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  son of Frederick Augustus, fifth Earl of Berkeley, (who died Aug. 8, 1810), by Mary, daughter of Mr. William Cole, of Wootton, in the county of Gloucester.

This officer was born early in 1788. We first find him serving as midshipman on board the Blanche frigate, Captain Zachary Mudge, by whom he is represented to have “behaved nobly” in that ship’s launch, under the command of Mr. John Smith, master’s-mate, at the capture of a French schooner, mounting one long 9-pounder, with a complement of 30 men, on the Jamaica station, Nov. 4, 1803. His first commission bears date July 9, 1808.

Lieutenant Berkeley commanded the armed boats sent up the Tagus, to co-operate with the troops occupying the lines of Torres-Vedras, and Lord Hill’s division at Alhandra, in the autumn of 1810. On the 13th Oct. he made a successful descent on the town of Villa Franca, from which the enemy fled with precipitation, and the loss of their commander, General Lucroix, who was cut down by the British seamen, and afterwards buried by them, with military honors, in the presence of the contending armies. The loss sustained bv the naval detachment in the performance of this gallant exploit, was only eight men killed and wounded.

