Lord William BERKELEY^[1]

1426 - 1492  (66 years)

• Name	William BERKELEY  [2, 3, 4]
  Prefix	Lord
  Birth	1426	Berkeley Castle, Thornbury, Gloucestershire, England   [2, 4]
  Gender	Male
  TitleOfNobility	1490	England   [5]
  	TitleOfNobility
  Name	8th\1St Earl Of NOTTINGHAM
  _FSFTID	K66Y-Z7K
  _FSLINK	https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/K66Y-Z7K
  _UID	6EB264E8825F47C18DC7E82DF5229D3EB026
  Burial	1492	Church Of The Augustine Friars, London, England   [5]
  Death	14 Feb 1492	Westminster, England   [2, 4, 5]
  Person ID	I13428	Carney Wehofer July 2025
  Last Modified	12 Dec 2022

  
  

  Father	James "The Just" 1St Baron De BERKELEY, Sir,   b. Abt 1394, Raglan, Monmouthshire, Wales d. Nov 1463, Berkeley Castle, Thornbury, Gloucestershire, England (Age ~ 69 years)
  Mother	Isabel De MOWBRAY,   b. Abt 1396, Bristol, Gloucestershire, England d. 27 Sep 1452, Gloucester Castle (As A Prisoner Of Margaret DE Beauchamp) (Age ~ 56 years)
  Alt. Marriage	Abt 1420  [6]
  	Alt. Marriage
  Marriage	Between 1423 and 1424	2ND Husband 3Rd Wife   [2, 7, 8]
  Family ID	F6529	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Elizabeth WEST,   b. Bef 1433, Oakhanger, Hampshire, England d. Yes, date unknown
  Marriage	1466	1st Wife - Divorced By 1467   [4]
  Family ID	F6419	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	29 Aug 2016

  
  

  Family 2	Joan STRANGEWAYS,   b. Abt 1427, Harlsey Castle, Yorkshire, England d. 24 Feb 1483 (Age ~ 56 years)
  Marriage	Nov 1468	2ND Wife   [4]
  Alt. Marriage	Nov 1468	Harlsey Castle, Yorkshire, England   [9]
  	Alt. Marriage
  Children	1. Thomas BERKELEY,   b. Mar 1469, Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England d. Aft Jun 1475 (Age ~ 6 years)   2. Katherine BERKELEY,   b. 1474, Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England d. 1476, Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England (Age 2 years)
  Family ID	F6418	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	12 Dec 2022

  
  

  Family 3	Anne De FIENNES,   b. Abt 1468, Herstmonceux Castle, Hailsham, Sussex, England d. 10 Sep 1497, St. George's Chapel, Windsor, Berkshire, England (Age ~ 29 years)
  Marriage	Abt 1486	3rd Wife   [4]
  Family ID	F6417	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	29 Aug 2016

  
  

