John Symes Berkeley (1663–1736) of

Stoke Gifford Stoke Gifford is a village and parish in South Gloucestershire, England, in the northern suburbs of Bristol. It had around 11,000 residents at the 2001 census, increasing to 15,494 at the 2011 census. It is home to Bristol Parkway station an ...

near Bristol was an English Member of Parliament. He was born the second son of Richard Berkeley of Stoke Gifford and inherited the family estates on the death of his elder brother in 1685, including Stoke Park. He later exploited the rich coal deposits beneath the estate and commissioned Sir

James Thornhill Sir James Thornhill (25 July 1675 or 1676 – 4 May 1734) was an English painter of historical subjects working in the Italian baroque tradition. He was responsible for some large-scale schemes of murals, including the "Painted Hall" at the ...

to rebuild a summerhouse at the end of the terrace of Stoke Park House as an orangery. He was twice elected to represent the constituency of

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

in the

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

between 1710 and 1715. He died at Bath in 1736 and was buried at Stoke Gifford. He had married twice; firstly in 1695, Susan, the daughter and heiress of Sir Thomas Fowles and the widow of Jonathan Cope and secondly in 1717, Elizabeth, the daughter and coheiress of Walter Norborne of Calne, Wiltshire and widow of Edward Devereux, 8th Viscount Hereford, with whom he had a son,

Norborne Berkeley, 4th Baron Botetourt Norborne Berkeley, 4th Baron Botetourt (c. 1717 – 15 October 1770), was a British courtier, member of parliament, and royal governor of the colony of Virginia from 1768 until his death in 1770. Life Norborne Berkeley was born about 1 ...

, a future

Governor of Virginia The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia serves as the head of government of Virginia for a four-year term. The incumbent, Glenn Youngkin, was sworn in on January 15, 2022. Oath of office On inauguration day, the Governor-elect takes th ...

and a daughter, Elizabeth (Duchess of Beaufort), the wife of

Charles Somerset, 4th Duke of Beaufort Charles Noel Somerset, 4th Duke of Beaufort (12 September 1709 – 28 October 1756) was a British Tory politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1731 until 1745 when he succeeded to the peerage as Duke of Beaufort. Life Somerset was the ...

Badminton House Badminton House is a large country house and Grade I Listed Building in Badminton, Gloucestershire, England, which has been the principal seat of the Dukes of Beaufort since the late 17th century. The house, which has given its name to th ...

in Gloucestershire. On Norborne's death in Virginia, Stoke Park House passed to Elizabeth, then Dowager Duchess, and became the Dower House of the Dukes Beaufort.

References

1663 births 1736 deaths Members of the Parliament of Great Britain for Gloucestershire British MPs 1710–1713 British MPs 1713–1715 {{England-GreatBritain-MP-stub