Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 04.djvu/350

 three of his brothers had been for five sessions in the House of Commons, he loitered through life in a wholly purposeless way, until in August 1837 he joined his three brothers in parliament, coming in second on the poll, with 8,212 votes, as member for Bristol. At the next general election, June 1841, he was again returned for Bristol. From that time forward until the day of his death he was invariably at the head of the poll by a large majority. His first speech on the ballot was delivered 21 June 1842, when he seconded the motion of Mr. Ward, the member for Sheffield. Only the year before, in June 1841, George Grote, who had been for eighteen years the champion of the ballot, had finally retired from parliament. Berkeley was a less eloquent, an equally devoted, but a more vivacious champion of the cause. His first substantive motion on the ballot was brought forward on 8 Aug. 1848. This speech was afterwards published in an octavo pamphlet. He had frequently addressed the house before on a great variety of subjects, but never so effectively. He was seconded on the occasion by Colonel Perronet Thompson, and the resolution was carried on a division by a majority of 6, the ayes being 86 and the noes 81. On asking leave, 24 May 1849, to bring in a bill, his request was refused by a net majority of 61, the ayes being 86, and the noes 136. He was in a minority of 56 in the next session, 7 March 1860; but the year afterwards, 8 July 1851, he carried his motion by a majority of 37, the ayes being 87, and the noes 50. Although his championship of the ballot lasted over the next twenty years, he only once again obtained a majority, namely, on 27 May 1862, the ayes being 83, and the noes 50. His failures were endured by him with admirable cheerfulness. His speeches upon these occasions were always listened to with enjoyment for the wit and humour with which his arguments in favour of the ballot were enforced. Yet his annual motion came at last to be looked upon by the house rather as a good joke than as an earnest attempt at legislation. Berkeley was nevertheless seriously confident to the last that the eventual passing of the Ballot Act was certain, and, even towards the close of his life, that it was imminent. Early in the following year, 22 Jan. 1869, a test ballot was adopted at Manchester, Ernest Jones (who, however, died the day afterwards) being chosen through the ballot-box as a candidate for representing that city in parliament. Henry Berkeley died on 10 March 1870, aged seventy-five, having retained his seat in the house uninterruptedly for thirty-two years as member for Bristol. In March 1870 Mr. Leatham introduced a Ballot Bill, and Mr. Gladstone spoke in its favour. At the opening of the next session, 9 Feb. 1871, the ballot was recommended in the speech from the throne; and the bill was eventually passed in the following year, 13 July 1872.

 BERKELEY, GEORGE (1601–1658), eighth (since the writ of 1421), and thirteenth baron (since the writ of 1295) [see ], son of Sir Thomas Berkeley, by Elizabeth Cary, daughter of George, Lord Hunsdon, was born at Lowlayton on 7 Oct. 1601, and succeeded to the honours of Berkeley, Mowbray, Segrave and Bruce, on 26 Nov. 1613, by the death of his grandfather, Henry. He married, 13 April 1616, Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Sir Michael Stanhope of Sudborn, Suffolk. The ceremony was performed in the church of Great Bartholomew, London, in the presence of the parents of the contracting parties, who were respectively thirteen and nine years of age. The bride continued to reside with her father at St. John Jerusalem (St. John's Square, Clerkenwell). In the following year the bridegroom was made a knight of the Bath on the occasion of the creation of Charles Prince of Wales (3 Nov.) In 1619 (21 May) he was entered as a canon-commoner at Christ Church, Oxford, having hitherto been under the care of tutors. Here he 'was actually,' says Wood, 'created M.A.' 18 July 1623. He was regarded by his family as a linguist, and, as he spent most of his time in foreign travel, probably he succeeded in picking up a smattering of modern languages. He appears to have had landed property in Carolina. He showed his appreciation of an eccentric genius by presenting Burton, who had previously (1621) dedicated the 'Anatomy of Melancholy' to him, to the living of Segrave in Leicestershire in 1630. He died in 1658, and was buried at Cranford, Middlesex. He had two sons, of whom the elder, Charles, was drowned while crossing the Channel, 27 Jan. 1641. The younger, [q. v.], succeeded to the family honours, and in 1679 was created Viscount Dursley and Earl of Berkeley. 