• Notes

  William de Berkeley, 2nd Lord (Baron) Berkeley and 1st and last Marquess of Berkeley, KB (1475), PC (1482/3); b. 1426; involved in a family dispute with Margaret, Countess of Shrewsbury and his great-uncle (the 5th) Lord Berkeley's other heirs general over the family estates, challenged by the Countess's grandson Viscount Lisle to single combat 20 Mar 1369/70 to settle the claim and did so by killing Lord Lisle, created 21 April 1481 Viscount Berkeley; on inheriting half the enormous estates of the Mowbray family he was further created 28 June 1483 Earl of Nottingham, Earl Marshal and Great Marshal of England Feb 1485/6; settled 1487 Berkeley Castle and most of his other properties on himself in tail general with remainder to Henry VII in tail male with further remainder to his own rightful heirs (it may well be the alienation of Berkeley Castle for several generations following his death that led to the failure of his immediate successors as Lord Berkeley to take their seats in Parliament), created 28 Jan 1488/9 Marquess of Berkeley, assumed between 1481 and 10 Feb 1484/5 the title of Viscount of Catherlough, co. Carlow; m. 1st 1466 (divorce 1467) Elizabeth West, daughter of 3rd Lord (Baron) West and 6th Lord (Baron) La Warre of the 1298/9 created; m. 2nd Nov 1468 Joan (d. 24 Feb 1484/5), daughter of Sir Thomas Strangeways by Katherine, daughter of 1st Earl of Westmorland; m. 3rd c 1486 Anne (m. 2nd Sir Thomas Brandon, KG, uncle of 1st Duke of Suffolk of the 1514 creation, and d. 10 Sep 1497), daughter of Sir Thomas Fiennes, and dsps 14 Feb 1491/2, when all his titles except the Barony of Berkeley expired, having had children (but none that surived him) by his 2nd wife. [Burke's Peerage] ----------------------------------------------------- BARONY OF BERKELEY (II) 1463 EARLDOM OF NOTTINGHAM (VIII, 1) 1483 to 1492 VISCOUNTCY OF BERKELEY (I) 1481 MARQUESSATE OF BERKELEY (I) 1489 to 1492 WILLIAM (DE BERKELEY), LORD BERKELEY, son and heir of the last Lord, by Isabel, his wife, who "may bee called William the Wast all." He was born at Berkeley Castle, 1426, was in the retinue of Cardinal Beaufort at Calais about 1438, and, on his return, while still under age, was knighted. He petitioned the Crown against the claims of Margaret, Countess of Shrewsbury, and other the heirs general of his great-uncle Thomas, to the Berkeley estates, which petition was pending when the Countess died in June 1468. By her grandson and heir, Thomas (Talbot), Viscount Lisle, he, though but 19, was challenged to settle the claim by combat, which took place 20 March 169/70, at Nibley Green, wherein the Viscount was slain. K.B. at the investiture of Edward, Prince of Wales, 18 April 1475. On the marriage of the heiress of the Mowbray family to the King's younger son, the Duke of York, he released his right to a reversion of a moiety of her estates if she died s.p. (which happened soon afterwards on 16 January 1477/8) to the King and his issue in tail male (which issue became extinct in 1483), receiving a discharge for debts amounting to £34,000, and being, when the grant was ratified by Parliament, created VISCOUNT BERKELEY, 21 April 1481. P.C. 5 March 1482/3. The vast estates of the Mowbray family being divided between him and his cousin (the other coheir) Lord Howard, each was honoured with some of their extinct titles by the new King, Richard III. He was accordingly, on 28 June 1483, created EARL OF NOTTINGHAM, while, on the same day, Lord Howard was created Duke of Norfolk and Earl Marshal. At the coronation of Henry VII, 30 October 1485, he was Bearer of the Third Sword, having been created joint Lord High Steward and Earl Marshal for the occasion. On 19 February 1485/6 he was created EARL MARSHAL and GREAT MARSHAL OF ENGLAND, with remaider to the heirs male of his body. On 9 November 1487 he was joint Lord High Steward at the coronation of Elizabeth, the Queen Consort. On 10 December 1487, and subsequently, he settled the Castle and honour of Berkeley, the Barony of Bedford, the Barony of Gower, and the greater part of his manors and Iands in England, Wales, and Ireland, on himself in tail general, with remainder to the King in tail male, with remainder to his own right heirs. For this consideration he received permission (of which he freely availed himself) to alienate divers other Iands, and was created, 28 January 1488/9, MARQUESS OF BERKELEY. He married 1stly, [at the age of about 41) in 1466, Elizabeth, daughter of Reynold (WEST), LORD DE LA WARR by Margaret, daughter of ROBERT THORLEY. From her he was divorced shortly afterwards, against which she appealed to Pope Paul II, who issued letters thereon, 20 November 1467. He married, 2ndly, November 1468, Joan, widow of Sir William WILLOUGHBY, daughter of Sir Thomas STRANGWAYS, by Katharine, daughter of Ralph (Nevill] EARL OF WESTMORLAND. She died 24 February 1484/5, and was buried at St Augustine's Friars, London. He married 3rdly, about 1486, Anne, daughter of Sir Thomas FIENNES (son and heir apparent of Richard, LORD DACRE), by Alice, daughter of Henry (FITZ HUGH), LORD FITZ HUGH. He died s.p.s., 14 February 1491/2, in the Sanctuary at Westminster, in his 67th year, and was buried at St. Augustine's Friars afsd. not leaving sufficient assets to pay the arrears of wages due to his household. At his death the Marquessate of Berkeley and the Earldom of Nottingham became extinct. His widow married Sir Thomas BRANDON, K.G., whose will, dated 11 January 1509/10, was proved 11May 1510. She died 10 September 1497, and was buried at St. George's Chapel. Windsor. [Complete Peerage II: 133-35, (transcribed by Dave Utzinger)] Note: CP IV:9 states that Anne's father was John, not Thomas (same person, just wrong name). -------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------- Following copied from Berkeley Family page, www.rotwang.freeserve.co.uk/Family.html: -------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------- William Lord Berkeley, Earl Marshal of England (-1492) James and Isabel's eldest son, William (the Waster) accumulated many riches and honours. Of his inheritance from his mother's family he gave over 50 manors to King Henry VII. William was challenged to battle by Viscount Lisle, heir of the Earl of Shrewsbury. In the last battle between private hosts on English soil, the battle of Nibbley Green, the Viscount was defeated and killed by William's superior forces, including archers from the forest of Dean. William's forces rode at once to Wooton, to sack the place. The Viscount's widow promptly miscarried, and so the direct Talbot line ended. This finally ended the dispute between the two families. William became Lord Berkeley, Earl Marshal of England, Earl of Nottingham, Viscount Dursley, Marquis of Berkeley, and probably lots of other things as well. He outlived his three children, but then disinherited his brother because he had "married beneath him"; an Alderman's daughter named Isabel Meade. He left Berkeley Castle and its estates to the crown for 'entail male', which meant that only with the extinction of the Royal male line on the death of King Edward VI (-1553) did the Castle revert once more to the Berkeley line. My own person feelings about this man are that given the events surrounding the end of the Plantagenet line, and the start of the Tudors, with Henry VII's victory at Bosworth, and his subsequent ruthless purging of all those who stood in his way, it would not be surprising to find that William found himself with little choice but to make over the bulk of his wealth to the King's line.

