Charles Berkeley, 1st Earl of Falmouth (11 January 1630 – 3 June 1665) was an English nobleman and naval officer who was the son of Charles Berkeley (1599–1668) and his wife Penelope née Godolphin (died 1669), of the Bruton branch of the Berkeley family. He served the exiled Stuart court. His uncle, John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton, secured Charles's employment with

James, Duke of York James II and VII (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) was King of England and Monarchy of Ireland, Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II of England, Charles II, on 6 February 1 ...

, until the Restoration. He was a cavalry officer and fought in the French and Spanish armies. Charles was subsequently created Baron Berkeley of Rathdowne, County Wicklow, Ireland, and Viscount Fitzhardinge of Berehaven, County Kerry, Ireland, on 1 July 1663. He was created Earl of Falmouth, in the

Peerage of England The Peerage of England comprises all peerages created in the Kingdom of England before the Act of Union in 1707. From that year, the Peerages of England and Scotland were closed to new creations, and new peers were created in a single Peerag ...

, on 17 March 1664, and Baron Botetourt of Langport, Somerset on the same day. He was promoted Lieutenant-Governor of Portsmouth and was elected MP for

New Romney New Romney is a market town in Kent, England, on the edge of Romney Marsh, an area of flat, rich agricultural land reclaimed from the sea after the harbour began to silt up. New Romney, one of the original Cinque Ports, was once a sea port, w ...

. In 1664 he married Elizabeth Bagot, who as the widowed Countess of Falmouth became a mistress to King

Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651 and King of England, Scotland, and King of Ireland, Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest su ...

. During the

Second Anglo-Dutch War The Second Anglo-Dutch War, began on 4 March 1665, and concluded with the signing of the Treaty of Breda (1667), Treaty of Breda on 31 July 1667. It was one in a series of Anglo-Dutch Wars, naval wars between Kingdom of England, England and the D ...

he volunteered for service in the Royal fleet. Charles was killed by a cannonball on 3 June 1665 on board the in one of the first exchanges of the Battle of Lowestoft. His boisterous character made him not very well-loved by many, but his loyalty to the royal family favoured his relationship with the King. Clarendon was amazed at the flood of tears the King shed, when he received the news that Berkeley had been killed. The poet John Denham was less charitable about the demise of the Earl:

His shattered Head the fearless Duke disdains
And gave the last first proof that he had brains

References

1630 births 1665 deaths British Life Guards officers Earls in the Peerage of England Fitzhardinge, Charles Berkeley, 1st Viscount English military personnel killed in action

Charles Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''* ...

Royal Navy personnel of the Second Anglo-Dutch War Peers of England created by Charles II Peers of Ireland created by Charles II {{1661-England-MP-stub