Ancestry of the BERKELEY Family
First Generation
1. James de Berkeley, Lord Berkeley, known as "The Just," male heir to his uncle Thomas de Berkeley; and inheriting, by virtue of a special entail and fine, the castle and lordship of Berkeley, with other lords in the said fine specified, was summoned as Baron Berkeley to parliament from October 9, 1421, to May 23, 1461 (according to the Berkeley family pedigree obtained at Berkeley Castle (July 1993), by Homer Beers James, he was the 11th Baron by tenure and the 1st Baron by Writ, 1394-1463).
He was born in 1394 at Raglan and died in 1463 in Berkeley Castle. He married (1) a daughter of Humphrey Stafford, of Hooke, co. Dorset, by whom he had no issue; (2) Isabel Mowbray, widow of Henry Ferrers, son and heir of William Ferrers, Lord Ferrers, of Groby; and daughter and eventual co-heir of Thomas de Mowbray, 1st Duke of Norfolk, Lord Mowbray and Earl Marshal of England, by Elizabeth, his wife, eldest sister and co-heiress of Thomas Fitz Alan, Earl of Arundel.
They had the following children:
1. William de Berkeley, his successor, 7th Lord
Berkeley (by right 2nd Lord Berkeley), Knight, had been, when a
boy, in the retinue of Henry Beaufort, Cardinal Bishop of
Winchester. He having a dispute with Thomas Talbot, Viscount
Lisle, regarding some landed property, the contest ran so high,
that they encountered, with their respective followers, at
Wooton-under-Edge, in 1469, when Lord Lisle was mortally wounded
by an arrow shot through his mouth.
In the next year when the Duke of Clarence and the Earl of Warwick took up arms against the king, we find Lord Berkeley commanded, with Maurice Berkeley, of Beverstone, to muster and array all fitting to bear arms in the county of Gloucester; and so great a regard had King Edward IV, for his lordship that he created him Viscount Berkeley, on April 21, 1481, with a grant of 100 marks per year, payable out of the customs of the port of Bristol, for life.
The viscount was advanced to the Earldom of Nottingham (a dignity enjoyed by his ancestors, the Mowbrays), by King Richard III., on June 28, 1483; but his lordship afterwards espousing the cause of the Earl of Richmond, upon the accession of that nobleman to the throne, as King Henry VII., was constituted in 1485-giving for this purpose "all his part and purpart of 27 manors in Wales and the marches adjoining Shropshire" -Earl Marshal of England, with limitations of that great office to the heirs male of his body; and created on January 28, 1489-90, Marquess of Berkeley.
He married (1) Elizabeth West, daughter of Reginald West, Lord de la Warre, from whom he was divorced without having issue; (2) Jane Strangwayes, widow of William Willoughby, Knight, and daughter of Thomas Strangways, Knight, by whom he had Thomas and Catherine, who both died young; and (3) Anne Fiennes, daughter of John Fiennes, Lord Dacre, but had no issue.
The marquess d.s.p. on February 14, 1492, when
all the honors acquired by himself became extinct, while the
barony and castle of Berkeley, with his lordship's other estates,
should have devolved upon his brother Maurice - from whom the
title has descended to the present time - but for a settlement
made by the deceased nobleman (who seems to have been offended
with his brother for marrying lowly) of the castle of Berkeley
upon King Henry VII. and the heirs male of that monarch's body,
which castle and lands were thus alienated until the decease of
King Edward VI., the last male descendant of Henry VII., when
they were returned to the house of Berkeley, and have since been
enjoyed by that family.
2. Maurice de Berkeley, successor to his
brother, William. See below.
3. James de Berkeley, killed in France.
4. Thomas de Berkeley, seated at Dursley, co.
Gloucester, died in 1484. he married Margaret,
daughter of Richard Guy, Esq., of Minsterworth,
in the same shire, and had Richard de Berkeley,
of Dursley, husband of Margaret Dyer. This
lineage continues for 13 generations of male descendants to the
present -day Berkeleys who own the Berkeley Castle in 1993,
Robert John Grantley Berkeley and his wife, Georgine. They had
two sons, Robert Charles, born in 1968, and Henry John, born in
1969.
5. Elizabeth Berkeley, married Thomas
Burdett, Esq., of Arrow, co. Warwick.
