Charles Berkeley, 2nd Viscount Fitzhardinge

Charles Berkeley, 2nd Viscount Fitzhardinge (1599 - 12 June 1668) was an English politician who sat in the House of Commons variously between 1621 and 1668.

Berkeley was the son of Sir Maurice Berkeley of Bruton, Somerset. He matriculated at Queen's College, Oxford on 3 November 1615 aged 15. He was knighted in 1623.^[1]

In 1621 Berkeley was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Somerset. He was elected MP for Bodmin in 1624 and for Heytesbury in 1625, 1626 and 1628. He sat until 1629 when King Charles decided to rule without parliament for eleven years.^[2]

In April 1640, Berkeley was elected MP for Bath in the Short Parliament.^[2]

Following the Restoration, Berkeley was elected MP for Heytesbury in 1661 for the Cavalier Parliament and sat until his death.^[3] Before his death he succeeded, by special remainder to the title Viscount Fitzhardinge on the death of his son Charles who was killed in a naval engagement with the Dutch on 3 June 1665.^[1]

Berkeley married Penelope Godolphin. He was succeeded by his son Charles Berkeley, 1st Earl of Falmouth.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Alumni Oxonienses, 1500-1714: Bennell-Bloye, Alumni Oxonienses 1500-1714: Abannan-Kyte (1891), pp. 106-141. Date accessed: 18 February 2011
2. ^ ^{a b} Browne Willis Notitia parliamentaria, or, An history of the counties, cities, and boroughs in England and Wales: ... The whole extracted from mss. and printed evidences 1750 pp229-239
3. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "H" (part 3)

Parliament of England
Preceded by Sir Robert Phelips Sir Francis Hastings	Member of Parliament for Somerset 1621-1622 With: Robert Hopton	Succeeded by John Sims Sir Robert Phelips
Preceded by Sir John Trevor James Bagg	Member of Parliament for Bodmin 1624 With: Thomas Stafford	Succeeded by Robert Caesar Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of St Albans
Preceded by Sir John Saye Sir Henry Mildmay	Member of Parliament for Heytesbury 1625-1629 With: Edward Bysshe 1625 William Blake 1626 William Rolfe 1628-1629	Succeeded by Parliament suspended until 1640
Preceded by Parliament suspended since 1629	Member of Parliament for Bath 1640 With: Alexander Popham	Succeeded by William Bassett Alexander Popham
Preceded by Thomas Moore John Joliffe	Member of Parliament for Heytesbury 1661-1668 With: John Joliffe	Succeeded by John Joliffe William Ashe