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BERKELEY—BERNARD —BERNERS—BERTRAM .
BERKELEY, C.B., M.P. (Captain, 1814. f-p., 17; h-p., 28.)
Maurice Frederick Fitzhardinge Berkeley, born in 1788, is second son of the late Earl of Berkeley, by Miss Mary Cole, of the co. of Gloucester; next brother of the present Earl Fitzhardinge; and nephew of Admiral Hon. Sir George Cranfield Berkeley, G.C.B., who died in 1818, also of the late Countess of Granard, and of the celebrated Margravine of Anspach.
This officer entered the Navy, in June, 1802, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Constance 24, Capt. Zachary Mudge; on accompanying whom to the West Indies, as Midshipman of the Blanche 36, he “behaved nobly, and was much to be envied for his conduct,” at the capture, 4 Nov. 1803, by a boat belonging to that ship, of an armed schooner, carrying 30 men, whose obstinate resistance occasioned a loss to themselves, in 10 minutes, of 1 man killed and 5 wounded, and to the British, who numbered 28, of 1 killed and 2 wounded.[1] During his continuance in the Blanche, Mr. Berkeley witnessed the surrender, to a force under Commodore John Loring, of a French squadron with the remains of General Rochambeau’s army from Cape François – served on shore, as Aide-de-Camp to Capt. Chas. Bayne Hodgson Ross, in the unfortunate attack on Curaçoa – and, in command of a tender, took a French privateer. Between the summer of 1805, at which period he returned home an invalid in the Theseus 74, Capt. Fras. Temple, and the date of his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, 9 July, 1808, we find him continuously employed in the Cygnet sloop, Capt. Dan. M‘Leod, the Phoenix frigate, Capt. Z. Mudge, the Milan, Leander, and Leopard, flag-ships on the Newfoundland station of his uncle, the Hon. G. C. Berkeley, the Driver, Capt. Wm. Love – which sloop was totally dismasted during a violent hurricane, and compelled to have her guns thrown overboard – and, as Master’s Mate, in the Triumph 74, Capt. Sir Thos. Masterman Hardy. Being then appointed to the Hydra 38, Capt. Geo. Mundy, he was constantly employed during a period of 18 months on detached service off Barcelona and other parts of the coast of Spain, and on one occasion, in command of the boats, he captured an armed felucca. In Feb. 1810, Mr. Berkeley became Flag-Lieutenant to his uncle, who had been appointed to the chief command at Lisbon, on board the Barfleur 98; and in the following autumn was sent up the Tagus in charge of a division of gunboats, for the purpose of co-operating with the troops occupying the lines of Torres Vedras. The ability he displayed in the performance of the various duties which there devolved upon him, and the gallant and successful manner in which he made a descent, on 13 Oct., upon the town of Villa Franca, obtained for him the thanks of Lord Wellington in public orders. He was promoted from the Barfleur to the command, 19 Dec. 1810, of the Vestal troop-ship, but left that vessel, after serving for some months at the defence of Cadiz, in Nov. 1811. As a Post-Captain, which rank he attained 7 June, 1814, Capt. Berkeley commanded, from 27 May, 1828, until 1831, the Semiramis 24, bearing the flag at Cork of Sir Chas. Paget, and, from 31 Jan. 1840, until superseded, 28 July, 1841, the Thunderer 84. In the latter ship he took part in all the operations of the Syrian campaign, and was most efficiently present at the camp at D’Journi, the bombardment of Beyrout, the storming of Sidon,[2] and the capture of St. Jean d’Acre. He was in consequence nominated a C.B., and presented, in common with the other commanding officers, with the Turkish gold medal. He is at present on half-pay.
