Charles Berkeley, 2nd Earl of Berkeley
Encyclopedia
Charles Berkeley, 2nd Earl of Berkeley PC KB
FRS (8 April 1649 – 24 September 1710), was a British nobleman and diplomat, known as Sir Charles Berkeley from 1661 to 1679 and styled Viscount Dursley from 1679 to 1698.
The son of George Berkeley, 1st Earl of Berkeley
, he was educated at Christ Church, Oxford
and Trinity College, Cambridge
, was created a Knight of the Bath for the coronation of Charles II
in 1661, and received his Master of Arts from Oxford on 28 September 1663. On 21 November 1667, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Sir Charles married Hon. Elizabeth Noel, daughter of Baptist Noel, 3rd Viscount Campden
, on 16 August 1677, and they had four sons and three daughters:
Berkeley adopted the styling Viscount Dursley in September 1679, when his father was raised to the earldom. He had just been elected as MP
for Gloucester
, for which he sat in the last two Parliaments of Charles II, in 1679 and 1681. He did not stand again, in part due to conflict with the Tory
corporation of the city. Dursley followed his father in opposing James II
in the Glorious Revolution
, and enjoyed a number of appointments thereafter. Called up to the House of Lords
as Baron Berkeley
in July 1789, he was then sent as Envoy Extraordinary to Spain in May 1689, and as Ambassador to the United Provinces from August 1689 to 1695. He also received the post of Custos Rotulorum of Gloucestershire
, previously held by his father, in July 1689. On 3 May 1694, he was made a Privy Councillor
, and on 25 May, was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire
. In the following year, Dursley was appointed High Steward of the City of Gloucester
, and Constable of St Briavel's Castle
on 18 June 1697.
Berkeley succeeded to the earldom in 1698, and also received his father's office of Custos Rotulorum of Surrey
in February 1699. His eldest son, Charles, Viscount Dursley, died of smallpox
in May, and his daughter, Lady Penelope, in September of that same year, both while Berkeley and his family were in Dublin during his tenure as one of the Lords Justices
(1699–1700). On 7 June 1702, Berkeley's appointment as Constable was renewed, and he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Surrey
and Warden of the Forest of Dean. He died in 1710, and was succeeded to the posts of Earl of Berkeley
, Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire
, and Custos Rotulorum of Gloucestershire
by his eldest surviving son, James
, a naval officer.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
FRS (8 April 1649 – 24 September 1710), was a British nobleman and diplomat, known as Sir Charles Berkeley from 1661 to 1679 and styled Viscount Dursley from 1679 to 1698.
The son of George Berkeley, 1st Earl of Berkeley
George Berkeley, 1st Earl of Berkeley
George Berkeley, 1st Earl of Berkeley PC FRS was an English merchant and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1654 until 1658 when he succeeded to the peerage.-Life:...
, he was educated at Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England...
and Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Trinity has more members than any other college in Cambridge or Oxford, with around 700 undergraduates, 430 graduates, and over 170 Fellows...
, was created a Knight of the Bath for the coronation of Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
in 1661, and received his Master of Arts from Oxford on 28 September 1663. On 21 November 1667, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.
Sir Charles married Hon. Elizabeth Noel, daughter of Baptist Noel, 3rd Viscount Campden
Baptist Noel, 3rd Viscount Campden
Sir Baptist Noel, 3rd Viscount Campden was an English politician. He was Lord Lieutenant of Rutland, Custos Rotulorum of Rutland and the Member of Parliament for Rutland....
, on 16 August 1677, and they had four sons and three daughters:
- Charles Berkeley, Viscount Dursley (17 June 1679 – May 1699)
- James Berkeley, 3rd Earl of BerkeleyJames Berkeley, 3rd Earl of BerkeleyVice-Admiral James Berkeley, 3rd Earl of Berkeley KG, PC was the son of Charles Berkeley, 2nd Earl of Berkeley and the Hon. Elizabeth Noel. He was known by the courtesy title of Viscount Dursley prior to succeeding as Earl of Berkeley in 1710...
(aft. 1679–1736) - Col. Hon. Henry Berkeley (1690? – May 1736), married Mary Cornewall and had issue
- Hon. George BerkeleyGeorge Berkeley (MP)The Honourable George Berkeley was a member of Parliament for Dover in 1720 and in the following two parliaments, and for Hedon, Yorkshire in 1734....
(aft. 1680–1746), married Henrietta Howard, Countess of SuffolkHenrietta Howard, Countess of SuffolkHenrietta Howard was a mistress of King George II of Great Britain.She was the daughter of Sir Henry Hobart, 4th Baronet, a Norfolk landowner who was killed in a duel when Henrietta was aged eight...
, no issue - Lady Mary Berkeley, married Thomas Chambers (son of Thomas ChambersThomas ChambersThomas Chambers was an English administrator and factor of the Honourable East India Company who served as the Agent of Madras from 1658 to 1661 or 1662.- Tenure as Agent of Madras :...
) and had issue:- Mary Chambers, married Vere Beauclerk, 1st Baron Vere
- Anne Chambers, married Richard Grenville-Temple, 2nd Earl TempleRichard Grenville-Temple, 2nd Earl TempleRichard Grenville-Temple, 2nd Earl Temple KG, PC was a British politician. He is best known for his association with his brother-in-law William Pitt who he served with in government during Britain's participation in the Seven Years War between 1756 and 1761...
