William Berkeley, 4th Baron Berkeley of Stratton PC, PC (I) (d. 24 March 1741), was a British politician and judge, of the

Bruton branch of the Berkeley family Sir Maurice Berkeley (by 1514–1581) of Bruton in Somerset and of Berkeley House, Clerkenwell, Middlesex, served as Chief Banner Bearer of England to Kings Henry VIII and Edward VI and to Queen Elizabeth I, and rose rapidly in the Tudor cou ...

. He was

Master of the Rolls in Ireland The Master of the Rolls in Ireland was a senior judicial office in the Irish Chancery under English and British rule, and was equivalent to the Master of the Rolls in the English Chancery. Originally called the Keeper of the Rolls, he was respons ...

between 1696 and 1731 and also held political office as

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster The chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is a ministerial office in the Government of the United Kingdom. The position is the second highest ranking minister in the Cabinet Office, immediately after the Prime Minister, and senior to the Minist ...

from 1710 to 1714 and as

First Lord of Trade The president of the Board of Trade is head of the Board of Trade. This is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, first established as a temporary committee of inquiry in the 17th century, that evolved gradually into a governmen ...

from 1714 to 1715.

Background

Berkeley was the third son of

John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton (1602 – 26 August 1678) was an English royalist soldier, politician and diplomat, of the Bruton branch of the Berkeley family. From 1648 he was closely associated with James, Duke of York, and ...

, by Christiana, daughter of Sir Andrew Riccard. Charles, who held the title for two years, and John, an Admiral who held the title for 16 years were his elder brothers. He lived a much longer life. He was born on an unknown date between John's 1663 birth and 23 March 1672, all dates which would make him a septuagenarian per his funerary monument.

Political and judicial career

In 1696 Berkeley was appointed

and sworn of the Irish Privy Council. The following year he succeeded his elder brother in the barony. In 1710 he was admitted to the

English Privy Council The Privy Council of England, also known as His (or Her) Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council (), was a body of advisers to the sovereign of the Kingdom of England. Its members were often senior members of the House of Lords and the House of ...

and appointed

. He was made

in 1714, a post he held until 1715. He remained Master of the Rolls in Ireland during this period and continued in this post until 1731.

Family

Lord Berkeley of Stratton married Frances, daughter of Sir John Temple and Jane Yarner; her sister Jane married his elder brother. They had several children, including the Honourable Frances, who married

William Byron, 4th Baron Byron William Byron, 4th Baron Byron (4 January 1669/70 – 8 August 1736) was an English nobleman, politician, peer, and Gentleman of the Bedchamber to Prince George of Denmark. Early life Byron was the only surviving son of William Byron, 3 ...

, and was the mother of

William Byron, 5th Baron Byron William Byron, 5th Baron Byron (5 November 1722 – 19 May 1798), was a British nobleman, peer, politician, and great-uncle of the poet George Gordon Byron who succeeded him in the title. As a result of a number of stories that arose after a d ...

, and of Admiral John Byron. Lady Berkeley of Stratton died in July 1707. Lord Berkeley of Stratton remained a widower until his death at

Bruton Bruton ( ) is a market town, electoral ward, and civil parish in Somerset, England, on the River Brue and the A359 between Frome and Yeovil. It is 7 miles (11 km) south-east of Shepton Mallet, just south of Snakelake Hill and Coombe Hill, 10 ...

Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...

, in March 1741. He was succeeded by his eldest son,

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

Notes and references

Notes References {{DEFAULTSORT:Berkeley of Stratton, William Berkeley, 4th Baron 17th-century births 1741 deaths 17th-century English politicians 18th-century British politicians 17th-century Irish judges 18th-century Irish judges Members of the Privy Council of Great Britain Members of the Privy Council of Ireland

William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

Year of birth unknown Masters of the Rolls in Ireland Presidents of the Board of Trade Chancellors of the Duchy of Lancaster 4