John Berkeley (1352–1428) John Berkeley (1352–1428) Sir John Berkeley (1352–1428), of Beverston Castle, Gloucestershire was an English politician. He was the son of Thomas de Berkeley, 3rd Baron Berkeley of Berkeley Castle and Katherine Clivedon. He was knighted before 1383. He was appointed High Sheriff of Somerset and Dorset for 1390–91 and 1394–95, High Sheriff of Gloucestershire for 1392–93, 1397–98 and 1414–15, High Sheriff of Hampshire for 1402–03 and 1406–07, and High Sheriff of Wiltshire for 1410–11. He was a Member (MP) of the Parliament of England for Gloucestershire in February 1388, September 1388 and January 1397, for Somerset in November 1390 and
Berkeley, Gloucestershire 824 as "Berclea", from the Old English for "birch lea". Berkeley was a significant place in medieval times. It was a port and market-town, and the meeting place of the hundred of Berkeley. After the Norman Conquest, a Flemish noble named Roger de Tosny was appointed Provost of the manor of Berkeley by his brother-in-law (or perhaps uncle) Earl William FitzOsbern. His family took the name "de Berkeley", and it was he who began the construction of Berkeley Castle, which was completed by his son, also Roger. A younger son of the elder Roger, John de Berkeley, went north to