- Lady Elizabeth BerkeleyElizabeth GermainLady Elizabeth "Betty" Germain was a wealthy English aristocrat and courtier, a philanthropist and collector of antiquities, who corresponded with literary and political figures.-Life:...
(d. 16 September 1769), married Sir John Germain, 1st BaronetSir John Germain, 1st BaronetSir John Germain, 1st Baronet was a British soldier and politician.Of Dutch descent, Germain was thought to be an illegitimate half-brother of William III of England. He was created a Baronet, of Westminster, in the Baronetage of England on 25 March 1698...
, no issue - Lady Penelope Berkeley (d. 3 September 1699)
Berkeley adopted the styling Viscount Dursley in September 1679, when his father was raised to the earldom. He had just been elected as MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Gloucester
Gloucester (UK Parliament constituency)
Gloucester is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was established in 1295 to return two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons but in 1885 representation was reduced to one member under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885...
, for which he sat in the last two Parliaments of Charles II, in 1679 and 1681. He did not stand again, in part due to conflict with the Tory
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
corporation of the city. Dursley followed his father in opposing James II
James II of England
James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
in the Glorious Revolution
Glorious Revolution
The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...
, and enjoyed a number of appointments thereafter. Called up to the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
as Baron Berkeley
Baron Berkeley
The title Baron Berkeley originated as a feudal title and was subsequently created twice in the Peerage of England by writ. It was first granted by writ to Thomas II de Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley, 6th feudal Baron Berkeley, in 1295, but the title of that creation became extinct at the death of...
in July 1789, he was then sent as Envoy Extraordinary to Spain in May 1689, and as Ambassador to the United Provinces from August 1689 to 1695. He also received the post of Custos Rotulorum of Gloucestershire
Custos Rotulorum of Gloucestershire
This is a list of people who have served as Custos Rotulorum of Gloucestershire.*Sir Edmund Tame bef. 1544–1544*Sir Anthony Kingston 1544?–1556*Sir Nicholas Arnold bef. 1558–1580*Sir Thomas Throckmorton bef. 1584 – aft. 1596...
, previously held by his father, in July 1689. On 3 May 1694, he was made a Privy Councillor
Privy Council of England
The Privy Council of England, also known as His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, was a body of advisers to the sovereign of the Kingdom of England...
, and on 25 May, was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire
Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire. Since 1694, all the Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Gloucestershire.*Edmund Brydges, 2nd Baron Chandos 1559–?...
. In the following year, Dursley was appointed High Steward of the City of Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
, and Constable of St Briavel's Castle
St Briavel's Castle
St Briavels Castle is a moated Norman castle at St Briavels in the English county of Gloucestershire. The castle is noted for its huge Edwardian gatehouse that guards the entrance....
on 18 June 1697.
Berkeley succeeded to the earldom in 1698, and also received his father's office of Custos Rotulorum of Surrey
Custos Rotulorum of Surrey
This is a list of people who have served as Custos Rotulorum of Surrey.* Sir Thomas Pope bef. 1544–1559* William Howard, 1st Baron Howard of Effingham bef. 1562–1573* Edward Clinton, 1st Earl of Lincoln 1573–1585...
in February 1699. His eldest son, Charles, Viscount Dursley, died of smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
in May, and his daughter, Lady Penelope, in September of that same year, both while Berkeley and his family were in Dublin during his tenure as one of the Lords Justices
Lord Justices (Ireland)
The Lord Justice of Ireland was an ancient senior position in the governance of Ireland, held by a number of important personages, such as the Earl of Kildare....
(1699–1700). On 7 June 1702, Berkeley's appointment as Constable was renewed, and he was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Surrey
Lord Lieutenant of Surrey
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Surrey. Since 1737, all Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Surrey.-Lord Lieutenants of Surrey:*William Parr, 1st Marquess of Northampton 1551–1553?...
and Warden of the Forest of Dean. He died in 1710, and was succeeded to the posts of Earl of Berkeley
Baron Berkeley
The title Baron Berkeley originated as a feudal title and was subsequently created twice in the Peerage of England by writ. It was first granted by writ to Thomas II de Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley, 6th feudal Baron Berkeley, in 1295, but the title of that creation became extinct at the death of...
, Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire
Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire
This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire. Since 1694, all the Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Gloucestershire.*Edmund Brydges, 2nd Baron Chandos 1559–?...
, and Custos Rotulorum of Gloucestershire
Custos Rotulorum of Gloucestershire
This is a list of people who have served as Custos Rotulorum of Gloucestershire.*Sir Edmund Tame bef. 1544–1544*Sir Anthony Kingston 1544?–1556*Sir Nicholas Arnold bef. 1558–1580*Sir Thomas Throckmorton bef. 1584 – aft. 1596...
by his eldest surviving son, James
James Berkeley, 3rd Earl of Berkeley
Vice-Admiral James Berkeley, 3rd Earl of Berkeley KG, PC was the son of Charles Berkeley, 2nd Earl of Berkeley and the Hon. Elizabeth Noel. He was known by the courtesy title of Viscount Dursley prior to succeeding as Earl of Berkeley in 1710...
, a naval officer.