6. Isabel (Isabella) Berkeley, married Thomas
Tyre, Esq., of Hardwick, co. Gloucester.
7. Alice Berkeley, married Richard
Arthur, Esq., of Clapton, co. Somerset.
He married (3) in 1457, Joan Talbot, daughter of
John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury (who married
(2) in 1487, Edmund Hungerford). He died in
November 1463, and was buried in Berkeley Church.
Second Generation
2. Maurice de Berkeley, 8th Lord Berkeley (by right 3rd Lord Berkeley), married in 1465, a person of humble birth, namely, Isabel Meade, daughter of Philip Meade, Esq., and alderman of Bristol (by some accounts the mayor of Bristol) and descended from the Meades of Wraxall in Somersetshire. Maurice obtained his share of an estate devolved upon him in right of his mother, Isabel Mowbray, but, as stated above, was denied any share of his brother's estate, because he had deemed to marry a "commoner, a person of mean blood.". He died in September, 1506.
He and his wife had the following children:
1. Maurice de Berkeley (by
right, Lord Berkeley); born 1467, was made a Knight of the Bath
at the coronation of King Henry VIII. He married in 1484 Catherine
Berkeley, daughter of William de Berkeley,
Knight, of Stokes-Gifford. co. Gloucester; died
September 12, 1523, but d.s.p., was succeeded by his brother,
Thomas Berkeley.
2. Thomas de Berkeley (by right, Lord Berkeley);
born 1472; held a command in the celebrated battle of Flodden,
September 9, 1513, and for his signal services there, received
the honor of knighthood from Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey. He
was summoned to parliament August 9, 1529. He married in 1504-05
(1) Eleanor, widow of William Ingleby,
and daughter of Marmaduke Constable, of
Flamborough, co. York, leaving a son, Thomas. Thomas
(by right, Baron Berkeley), was born in 1505, summoned
to parliament as a Baron, January 5, 1533, in the 25th year of
the King Henry VIII.
3. James de Berkeley.
4. Anne Berkeley. See below.
Third Generation
3. Anne Berkeley married William Dennis (Dennys), Knight, of Dunham, co. Gloucester.
They had the following two daughters:
1. Isabel (Isabella) Dennis (Dennys).
See below.
2. Eleanor Dennis (Dennys),
married William Lygon, son of Sir
Richard Lygon, and his wife, Margaret Greville.
They had a son, Thomas Lygon, who married his
cousin, Frances Dennis (Dennys). They in turn
had a son, Col. Thomas Lygon, born in 1586, who
came to Virginia in 1641, married about 1650 (2) Mary
Harris, born in 1625, died in 1704, a descendant through
17 generations from Robert de Roos, the
Surety, who married Isabel, daughter of
William the Lion, King of Scotland.
Col. Thomas Lygon and his wife, Mary, were ancestors through five
generations to William Daniel Ligon, Jr., mechanical and
electrical engineer, and author of "The Ligon Family"
(1947) from which much genealogical data has been taken in this
compilation.
Fourth Generation
4. Isabel (Isabella) Dennis (Dennys) married John de Berkeley, of Stoke Gifford, Knight, son of Richard de Berkeley, Esq., of Stoke and his wife, Elizabeth Coningsby, daughter of Humphrey Coningsby, Knight. Richard died in the 5th year of King Henry VIII (1514). The Coningsbys are said to have been of ancient descent, but they do not appear to have attained much importance until the period of the revolution.
A Thomas de Coningsby distinguished himself in the martial reign of Edward III., and participated in the glory of Poictiers, but is not certain as to his offspring. Sir Humphrey Coningsby, Knight, was the father of Thomas, in the time of Henry VIII., who married Cicely Salwey. (It is assumed that the above mentioned Elizabeth Coningsby was a sister to Thomas). Note that this marriage joined two lines of ten generations of Berkeleys.
They had the following children:
1. Richard Berkeley, his successor, of Stoke
Gifford, Knight, married (1) Elizabeth Ann Reade,
of Melton, and (2) Elizabeth Jermy, of
Antingham. There was issue.
2. Mary Berkeley, married (1) Nicholas
Walsh, of Sodbury; and (2) William Herbert,
of Swansey, Knight. By her first husband, she had a son, Henry
Walsh, killed in a duel by Edward Winton, and three
daughters.
