Maurice Berkeley, 1st Baron FitzHardinge

The Lord FitzHardinge
Admiral Lord FitzHardinge
Born	3 January 1788
Died	17 October 1867 (aged 79) Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1802 - 1857
Rank	Admiral
Commands held	HMS Semiramis HMS Hercules
Awards	Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Other work	Member of Parliament Privy Council

Admiral Sir Maurice Frederick FitzHardinge Berkeley, 1st Baron FitzHardinge, GCB PC, DL (3 January 1788 – 17 October 1867) was a British Royal Navy First Sea Lord and former First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp to Queen Victoria.

Royal Navy career

Berkeley was born illegitimately on 3 January 1788 to Frederick Berkeley, 5th Earl of Berkeley (1745–1867) and Mary Cole (1766–1844).^[1] He entered the Royal Navy in 1802.^[1] During the Peninsular War, he operated with gunboats on the Tagus reinforcing the Lines of Torres Vedras.^[2]

Between 1828 and 1841, Berkeley commanded in succession HMS Semiramis and HMS Hercules.^[3] In the Oriental Crisis of 1840 he was involved with HMS Thunderer on the attack of Acre. For this he was awarded a Companion of the Order of the Bath and received the Naval Gold Medal.^[2]

He held the office of Fourth Naval Lord between 1833 and 1835^[3] and once again between 1837 and 1839.^[3] He held the office of Naval Aide-de-Camp to Queen Victoria between 1846 and 1849^[3] whilst also being the Third Naval Lord between 1846 and 1847 and then Second Naval Lord between 1847 and 1852 during which time he was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral.^[3] He was appointed First Naval Lord briefly in Spring 1852, then Second Naval Lord in 1853 and First Naval Lord again from 1854 to 1857.^[1]

He also held the honorary positions of Vice-Admiral of the Red from 1856, Admiral of the Blue from 1862 and Admiral of the White from 1863.

Honours

Throughout his later life he rose in the ranks within the Order of the Bath as a Knight Commander (KCB) in 1855 and finally as a Knight Grand Cross (GCB) in 1861. On 26 February 1861 after inheriting his brother's estates, he unsuccessfully claimed the Barony of Berkeley as being one by tenure of Berkeley Castle. He was created Baron FitzHardinge, of Bristol, of the city and county of the city of Bristol [U.K.] on 5 August 1861.

Political office

He was elected several times as a Member of Parliament for Gloucester, but in three separate periods. His first spell in the House of Commons was for just one year as a Whig, between 1831 and 1832.^[1] His second was as a Liberal Member, between 1835 and 1837.^[1]

In 1841, he returned to parliament again as a Liberal Member for Gloucester, remaining through two more general elections until 1857.^[1] He represented Sussex as a Deputy Lieutenant.^[2] In 1855, he was appointed as a Privy Councillor in 1855. He died in 1867 at Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire, aged 79.^[1]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} Lambert, Andrew (2004). "Berkeley, Sir Maurice Frederick Fitzhardinge, first Baron Fitzhardinge (1788–1867)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/2219. Retrieved 2007-09-21. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} Dod, Robert P. (1860). The Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage of Great Britain and Ireland. London: Whitaker and Co.. pp. 115–116. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d e} William Loney RN

Sources

• Archival material relating to Maurice Berkeley, 1st Baron FitzHardinge listed at the UK National Register of Archives
• Leigh Rayment's Peerage Pages
• Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs
• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by Maurice Berkeley

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by John Philpotts Edward Webb	Member of Parliament for Gloucester 1831 – 1833 With: Edward Webb 1831–1832 John Philpotts 1832–1833	Succeeded by John Philpotts Henry Thomas Hope
Preceded by John Philpotts Henry Thomas Hope	Member of Parliament for Gloucester 1835 – 1837 With: Henry Thomas Hope	Succeeded by John Philpotts Henry Thomas Hope
Preceded by John Philpotts Henry Thomas Hope	Member of Parliament for Gloucester 1841 – 1857 With: John Philpotts 1841–1847 Henry Thomas Hope 1847–1852 William Philip Price 1852–1857	Succeeded by Sir Robert Carden William Philip Price
Military offices
Preceded by George Barrington	Fourth Naval Lord 1833–1835	Succeeded by Sir Edward Troubridge
Preceded by Sir Edward Troubridge	Fourth Naval Lord 1837–1839	Succeeded by Sir Samuel Pechell
Preceded by Sir William Bowles	Third Naval Lord 1846–1847	Succeeded by Lord John Hay
Preceded by Sir Henry Prescott	Second Naval Lord December 1847—February 1852	Succeeded by Sir Houston Stewart
Preceded by Sir James Dundas	First Naval Lord February 1852 – March 1852	Succeeded by Hyde Parker
Preceded by Sir Phipps Hornby	Second Naval Lord January 1853— June 1854	Succeeded by Sir Richard Dundas
Preceded by Hyde Parker	First Naval Lord June 1854 – November 1857	Succeeded by Sir Richard Dundas
Peerage of the United Kingdom
New creation	Baron FitzHardinge 1861 – 1867	Succeeded by Francis Berkeley

Persondata
Name	Fitzhardinge, Maurice Berkeley, 1st Baron
Alternative names
Short description	Royal Navy admiral; Deputy Lieutenant of Sussex
Date of birth	3 January 1788
Place of birth
Date of death	17 October 1867
Place of death	Berkeley, Gloucestershire, England, UK