Background
Berkeley was the sixth son of Frederick Berkeley, 5th Earl of Berkeley, by Mary Cole, daughter of William Cole.
Berkeley was the sixth son of Frederick Berkeley, 5th Earl of Berkeley, by Mary Cole, daughter of William Cole.
He was educated at Corpus Christi College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.
He was commissioned into the Coldstream Guards and afterwards transferred to the 82nd Regiment of Foot. In 1836 he proposed the admission of ladies to the gallery of the House of Commons. This was granted in 1841.
After 1852 he devoted himself largely to field sports and writing.
In 1836, Berkeley assaulted magazine publisher James Fraser over a review he published in Fraser"s Magazine of Berkeley Castle. He subsequently fought a duel with the review"s author William Maginn.
Three rounds of shots were fired, but no one was struck. Their two sons Swinburne and Edward died in 1865 and 1878 respectively.
Berkeley died on 20 February 1881, aged 81.
11th United Kingdom Parliament. 12th United Kingdom Parliament. 13th United Kingdom Parliament.
14th United Kingdom Parliament.
15th United Kingdom Parliament]
Berkeley sat as Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire West from 1832 to 1852 as a Whig.