3, Elizabeth Berkeley. See
below.
John died on June 28, 1545, in the 37th year of King Henry VIII.
Fifth Generation
5. Elizabeth Dennis Berkeley married Henry Lygon of Upton St. Leonard, co. Gloucester, son of Richard Lygon of Madresfield (who died in 1557) and his wife, Margaret Greville, daughter of William Greville.
i. ELIZABETH (ISABEL) LYGON.
(Ref: "The Ligon Family in England". See also John Smith's "Lives of the Berkeleys" (1885). See Visitation of Gloucestershire).
Sixth Generation
ELIZABETH (ISABEL) LYGON married EDWARD BASSET, died 1602, Uley County, Gloucester, England.
i. JANE BASSETT.
JANE BASSETT married (1) DR. JOHN DEIGHTON, occupation Physician, died May 10, 1640, buried St. Nicholas's, Gloucester, England. JANE died APRIL 23, 1631.
FRANCES DEIGHTON born 1611, married Feb 11, 1632, in Witcomb Magna, Gloucester, England, RICHARD WILLIAMS, born 1606, Gloucestershire, England, died 1692, Taunton, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, buried 1692, Taunton, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. FRANCES died 1724.
JOSEPH WILLIAMS born 1649, Taunton, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, married Nov 28, 1663, in Plymouth, Massachusetts, ELIZABETH WATSON, born Jan 16, 1648, Plymouth, Massachusetts, (daughter of GEORGE WATSON and PHEBE HICKS) died 1723, Taunton, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, buried 1723, Taunton, Plymouth County, Massachusetts. JOSEPH died Aug 17, 1692, Taunton, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, buried 1692, Taunton, Plymouth County, Massachusetts.
Tenth Generation
MEHETABLE WILLIAMS born June 7, 1676, married Feb 11, 1695, in Taunton, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, INCREASE ROBINSON, JR, (son of INCREASE ROBINSON and SARAH PENNIMAN) died 1738, buried 1738.
Eleventh Generation
MEHETABLE ROBINSON born Jan 12, 1695, Taunton, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, married Feb 6, 1717, in Taunton, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, EBENEZER COBB, born May 13, 1694, Taunton, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, (son of EDWARD COBB and SARAH HACKIT) died Jan 2, 1770, Hanover, Morris County, New Jersey, buried Jan 4, 1770, Hanover, Morris County, New Jersey. MEHETABLE died Aug 2, 1781, Hanover, Morris County, New Jersey, buried Aug 4, 1781, Hanover, Morris County, New Jersey.
Twelfth Generation
JOHN COBB born Dec 17, 1723, Taunton, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, occupation Ore Foundry, Sheriff, married 1747, in Hanover Twp., Morris County, New Jersey, RHODA SMITH, (daughter of RICHARD SMITH and SARAH (___) SMITH) died 1765, Hanover Twp., Morris County, New Jersey, buried 1765, Hanover Twp., Morris County, New Jersey. JOHN died 1797, Hanover Twp., Morris County, New Jersey, buried 1797, Hanover Twp., Morris County, New Jersey.
Thirteenth Generation
RACHEL COBB born 1762, Schooley, New Jersey, married Nov 3, 1780, in Schooley, New Jersey, WILLIAM HALSEY, JR., born March 23, 1760, Columbia, New Jersey, (son of WILLIAM HALSEY, SR. and (---) (---) HALSEY) died Feb 21, 1832, Piney Creek, Alleghany Co., No. Carolina, buried Feb 23, 1832, Piney Creek, Alleghany Co., No. Carolina. RACHEL died Nov 4, 1847, Piney Creek, Alleghany Co., No. Carolina, buried Nov 6, 1847, Piney Creek, Alleghany Co., No. Carolina.
Another branch of the Berkeley family which joins
with the above is shown here below:
-2. Maurice Berkeley, of Uley, co. Gloucester,
Knight, (son of Maurice Berkeley, Baron Berkeley,
of Berkeley Castle), died at the siege of Calais, in the 21th
year of Edward III., leaving by Margaret Berkeley,
his wife, a son and daughter as follows:
1. Thomas de Berkeley. See below.
2. Isabel Berkeley, aunt, and for a time heir of
Maurice, son of Thomas de Berkeley.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-1. Thomas de Berkeley, of Uley,
died in 1362, married Catherine Bottetourt,
daughter of John de Bottetourt, Baron Bottetourt and
his second wife, Joyce Zouche, daughter of William
Zouche, Lord Zouche, of Mortimer.
