Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

John Berkeley, 3rd Baron Berkeley of Stratton (1663 – 27 February 1697) was an English admiral, of the Bruton branch of the Berkeley family.

Biography

He was the second son of John Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley of Stratton, and succeeded to the title on 6 March 1681, by the death of his elder brother Charles, a captain in the navy. On 14 December 1688, he was nominated rear-admiral of the fleet, under the command of Lord Dartmouth. In the following summer, he was vice-admiral of the red squadron under Admiral Herbert, and fought with him in the Battle of Bantry Bay (11 May 1689). On the death of Sir John Ashby, 12 July 1693, he was appointed admiral of the Blue in the fleet under the joint admirals Killigrew, Delavall, and Shovell. On 8 June 1694, Lord Berkeley was detached by Admiral Russell in command of a large division intended to cover the Attack on Brest by the land forces under General Talmash. Several concurring accounts had warned the French of the object of this expedition, and when the attempt was made in Camaret Bay, it was repulsed with very severe loss. After his return from this expedition, Berkeley continued in command of the fleet, and a few days later, was again sent out to bombard

Dieppe Dieppe (; ; or Old Norse ) is a coastal commune in the Seine-Maritime department, Normandy, northern France. Dieppe is a seaport on the English Channel at the mouth of the river Arques. A regular ferry service runs to Newhaven in England ...

and

Le Havre Le Havre is a major port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the Seine, river Seine on the English Channel, Channe ...

. On 27 August Lord Berkeley resigned the command to Sir Clowdisley Shovell, and went to London for the winter. The next summer, 1695, Berkeley renewed the attacks on the French coast, and on 4 July, joined by a Dutch squadron under Admiral

Philips van Almonde Philips van Almonde (29 December 1644 – 6 January 1711) was a Dutch States Navy officer who served in his nation's maritime conflicts of the 17th and early 18th centuries. Philips was born in Brielle, Den Briel, the son of Pieter Jansz van ...

, he appeared in front of St. Malo and shelled the city for almost two days under the immediate command of Captain John Benbow. In August, Berkeley attacked

Dunkirk Dunkirk ( ; ; ; Picard language, Picard: ''Dunkèke''; ; or ) is a major port city in the Departments of France, department of Nord (French department), Nord in northern France. It lies from the Belgium, Belgian border. It has the third-larg ...

and

Calais Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a French port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Calais is the largest city in Pas-de-Calais. The population of the city proper is 67,544; that of the urban area is 144,6 ...

, without success. The next year, he sailed into the Bay of Biscay and the isle Groix and the smaller islands, Houet and Hoedic, were ravaged, and St. Martin's ( isle of Ré) was bombarded. Such achievements could not lead to any result and to make things worst, one night there was an intrusion into the fleet by the French privateer

René Duguay-Trouin René Trouin, Sieur du Gué, also known as René Duguay-Trouin (; 10 June 1673 – 27 September 1736), was a French Navy officer and privateer best known for his service in the War of the Spanish Succession. Successful in his military care ...

, who overpowered one of the frigates in full view of Admiral Berkeley. By the end of July the fleet returned to Spithead, and no further operations during that summer being intended, Berkeley went on leave, still preserving the command. However, he never resumed it, being attacked by a

pleurisy Pleurisy, also known as pleuritis, is inflammation of the membranes that surround the lungs and line the chest cavity (Pulmonary pleurae, pleurae). This can result in a sharp chest pain while breathing. Occasionally the pain may be a constant d ...

, of which he died on 27 February 1697. He had married Jane Martha Temple, daughter of Sir John Temple of East Sheen in Surrey,

Attorney General for Ireland The Attorney-General for Ireland was an Kingdom of Ireland, Irish and then, from 1801 under the Acts of Union 1800, United Kingdom government office-holder. He was senior in rank to the Solicitor-General for Ireland: both advised the Crown on ...

, and his wife Jane Yarner, by whom he had but one daughter, who died in infancy. His widow remarried William Bentinck, 1st Earl of Portland. {{DEFAULTSORT:Berkeley of Stratton, John Berkeley, 3rd Baron 1663 births 1697 deaths 3rd Dragoon Guards officers Royal Navy admirals John Grooms of the Stool 3