Thomas "The Hopefull" BERKELEY

(6th B. Berkeley)

Born: 1505

Died: 22 Sep 1534

Father: Thomas BERKELEY (5° B. Berkeley)

Mother: Eleanor CONSTABLE (B. Berkeley)

Married 1: Mary HASTINGS (B. Berkeley)

Married 2: Anne SAVAGE (B. Berkeley)

Children:

1. Elizabeth BERKELEY

2. Muriel BERKELEY

3. Henry BERKELEY (7° B. Berkeley)

Born at Hovingham, and was taken at an early age to France by his uncle Maurice, who had just been appointed Governor of Calais, and was by him educated at St. Omer's as the heir of the family. He remained there eight years, and on his return to England was much employed about his father's suits at law, for which he shewed much aptitude, especially in his proceedings to obtain restitution of Berkeley Castle and manors. Many of his papers on these subjects remained at the Castle in 1622; and Mr. Smyth says that of all his family he wrote the best hand, and had the best knowledge of the Latin language. His labours were however ineffectual, and the Crown still retained possession of the Berkeley Castle estates, although hopes continued to be held out to the family of their ultimate restitution. Six weeks after his father's death lord Berkeley received the grant of the Constableship of the Castle, which had by that event become vacant.

Lord Berkeley's first wife was Mary, daughter of lord Hastings, who died without issue in 1533. He afterwards married Anne, daughter of Sir John Savage of Frodsham, Cheshire, who had borne the train of Anne Boleyn, on her marriage to Henry VIII, and the match was said to have been contrived by the King and Queen. Of this lady Mr. Smyth says that she was a Lady of a masculine spirit, over-powerful with her Husband, seldom at rest with herself, never wanting matter of suit or discontent to work upon. Of complexion she was of a comely brown, of a middle stature, and most tender-hearted to her children, whom she would scarcely allow out of her sight, so much so that, as they afterwards complained, it interfered with their education. She was a Catholic, and always remained so, and much attached to her religion, for which Queen Mary and the Clergy of that time much favoured her. She survived her husband many years, and resided at several places, but after her son came of age she settled at Callowdon, near Coventry, where she died in 1564, and was buried in St. Michael’s Church, Coventry. Thomas died in 1534, at Stone, near Dartford, Kent, and was buried there. At his death his only issue was a daughter, but nine weeks afterwards a son was born, who succeeded to the title and estates as Henry Lord Berkeley.

By the Dissolution of Monasteries and the Statute of Chantries, in 1536 and 1540, the Berkeley family lost the advowsons and presentations to a great many abbeys, nunneries, and priories, and other patronage, which had accrued to them through many generations as founders and founders' kin amongst others those of Croxton, Kirkby, Chawcombe, Burton-lazars, St. John Baptist in Melton Mowbray, Combe in Warwickshire, St. Augustine, St. Katherine, and St. Mary Magdalen in Bristol, Longbridge, in Berkeley, Tintern, Newenham, and Eppworth, in Axholme, Fountains, Byland, and Newburgh, in Yorkshire; also eighty knights' fees, which these and other Abbeys held of them; also the daily prayers and services of the monks, many rents, reliefs, and accustomed services, the education of their children, who were often committed to the care of the monks and nuns for that purpose, the care of old servants, and many other like duties incident to them as founders and lords of manors.

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