The FitzHarding lords of Berkeley hold the castle and the whole hundred of Berkeley, the rich Severn-side 'herness' between Gloucester and Bristol, as a liberty of their own, with the patronage of St Augustine's Abbey in Bristol that Robert FitzHarding founded.
They came from the Bristol merchant class and rose with Henry II; the older Berkeleys, dispossessed in 1153, keep Dursley a few miles away.
Who he is
- Name
- Robert de Berkeley (died 1220)
- Title
- Lord of Berkeley
- Since
- 16 June 1190, on the death of his father Maurice
- Born
- About 1165
- Family
- Grandson of Robert FitzHarding, the Bristol burgess who financed Henry II's cause and was given Berkeley in 1153-54. His mother Alice was the daughter of Roger de Berkeley of Dursley, of the older Berkeley line, married to his father to seal the settlement between the two families. His heir (he has no son) is his brother Thomas.
- Confidence
- high
Robert succeeded in 1190; he will join the rebels in 1215 and lose Berkeley until 1216-17.
Overlord
King John
What it holds
- Berkeley castle and the hundred of Berkeley (the herness): Berkeley, Wotton, Cam, Slimbridge, Arlingham, Alkington, Hinton and other members
- Patronage of St Augustine's Abbey, Bristol (founded 1140)
- Lands about Bristol: Bedminster and Redcliffe on the Somerset bank were FitzHarding family holdings (which branch held them in 1200 is not pinned)
How it was acquired
Henry II's grant to Robert FitzHarding in 1153-54, confirmed after his accession; the Dursley line kept Dursley.
Allies and rivals
The Berkeleys of Dursley (the older line); the burgesses of Bristol; the honour of Gloucester, now in the king's hand.
How things stand that morning
Held by Robert de Berkeley.
Wealth
The Vale of Berkeley's corn, cattle and Severn fisheries; close ties to Bristol trade. No figures.
Military
Berkeley castle (shell keep on a motte, much rebuilt in stone by the FitzHardings); the herness's knights.
Threats
- Royal pressure for fines and service
Places of note
- Berkeley castle: Caput
- Dursley: Castle of the older Berkeley line
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: The descent is well recorded (Smyth's Lives of the Berkeleys, Complete Peerage); the outlying Bristol holdings are not pinned.
On the map: The herness is drawn as one block; Dursley inside it was the other Berkeley line's.
Primary sources for England
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Chronicle of Jocelin of Brakelond, Jocelin of Brakelond (about 1198 to 1203). An inside account of Bury St Edmunds under Abbot Samson, written while the events were fresh. Read online
- Chronicle of Melrose, Anonymous (monks of Melrose abbey) (about 1173 to 1270, in many hands; the 1200 entries are near contemporary). The main Scottish annal for the year, kept at a Cistercian house on the Tweed. Read online
- Chronicle of Roger of Howden, Roger of Howden (about 1192 to 1201). The fullest single narrative for the year. Read online
- Chronicle of the Princes, Anonymous (Welsh translation of a lost Latin chronicle kept at Strata Florida) (Latin original to about 1282, compiled from contemporary annals; Welsh versions about 1300 and later). The native Welsh record of the year. Read online
- Chronicle; Deeds of the Kings, Gervase of Canterbury (Chronica about 1188 to 1199; Gesta Regum about 1199 to 1210). The Chronica stops in 1199, so for 1200 the witness is the briefer Gesta Regum, which notes John's peace with Philip, the coronation of Isabella at Westminster on 8 October 1200, and matters touching Canterbury: the archbishop Hubert Walter as chancellor, the cathedral priory's quarrel with him, and the Lambeth college dispute lately settled by the pope. Read online
- English Chronicle of Ralph of Coggeshall, Ralph of Coggeshall (about 1200 to 1224, in stages). Short but independent entries for 1200 from a Cistercian house in Essex: John's levy on the Cistercians and the carucage, the peace with Philip, the king's new marriage and the queen's coronation, and the death of Hugh of Lincoln. Read online
- Flowers of History, Roger of Wendover (about 1220 to 1235 at St Albans). For 1200 Wendover is mostly Howden rewritten, so he is a second witness only where he adds St Albans material: a long account of Hugh of Lincoln's last months, death and funeral, and anecdotes about John's conduct toward the Cistercians and his new queen. Read online
- Images of History, Ralph de Diceto (about 1188 to 1202). A London view of the year from the dean of St Paul's, who knew the justiciar and the bishops personally. Read online
22 more in the sources library for The British Isles.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.