The Berkeley family is an ancient English noble family. It is one of only four families in England that can trace its patrilineal descent back to

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...

times (the other three being the

Arden family The Arden family is an English gentry family that can be traced back in the male line back to Anglo-Saxon landholders who managed to maintain status after the 1066 invasion of England by the Normans of France. The family takes its name from the Fo ...

, the Swinton family and the

Wentworth family The members of the Wentworth family of both the U.S. and Australia, as listed below, are descended from Thomas Wentworth and Jane, the daughter of Sir Oliver Mirfield. Sir Oliver died about 1522. The American Wentworths of New Hampshire are descen ...

). The Berkeley family retains possession of much of the lands it held from the 11th and 12th centuries, centred on

Berkeley Castle Berkeley Castle ( ; historically sometimes spelled as ''Berkley Castle'' or ''Barkley Castle'') is a castle in the town of Berkeley, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom. The castle's origins date back to the 11th century, and it has been desi ...

in Gloucestershire, which still belongs to the family.

History

The Berkeley family descends in the male line from

Robert Fitzharding Robert Fitzharding (c. 1095–1170) was an Anglo-Saxon nobleman from Bristol who was granted the feudal barony of Berkeley in Gloucestershire. He rebuilt Berkeley Castle, and founded the Berkeley family which still occupies it today. He was a w ...

(d. 1170), 1st feudal baron of

Berkeley Berkeley most often refers to: *Berkeley, California, a city in the United States **University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California * George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher Berkeley may also refer ...

, Gloucestershire, reputedly the son of

Harding of Bristol Harding of Bristol (c. 1048 – c. 1125) was sheriff reeve of Bristol, with responsibility for managing a manorial estate and perhaps similar duties to those of a magistrate. He was the son of Eadnoth the Constable, an Anglo-Saxon thane who serve ...

, the son of

Eadnoth the Constable Eadnoth the Constable (died 1068) also known as Eadnoth the Staller, was an Anglo-Saxon landowner and steward to Edward the Confessor and King Harold II. He is mentioned in the ''Domesday Book'' as holding thirty manors in Devon, Dorset, Som ...

(Alnod), a high official under King

Edward the Confessor Edward the Confessor ; la, Eduardus Confessor , ; ( 1003 – 5 January 1066) was one of the last Anglo-Saxon English kings. Usually considered the last king of the House of Wessex, he ruled from 1042 to 1066. Edward was the son of Æth ...

, the ''

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