Sir Maurice de Berkeley

  General Notes:

Weis' Ancestral Roots of Certain American Colonists Who Came to America Before 1700, 8th Edition, 26:29, 39:30, 59:31, Lord Berkeley of Berkeley Castle, m. Eva la Zouche, and they were the parents of Isabel de Berkeley who married Robert de Clifford, son of Roger de Clifford. Eve was the daughter of Eudo la Zouche and Milicent de Cantelou, daughter of William de Cantelou, Baron of Abergavenny. Parent of Milicent (Ela) de Berkeley, married to John Mautravers, son of John Mautravers and Eleanor de Gorges, daughter of Sir Ralph de Gorges, of Litton and Wraxall. ¹⁶⁰

  Noted events in his life were:

• Background Information. ¹⁴¹
Maurice de Berkeley, Lord of Berkeley, son and heir to Thomas, and son of Margaret de Quincy, has also been called Maurice the Magnanimous. He proved himself to be a great warrior during the Scottish wars that took place between 1295 and 1318. He was also present at the siege of Carlaverock in July 1300.

Maurice was summoned to parliament from 16 Aug 1308 (2 Edward II) until 15 May 1328 (14 Edward II) by writs directed to Mauricio de Berkeleye, Lord of Berkeley. He served as Warden of Gloucester in 1312, Captain of Berwick, 1315, a Commissioner to Scotland, 1316, Chief Justiciar of South Wales 1317, and Seneschal of Aquitaine, 1320. Marice joined the Earl of Lancaster in his rebellion against Edward II and the Despenser family, and within six months of his father's death, he was imprisoned at Wallingfordcastle on 20 Jan 1321/2. He died there about four years later.

Maurice de Berkeley married, first, 1289, Eve, sister of William la Zouche and daughter of Eudes Zouche and his wife Milicent, daughter of William de Cantelou of Bergavenny. Eve la Zouche died 5 Dec 1314 and was buired at Portbury Church, Somerset. His second wife was Isabel, daughter of Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester and Hertford, and his first wife Alice, daughter of Hugh XI le Brun, Sire de Lusignan, comté de Marche and Angoulême, who was the half-brother through their mothers of King Henry III. Maurice de Berkeley died on 31 May 1326 and was buried at Wallingford, and later moved to St. Augustine's Priory, Bristol. His Inquisition Post Mortem took place in Feb 1326/27 (1 Edward III) Isabel de Clare, his widow, died in 1333.

~Cokayne's Complete Peerage, 2nd Edition, (Berkeley), Vol.II, pp. 128-129

• Background Information. ⁸⁹⁹
Maurice, who had been already called to Parliament during the life of his father, as Lord Berkeley of Berkeley Castle, he along with his father and his sons, rose against the Despencers. They joined with the Earls of Lancaster and Hereford, and laid waste to the estates of these King's favorites. By early 1322, the King regained the upper hand, and deafeated Lancaster at the battle of Boroughbridge on March 16. Maurice was arrested and jailed for failing to obey the King's summons to join him against the Earl of Lancaster, and seized all the Berkeley estates. Maurice was jailed at Wallingford Castle and died their as a prisoner 31 May 1326. The enemies of the Berkeleys used this time to imprison anyone considered friend or family to the common jails. They were so ill treated that redress was sought and ovtained from the King two years later, and all were releashed brom the jails.

Maurice, Lord of Berkeley left three sons, who were layment, and who were clerks. His eldest son, Thomas succeeded him. His second son, Maurice, was the ancestor of the Berkeleys of Stoke-Giffard, the Lords of Bottetourt, the Viscounts of Fitz Hardinge in Ireland, and the Lords Berkeley of Stratton. The third son, John, was the ancestor of the Berkeleys of Shropshire.

~The Great Governing Families of England, p 228

Maurice married Eva la Zouche, daughter of Eudes la Zouche and Millicent de Cantelou.¹⁴¹ (Eva la Zouche died on 5 Dec 1314 in England ¹⁴¹ and was buried in 1314 in Portbury Church, Somerset, England ¹⁴¹.)