  
  

• Sources

  [S579] Jim Weber. [S289] Burke's Peerage & Baronetage, 106th Edition, Charles M o s l e y Editor-in-Chief, 1999, 255, 26 May 2003. (Reliability: 3). [S1160] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch Family Tree (http://www.familysearch.org), ((http://www.familysearch.org)), accessed 12 Dec 2022), entry for William "Waste-All" 1St Marquess BERKELEY, person ID K66Y-Z7K. (Reliability: 3). [S63] Complete Peerage of England Scotland Ireland Great Britain and the United Kingdom, by G. E Cokayne, Sutton Publishing Ltd, 2000, II:133-5 (Reliability: 3). [S1160] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch Family Tree (http://www.familysearch.org), ((http://www.familysearch.org)), accessed 12 Dec 2022), entry for William Berkeley, person ID K66Y-Z7K. (Reliability: 3). [S1160] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch Family Tree (http://www.familysearch.org), ((http://www.familysearch.org)), accessed 13 Dec 2022), entry for Isabel De MOWBRAY, person ID K4F4-GKQ. (Reliability: 3). [S25] Magna Charta Sureties 1215, Frederick Lewis Weis, additions by Walter Lee Sheppard Jr, 5th Edition, 1999, 28B-10, 66-8 (Reliability: 3). [S63] Complete Peerage of England Scotland Ireland Great Britain and the United Kingdom, by G. E Cokayne, Sutton Publishing Ltd, 2000, II:132 (Reliability: 3). [S1160] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch Family Tree (http://www.familysearch.org), ((http://www.familysearch.org)), accessed 12 Dec 2022), entry for Joan STRANGEWAYS, person ID LTKB-Q6P. (Reliability: 3).