Sir Thomas de Berkeley Lord of Berkeley

  General Notes:

Weis' Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700, 8th Edition, 26:30, Lord Berkeley of Berkeley Castle, m. Joan de Ferrers, and they were the parents of Sir Maurice de Berkeley who married Joan de Ferrers. ¹⁶⁰

  Noted events in his life were:

• Dates & Events. ¹⁴¹
Thomas de Berkeley, lor do Berkeley, second son and heir to his brother Robert de Berkeley, is also known as "Thomas the wise". He was born at Castle Berkeley in 1245, and began his career as a soldier before he was of age, at the battle of Evesham. From that point, he is "employed against the Welsh, Scots or French" for every year after that battle.

By a writ directed to Thome de Berkel, he was summoned to attend the King at Shrewsbury, 28 Jun 1283. He was again summoned to Parliament by a writ directed to Thome de Berkelegh, lord of Berkeley, on 24 Jun 1295. He was summoned from that point until 15 May 1321 or 15 Edward II. He held the office of Vice-constable of England, 1297, was at the defeat of theScots at falkirk, 22 July 1298, and at the siege of Carlaverock in July 1300. Thomas was taken prisoner at the Battle of Bannockburn, 24 Jun 1314, and was forced to pay a large sum for his ransom. He was on the Commission to examine the claims to the Crown of Scotland, June 1292. He went to France, Jan 1296 on an Embassy, and later in July 1207, he was an Embassy to Pope Clement V.

Thomas de Berkeley married Joan, the daughter of William de Ferrers, Earl of Derby and his second wife, Margaret, daughter and coheir of Roger de quincy, Earl of Winchester. Joan died 19 Mar 1209/10 and was buried at St. Augustine's in Bristol. Thomas was about 76 years old when he died at Berkeley, 23 Jul 1321.

~Cokayne's Complete Peerage, 2nd Edition, (Berkeley), Vol.II, pp. 127-128

• Background Information.
Sir Thomas de Berkeley, was among the Barons who sent the famous letter of 1301 to the Pope in support of the King. In 35 Edward I, he was sent as ambassador, along with the Bishop of Worcester, to the court of rome respecting England's affairs with France. He brought his two sons along on the journey. He joined thomas Plantagenet, Earl of Lancaster and the Barons in their disputes between themselves and the King.

Sir Thomas, Lord of Berkeley is described as a "very wise and provident person," but he was remarkable for his magnificence of living. He kept two hundred attendants in his family, knights, esquires, yeomen, grooms, pages and husbandmen. He was was summoned to the field of battle twenty-eight times.

~The Great Governing Families of England

Thomas married Joan de Ferrières, daughter of William de Ferrières 5th Earl of Derby and Margaret de Quincy, in 1267 in Berkeley Castle, Thornbury, Gloucestershire, England.¹⁴¹ (Joan de Ferrières died on 19 Mar 1310 in Bristol, Gloucestershire, England ¹⁴¹ and was buried in 1310 in St. Augustine's, Bristol, Gloucestershire, England ^141,160.)