Catherine was the sister of John Bottetourt, and
aunt of Joyce Burnel, and died in the 35th year of Edward III.,
having had the following children:
1. Maurice de Berkeley. See below.
2. Edmund be Berkeley, d.s.p.
3. John de Berkeley, d.s.p.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
0. Maurice de Berkeley married Johanna
Dinham, daughter of John Dinham, Knight.
They had a son, Maurice.
1. Maurice Berkeley, of Stoke Gifford, co.
Gloucester, was born after the death of his father. He married Ellen
Montfort, daughter of William Montfort,
leaving a son and heir, William.
2. William Berkeley, of Stoke-Gifford, co.
Gloucester, was attained in the 1st year of Henry VII., and
restored in the 11th year of Henry VII. He married Anne
Stafford, daughter of Humphrey Stafford,
Knight. They had a son, Richard.
3. Richard Berkeley, Esq., of Stoke-Gifford, co.
Gloucester, married Elizabeth Coningsby,
daughter of Humphrey Coningsby, Knight, and died
in the 5th year of King Henry VIII.
They had the following children:
1. John Berkeley. See below.
2. Maurice Berkeley, of Bruton, co. Somerset,
Knight and standard-bearer to King Henry VIII., and King Edward
VI., and to Queen Elizabeth. Of this gentleman it is mentioned,
that, in the 1st year of Queen Mary, riding casually in London,
he met with Sir Thomas Wyat at Temple Bar, and persuading him to
yield himself to the queen, Sir Thomas took his advise, and
mounting behind Sir Maurice , rode to the court. He married (1) Catherine,
daughter of William Blount Baron Mountjoy, and
was ancestor of the Berkeleys of Bruton, and of Pylle, of
Berkeley Portman Lord Portman, and the Berkeleys, Viscount
Fitz-Harding,
and by her had the following children:
1. Henry Berkeley, Knight, of Bruton, who
married Margaret Lygon, daughter of William
Lygon, Esq., of Madresfield, co. Worcester, and was
succeeded by his eldest son, Maurice Berkeley,
who received the honor of knighthood from the Earl of Essex,
while serving under that nobleman in the expedition to Calais, in
1596.
2. Edward Berkeley
3. Gertrude Berkeley, married Edward
Horne, Esq.
4. Elizabeth Berkeley, married James
Percival, Esq., of Weston, Gordano, co. Somerset.
5. Anne Berkeley, married Nicholas
Poynings, Esq., of Adderley.
6. Francis, died unmarried.
Maurice married (2) Elizabeth Sandes, daughter
of Anthony Sandes, Esq., and by her was ancestor
of the Berkeleys of Boycot, co. Kent. From his second marriage
there were two sons and a daughter.
3. A daughter ________, married Thomas Speke, of
White Lackington, Knight.
4. A daughter ________, married William Francis,
of Combe Flore.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4. John Berkeley, of
Stoke-Gifford, Knight, aet. three, in the 5th year of King Henry
VIII, married Isabel (Isabella) Dennis (Dennys),
daughter of William Dennys, and died June 28, in
the 37th year of Henry VIII., leaving the following children:
1. Mary Berkeley, married (1) Nicholas
Walsh, and (2) William Herbert, of
Swansey, Knight.
2. Elizabeth Berkeley. See below.
3. Richard Berkeley, successor, of Stoke
Gifford, Knight, married (1) Elizabeth Ann Reade,
of Melton, and (2) Elizabeth Jermy, daughter of Robert
Jermy, of Antingham, and by her had the following
children:
1. Henry Berkeley
2. William Berkeley
3. Elizabeth Berkeley
4. Catherine Berkeley
5. Mary Berkeley
6. Anne Berkeley
7. Dorothy Berkeley
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5. Elizabeth Berkeley married Henry Lygon, of Upton St. Leonard.
(The first sixteen
generations are from
The Paternal Ancestry of Homer Beers
James
by Homer Beers James, published 1993.)