicit support from Henry II. He founded, and became a canon of, the Abbey of St. Augustine at Bristol. Eva, his wife, founded a priory of nuns on St. Michael's hill in Bristol, and was a Prioress there at the time of her death.

b. Also called "Maurice the Make Peace", his grant of Berkeley was confirmed first, along with his father by Henry II in 1155, and again by Queen Eleanor in 1189. He served as Justice Itinerant for Gloucester in 1190. He enlarged Berkeley Castle, which became the chief seat of the family, and from which he and his descendants took the name de Berkeley. He married the daughter of Roger de Berkeley, upon whose forfeiture of the manor and honours of Berkeley, his father, and then he, had become beneficiary. She is said to have lived "to an extreme old age".

c. Feudal Lord of Berkeley, he was called "Thomas the Observor, or Temporizer". He had livery of his brother's lands (Robert de Berkeley, who d s.p., 13 May 1220), and in 1223 had livery of Berkeley Castle.

d. Knighted before 1242, he served in the wars with France and North Wales. Also known as "Maurice the Resolute", he had livery of his father's lands 14 Dec 1243. He joined with the Barons against the King in 1264, was present at the award of Kenilworth in 1267, and at the council at Marlborough and at the various assemblies, 1275-1279.

e. Thomas de Berkeley, "the Wise", feudal Lord of Berkeley, was present at the battle of Evesham, when under age, and is stated to have been actively employed for nearly every year of his last fifty years of his life either against the Scots, the Welsh, or the French. He was summoned by the King to Shrewsbury 28 June 1283, and to Parliament 24 June 1295, whereby he is held to have become Lord Berkeley, and continued to serve until 13 May 1321. He was made Vice-Constable of England in 1297, and was at the battle of Falkirk, the siege of Carlaverock, and taken prisoner at the battle of Bannockburn, afterwards paying a large sum for his ransom. He also served as an Embassy to France in January 1296, and to Pope Clement V in July, 1307.

f. Known as Maurice the Magnanimous, he distinguished himself in the Scottish wars, 1295-1318. Summoned to Parliament from 16 Aug 1308 to 15 May 1321, he served as Warden of Gloucester (1312), Captain of Berwick (1315), one of the Commissioners to Scotland (1316), Chief Justiciar of South Wales (1316), and Seneschal of Aquitaine (1320). He joined the Earl of Lancaster in the rebellion against Edward II and the Despensers, from whence he was imprisoned at Wallingford Castle on 20 Jan 1321/22, where he died some four years later. Neither he nor his first wife, Eva la Zouche, were older than eight years when they married.

g. He was knighted before 1322, and stated to be aged 30 and upwards at his father's death. He was taken prisoner at Boroughbridge 16 Mar 1321/22, and secured his release from Pevensey Castle 16 Oct 1326. On 4 April 1327, he was made joint custodian of the deposed Edward II, but being commanded to deliver him over to his fellow custodians, he departed, knowing, it is said, the violence that was intended for the monarch. He was tried as an accessory to the murder of the deposed King, but was acquitted. He was summoned to Parliament from 14 June 1329 to 20 November 1360. He was Chief Warden of Gloucester, Worcester, and Hereford in 1336, Marshal of the English army in France in 1340, Captain of the Scottish Marches in 1342, and Warden and Chief Justice in Eyre south of Trent (1345-1348). His first wife, Margaret de Mortimer died 5 May 1337, and he remarried 30 May 1347 to Katherine Clivedon, widow of Sir Piers le Veel.
SOURCES:
CP: Vol II[124-130]; AR: Line 26[28-31], Line 39[30-32], Line 59[30-32], Line 81[36], Line 221[36]
Return to TOP of this page

Return to INDEX FOR BERKELEY

Return to MAIN INDEX

Return to HOME