BERKELEY, John (d.1586 or 1587), of Shenfield and Chigwell, Essex and Enfield, Mdx.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1558-1603, ed. P.W. Hasler, 1981
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

Family and Education

m., 2s. 2da.

Offices Held

Serjeant of the wine cellar.

Biography

Of a number of obscure namesakes, the most likely to have been the Lostwithiel Member was the serjeant of the wine cellar. He may have belonged to the Cornish branch of the Berkeley family, but in any case it is likely to have been the 2nd Earl of Bedford who was responsible for his return at Lostwithiel.

Berkeley made his will on 1 May 1586: in it he mentioned land in Waltham Forest and Chigwell, Essex, both freehold and copyhold, and a house at Enfield, Middlesex. This property, and his chattels, he divided among his four children. As executors he appointed his ‘well-beloved friends’, Richard Wroth, who also had land in Chigwell and Enfield, and Richard Breame, one of the officers of the Queen’s cellar. Wroth proved the will 22 Mar. 1587.

PCC 13 Spencer; St. Ch. 5/B79/2.

Ref Volumes: 1558-1603

Author: Roger Virgoe

Notes