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 Castle before returning him to Berkeley Castle in September. Some commentators have claimed that Edward's escape was actually successful, and that someone else was later murdered in his place. Historical sources record that Edward was murdered there on 21 September 1327. Raphael Holinshed's "Chronicles" (1587 edition), drawing on earlier sources, describes Edward's murder in detail:they [the murderers] came suddenlie one night into the chamber where he laie in bed fast asléepe, and with heauie featherbeds or a table (as some [sources] write) being cast vpon him, they kept him down and withall put into his fundament [i.e., his anus] an horne,