C.P. Correction: Death date of Richard Berkeley, Esq., of Stoke Giffard, Gloucestershire

[Douglas Richardson]

Dear Newsgroup ~

Various newsgroup members are descended from Richard Berkeley, Esq., of Stoke Giffard, Gloucester, son and heir of William Berkeley, K.B., of Weoley (in Northfield), Worcestershire, by his wife, Anne Stafford. Richard's date of death has been reported in standard secondary sources such as Burke and Debrett as 1514.

Indeed Complete Peerage, 2 (1912): 234 (sub Botetourt) gives Richard Berkeley's date of death as 1514.

The 1514 date likely originates from a Berkeley pedigree found in the published visitations of Somerset:

Benolte, Vis. of Somerset 1531, 1573 & 1591 (1885): 5–6 (Berkley ped.: “Richard [Berkeley] of Stoke, d. 1514. = Eliz., d. Sr. Hum. Coningsby, she d. 1546.”).

In another visitation, Richard Berkeley, Esq., is reported to have died 3 or 4 Henry VIII [i.e., 1511-1513]:

Chitting & Phillipot, Vis. of Gloucester 1623, 1569 & 1582–3 (H.S.P. 21) (1885): 8–9 (Barkley ped.: “Richard Barkley of Stoke in com. Gloster Esq’re ob. 3 or 4 H. 8. = Elizabeth d. of Sir Humffrey Conningsby of… in com.… Knt.”).

Elsewhere Smyth, Berkeley Manuscripts 1 (1883): 263 states that Richard Berkeley died 5 Henry VIII [i.e., 1513-1514].

So we have death dates ranging from 1511 to 1514 for Richard Berkeley, Esq. Which date is correct?

While better evidence can surely be found, the following record from the A2A Catalogue indicates that Richard Berkeley, Esq., died before May 1513, and was survived by his wife, Elizabeth Coningsby:

Gloucestershire Archives: Badminton Muniments Volume II, Estate & Household, D2700/MJ1/3

Date: 1513

"Jn Conyngesby's account of receipt of rents from the Glos estates of Ric. Berkeley, Esq., decd, for Easter - May, including jointure and dower of his widow Elizabeth, and payments. Includes list of lands sold by Ric. Berkeley during his lifetime, including the manor of Kingston Seymour and lands in Uley and Berwick [Henbury] [110.1.1]" END OF QUOTE.

If anyone has better particulars regarding Richard Berkeley's date of death, I'd appreciate hearing from them here on the newsgroup.

Best always, Douglas Richardson, Salt Lake City, Utah

[Douglas Richardson]

Dear Newsgroup ~

As a followup to my earlier post regarding Richard Berkeley, Esq., I should add that Elizabeth Coningsby, widow of Richard Berkeley, Esq., married (2nd) John Fitz James, Knt., Chief Justice of the King’s Bench. Her remarriage is discussed in Tuttiett, Sixteenth Century Court Book of Siston (2002): 60.

Lady Fitz James left a will dated 30 Nov. 1545, proved 8 May 1546 (P.C.C. 9 Alen). An abstract of her will is published in Weaver, Somerset Medieval Wills 3 1531–1558 (Somerset Rec. Soc. 21) (1905): 86–88, which may be viewed at the following weblink:

http://books.google.com/books?id=lPIGAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Weaver+Somerset+Medieval+Wills+1531%E2%80%931558&hl=en&sa=X&ei=CJP5UdvODsKRygG91oGABQ&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Weaver%20Somerset%20Medieval%20Wills%201531%E2%80%931558&f=false

In Lady Fitz-James' will, she requests that if she dies in Gloucestershire or within 6 miles of Westbury, then her body is to be buried in the College of Westbury "by her first husband Richard Barckleye, Esquier."

From this statement, we learn that Richard Berkeley, Esq., was buried in the College of Westbury, Gloucestershire, in which place there was a college for a dean and canons [see Dugdale, Monasticon Anglicanum 6(3) (1830): 1439].

A family group sheet for Richard Berkeley, Esq., and his wife, Elizabeth Coningsby, is found at the following weblink:

http://histfam.familysearch.org/getperson.php?personID=I4614&tree=Nixon

The family group sheet cites the wrong death date [1514] for Richard Berkeley, Esq., and is missing his place of burial. Likewise no mention is made of his wife's remarriage.

[Douglas Richardson]

Dear Newsgroup ~

The following record proves that Richard Berkeley, Esq., was living in 1510.

In 1510 Henry Dacrez, Citizen and merchant of London, sued Richard Berkeley, Esq., of Gyfford, Gloucestershire, in the Court of Common Pleas regarding a debt.

Court of Common Pleas, CP40/990, rot. 848d (available at http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT2/H8/CP40no990/bCP40no990dorses/IMG_0848.htm).

[Robert O'Connor]

Elizabeth was also mentioned in her father's will (Proved at P.C.C., 26 Nov. 1536) as “my daughter Elizabeth, late wife of Richard Berkeley, & now the wife of Sir John Fitz James, Kt.” under which she received a bequest of “£80 which was owing to me by the said Richard at the time of his death, for the marriage of the three daughters of the said Richard Berkeley & Elizabeth".

Robert

[Douglas Richardson]

On Thursday, August 1, 2013 12:53:20 AM UTC-6, Robert O'Connor wrote:

< Elizabeth was also mentioned in her father's will (Proved at P.C.C., 26 Nov. <1536) as “my daughter Elizabeth, late wife of Richard Berkeley, & now the wife <of Sir John Fitz James, Kt.” under which she received a bequest of “£80 which <was owing to me by the said Richard at the time of his death, for the marriage <of the three daughters of the said Richard Berkeley & Elizabeth".

< Robert

Dear Robert ~

Thanks for posting this information. Much appreciated.

Do you have a reference for this will or a weblink for an abstract?

Sincerely, Douglas Richardson, Salt Lake City, Utah

[Robert O'Connor]

Douglas

I will have downloaded the original PCC will from the UK National Archives site. Unfortunately, I can't check or scan a copy of it and send it to you as following the earthquake here of 2011 all of my household goods (including my papers) are in storage. The extract that I posted is taken from my digital files.


Best wishes
Robert

[Douglas Richardson]

Dear Robert ~

Thank you for your good post.

An abstract of the will of Sir Humphrey Conyngesby, Knt. is published in Waters, Genealogical Memoirs of the extinct Family of Chester of Chicheley 1 (1878): 260–261. It may be viewed at the following weblink:

http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101073398685;view=1up;seq=304

The will is dated 15 Nov. 1531, proved 26 Nov. 1535 (P.C.C. 30 Hogen).

Hopefully this will save you from the need to order a copy of the will.

If the above weblink doesn't work, perhaps you can call up the book by going to the main website at:

www.hathitrust.org

Mr. Waters discusses the testator's daughter, Elizabeth Coningsby, wife successively of Richard Berkeley, Esq., and John Fitz James, Knt., Chief Justice of the King’s Bench. He states Richard Berkeley, Esq., died in 1513. His source for this death date appears to be "Inq. p.m. Ricardi Berkeley Arm. 5 Hen. VIII."

The regnal year 5 Henry VIII falls in 1513-1514.

Best always, Douglas Richardson, Salt Lake City, Utah

[CE Wood]

It is also on Google Books, same pages, http://books.google.com/books?id=oGMBAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=#v=onepage&q=260&f=false

CE Wood

[Robert O'Connor]

Thank you Douglas, but as I said in my previous post I already have a copy of this PCC will downloaded from the National Archives website, it is just inaccessible to me at the moment.

Robert