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
Maurice Berkeley, 3rd Baron Berkeley was disinherited by his elder brother William Berkeley, 1st Marquess of Berkeley, 2nd Baron Berkeley (1426–1492), who died without surviving progeny. As he never therefore possessed Berkeley Castle, he had no claim to the ancient feudal barony of Berkeley, which was dependent on landholdings. It was assumed (according to a very unusual legal rationale) that the barony by writ created in 1412 was also held dependent on the tenure of Berkeley Castle (that is to say it was deemed a feudal barony or barony by tenure), and that it had thereby been forfeited by association, and thus Maurice never assumed