John Berkeley, 5th Baron Berkeley of Stratton (16 May 1697 – 18 April 1773), styled The Honourable John Berkeley until 1741, was a British politician, the last 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 ...

Background and education

Berkeley was the son of

William Berkeley, 4th Baron Berkeley of Stratton William Berkeley, 4th Baron Berkeley of Stratton PC, PC (I) (died 24 March 1741), was a British politician and judge, of the Bruton branch of the Berkeley family. He was Master of the Rolls in Ireland between 1696 and 1731 and also held polit ...

, by Frances, daughter of Sir John Temple, Speaker of the

Irish House of Commons The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from 1297 until the end of 1800. The upper house was the Irish House of Lords, House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, ...

. He was educated at

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

.thepeerage.com John Berkeley, 5th Baron Berkeley of Stratton
/ref>

Political career

Berkeley was returned to parliament as one of two representatives for Stockbridge in 1735, a seat he held until 1741, when he succeeded his father in the barony and took his seat in the

House of Lords The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...

. In 1743 he was appointed

Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard The Captain of the King's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard is a Government of the United Kingdom, UK Government post usually held by the Government Whip (politics), Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Lords. The present Captain is Margaret Whe ...

, which he remained until 1746. He was sworn of the Privy Council in 1752 and served as

Treasurer of the Household The Treasurer of the Household is a member of the Royal Households of the United Kingdom, Royal Household of the Monarchy of the United Kingdom, Sovereign of the United Kingdom. The position is usually held by one of the government deputy Chief ...

between 1755 and 1756 and Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen Pensioners between 1756 and 1762. From 1762 to 1770 he was

Lord-Lieutenant of the Tower Hamlets The Constable of the Tower is the most senior appointment at the Tower of London. In the Middle Ages a constable was the person in charge of a castle when the owner—the king or a nobleman—was not in residence. The Constable of the Tower had a ...

and

Constable of the Tower of London The Constable of the Tower is the most senior appointment at the Tower of London. In the Middle Ages a constable was the person in charge of a castle when the owner—the king or a nobleman—was not in residence. The Constable of the Tower had a ...

Personal life

Lord Berkeley of Stratton was married but had no children. He died at a family home,

Bruton Abbey Bruton Abbey in Bruton, Somerset was founded as a house of Augustinian canons in about 1127, and became an abbey in 1511, shortly before its dissolution in 1539. It was endowed with manors, churches and other properties in the area and also in ...

Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...

, in April 1773, aged 75, when the barony became extinct. He devised his grand estates which included

Berkeley Square Berkeley Square is a garden square in the West End of London. It is one of the best known of the many squares in London, located in Mayfair in the City of Westminster. It was laid out in the mid 18th century by the architect William Kent, ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, to his kinsman the

Frederick Augustus Berkeley, 5th Earl of Berkeley Colonel Frederick Augustus Berkeley, 5th Earl of Berkeley (24 May 1745 – 8 August 1810) was a British peer and militia officer who served as the Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire from 1766 to 1810. Origins and education Berkeley was the elde ...

, his own branch descended in the male line from a

Baron Berkeley The title Baron Berkeley originated as a feudal title and was subsequently created twice in the Peerage of England by writ. It was first granted by writ to Thomas de Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley (1245–1321), 6th feudal Baron Berkeley, in 12 ...

who died in 1326, with some later shared female ancestry.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Berkeley Of Stratton, John Berkeley, 5th Baron 1697 births 1773 deaths Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford Berkeley, John Lord-lieutenants of the Tower Hamlets Constables of the Tower of London Berkeley, John Members of the Privy Council of Great Britain Treasurers of the Household

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 * Second E ...