Capt. Berkeley, who was first returned to Parliament for the city of Gloucester in 1832, and again elected in 1835 and 1841, filled a seat at the Board of Admiralty from 3 April, 1833, until 23 Dec. 1834. He was re-appointed 22 July, 1837, but resigned in March, 1839, owing to a difference of opinion with his colleagues as to the propriety of sending ships to foreign stations with reduced complements of men.[3] On the accession of the Whigs to power in the summer of 1846, Capt. Berkeley was again appointed a Lord of the Admiralty. He still officiates in that capacity. He married, first, 4 Dec. 1823, Charlotte, sixth daughter of Charles fourth Duke of Richmond, by whom, who died in 1833, he had several children; and, secondly, 30 Sept. 1834, Charlotte, third daughter of Thomas Earl of Ducie. His eldest daughter, Frederica Charlotte, married, in 1845, Lord Gifford. Capt. Berkeley is a Deputy-Lieutenant for the co. of Sussex. Agents – Messrs. Halford and Co.
BERNARD. (Lieutenant, 1841.)
Henry Bernard entered the Navy 7 Oct. 1820; passed his examination 6 Dec. 1826; served for some time as Mate in the Hercules 72, Capt. Edw. Barnard, and Britannia 120, flag-ship of Sir John Acworth Ommanney, on the Lisbon and Mediterranean stations; and obtained his commission 28 Aug. 1841. His appointments have since been – 28 Oct. 1841, to the Siren 16, Capt. Wm. Smith, in the East Indies – 5 March, 1845,.to the Vindictive 50, flag-ship in North America and the West Indies of Sir Fras. Wm. Austen – and, 27 Feb. 1846, to the command of the Pickle schooner, on the same station, where he still serves. Agent – Joseph Woodhead.
BERNERS. (Commander, 1842.)
Hugh Berners, born in July, 1801, is second son of the Rev. Hen. Denny Berners, of Wolverstone Park, Suffolk, Archdeacon of that county, by Sarah, daughter of John Garrett, Esq., of Freemantle, Hants.
This officer entered the Navy 4 Aug. 1814; and was promoted to a Lieutenancy, 17 July, 1824, in the Sparrowhawk 18, Capt. Rob. Stuart, employed in the Mediterranean. His next appointments were, 25 June, 1827, and 31 Oct. 1828, to the Isis 50, and Camelion 10, commanded on the same station by Capts. Sir Thos. Staines and Sir Thos. Pasley. He has since been on half-pay. His advancement to the rank he now holds took place 28 Jan. 1842. Commander Berners married, in 1832, Julia, daughter of John Ashton, Esq., of the Grange, Cheshire, by whom he has issue a son and three daughters. Agents – Messrs. Stilwell.
BERTRAM. (Captain, 1814. f-p., 17; h-p., 36.)
Charles Bertram was born, 20 April, 1777, at Jersey.
This officer entered the Navy, 18 Aug. 1794, as A.B., on board the Nonsuch floating battery, Capt. Phil. D’Auvergne, Prince de Bouillon, but was soon draughted into the Anson 44, Capt. Phil. Chas. Durham. During a continuance in the latter ship of more than two years, part of which period he held the rating of Midshipman, Mr. Bertram assisted at the capture of a large number of heavy privateers and other armed vessels – was present in Lord, Bridport’s action with the French fleet off Ile de Groix, 23 June, 1795 – attended immediately afterwards the disastrous expedition sent to co-operate with the Royalists in Quiberon Bay, where, in ultimately bringing off in the boats of the squadron such as could be rescued from the fury of the republican troops, he received a slight bayonet wound in the calf of the right leg – and on 20 March, 1796, the Anson forming part of a squadron under Sir John Borlase Warren, aided in capturing L’Etoile of 30 guns, one of five French frigates in escort of a provision fleet of 70 sail. On 23 Nov. 1797, soon after his appointment to the Porcupine 28, Capts. Chas. Dudley Pater and And. Fitzherbert Evans, and when on his passage to Halifax in a captured brig, Mr. Bertram was taken by the French frigate Républicain, conveyed a prisoner to France, and there detained, subject to all the horrors of dungeon captivity, until exchanged, in March, 1799. He then
