Berkeley family
Encyclopedia
The Berkeley family has an unbroken male line of descent from a Saxon
ancestor before the Norman conquest of England
in 1066 to the present day.
, the son of Eadnoth the Constable
(Alnod), a high official under King Edward the Confessor
. The town of Berkeley
is located in the county of Gloucestershire
and is situated about five miles west of Dursley
and eighteen southwest of Gloucester
, and northeast of Bristol
. It was chartered by King Edward I
to be governed by a mayor and alderman
, but the corporation was annulled in 1885. The place confers the title of Earl
and Baron
on the Berkeley family. The manor embraces nearly thirty parishes and is one of the largest in England
; it was given by William the Conqueror
to Roger de Berkeley, Lord of Dursley. From "The Peerage, Baronetage, and Knightage of the British Empire", "The Earl of Berkeley", pp 70-71 (1882).
The Berkeley family of Berkeley Castle
is one of few families in England that can trace its lineage in the male line back to Saxon times.
Saxons
The Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
ancestor before the Norman conquest of England
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
in 1066 to the present day.
History
The family reputedly descends from HardingHarding
- Places :Australia* Harding RiverSouth Africa* Harding, KwaZulu-NatalUnited States* Harding, Minnesota* Harding, New Jersey* Harding, Wisconsin* Harding County, New Mexico* Harding County, South Dakota* Harding Icefield, Alaska...
, the son of Eadnoth the Constable
Eadnoth the Constable
Eadnoth the Constable, also known as Eadnoth the Staller, was an Anglo-Saxon landowner and steward to Edward the Confessor and Harold II, mentioned in Domesday Book as having 30 holdings in Devon, Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire before the Norman conquest. He may also have been the same person as...
(Alnod), a high official under King Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor also known as St. Edward the Confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066....
. The town of Berkeley
Berkeley, Gloucestershire
Berkeley is a town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It lies in the Vale of Berkeley between the east bank of the River Severn and the M5 motorway within the Stroud administrative district. The town is noted for Berkeley Castle where the imprisoned Edward II was murdered.- Geography...
is located in the county of Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire 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....
and is situated about five miles west of Dursley
Dursley
Dursley is a market town in Gloucestershire, England. It is under the North East flank of Stinchcombe Hill , and about 6 km South East of the River Severn. The town is adjacent with Cam which, though a village, is a community of double the size...
and eighteen southwest of Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
, and northeast of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
. It was chartered by King Edward I
Edward I of England
Edward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
to be governed by a mayor and alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
, but the corporation was annulled in 1885. The place confers the title of Earl
Earl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...
and Baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
on the Berkeley family. The manor embraces nearly thirty parishes and is one of the largest in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
; it was given by William the Conqueror
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
to Roger de Berkeley, Lord of Dursley. From "The Peerage, Baronetage, and Knightage of the British Empire", "The Earl of Berkeley", pp 70-71 (1882).
The Berkeley family of Berkeley Castle
Berkeley Castle
Berkeley Castle is a castle in the town of Berkeley, Gloucestershire, UK . The castle's origins date back to the 11th century and it has been designated by English Heritage as a grade I listed building.The castle has remained within the Berkeley family since they reconstructed it in the...
is one of few families in England that can trace its lineage in the male line back to Saxon times.
See also
- Baron BerkeleyBaron BerkeleyThe 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 II de Berkeley, 1st Baron Berkeley, 6th feudal Baron Berkeley, in 1295, but the title of that creation became extinct at the death of...
- Clan BarclayClan Barclay-Origins of the clan:Since the eighteenth century, Barclay historians, noted for their low level in medieval scholarship, have assumed the Scottish family Barclay is a branch of one of the Anglo-Norman Berkeley family of Berkeley in Gloucestershire...
- Saxon lineage - the Arden familyArden familyThe Arden family is, according to an article by James Lees-Milne in the 18th edition of Burke's Peerage/Burke's Landed Gentry, volume 1, one of only three families in England that can trace its lineage in the male line back to Anglo-Saxon times...
- Saxon lineage - the Swinton family.