Berkley Genealogical Records
Berkley Birth & Baptism Records
An index to births registered throughout England & Wales. Provides a reference to order copies of birth certificates from the national registrar of births, marriages and deaths – the General Register Office.
Transcriptions of 255 parish baptism registers. They list children, their parents' names, residences, occupations and sometimes other details.
Transcriptions of copies of parish registers that were compiled for the Bishop of Wells.
A collection of indexes and transcripts of birth and baptism records that cover over 250 million people. Includes digital images of many records.
An index to births registered at the central authority for England & Wales. The index provides the area where the birth was registered, mother's maiden name from September 1911 and a reference to order a birth certificate.
Berkley Marriage & Divorce Records
An index to marriages registered throughout England & Wales. This is the only national marriage index that allows you to search by both spouse's names. Provides a reference to order copies of marriage certificates from the national registrar of births, marriages and deaths – the General Register Office.
Brief notes on marriages occurring in Berkley from 1547 to 1872.
Marriage records from people who married at the church between 1755 and 1872.
Marriage records from people who married at the church between 1547 and 1753.
An index of 369,186 Somerset marriages. Condition and residence may be included.
Berkley Death & Burial Records
An index to deaths registered throughout England & Wales. Provides a reference to order copies of death certificates from the national registrar of births, marriages and deaths – the General Register Office.
Details extracted from tombs, monuments and plaques.
Burial records covering those buried at Blessed Virgin Mary, Berkley_. This resource is an index and may not include all the details that were recorded in the burial registers from which they were extracted.
Transcriptions of around half the parish burial registers for Somerset. They list the name of the deceased, the date of their death and/or burial and sometimes other details, such as age and occupation.
An index to vital details engraved on over 25,000 monuments across the county of Somerset.
Berkley Census & Population Lists
An index to and digital images of records that detail 40 million civilians in England and Wales. Records list name, date of birth, address, marital status, occupation and details of trade or profession.
The 1911 census provides details on an individual's age, residence, place of birth, relations and occupation. FindMyPast's index allows searches on for multiple metrics including occupation and residence.
A transcription of records naming those who had taxes levied against them for the privilege of owning a hearth.
Digital images of books the list people eligible to vote in Somerset. Includes addresses and nature of that address.
An early census of men able to serve in the militia.
Newspapers Covering Berkley
A record of births, marriages, deaths, legal, political, organisation and other news from the Wells area. Original pages of the newspaper can be viewed and located by a full text search.
Original images of a local newspaper, searchable via a full text index. Includes news from the Bath area, business notices, obituaries, family announcements and more.
A searchable newspaper providing a rich variety of information about the people and places of the Bristol district. Includes obituaries and family announcements.
A considerable run of the newspaper for 1761. Original images, searchable by an OCR index.
A politically independent newspaper, covering the affairs of Dorset, Devon, Cornwall and Somerset. It includes family notices.
Berkley Wills & Probate Records
Searchable index and original images of over 12.5 million probates and administrations granted by civil registries. Entries usually include the testator's name, date of death, date of probate and registry. Names of relations may be given.
Summaries of 1,616 wills that may detail family relationships, land ownership and other details.
An index to estate administrations performed by the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. The index covers the southern two thirds of England & Wales, but may also contain entries for northerners.
A calendar to wills and admons granted by the Archdeaconry of Leicester. Contains year of the grant, name and residence.
A searchable database of mid-17th Century probates performed by the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. Supplies details of testator and executor.
Berkley Immigration & Travel Records
A name index connected to original images of passenger lists recording people travelling from Britain to destinations outside Europe. Records may detail a passenger's age or date of birth, residence, occupation, destination and more.
A full index of passenger lists for vessels arriving in the UK linked to original images. Does not include lists from vessels sailing from European ports. Early entries can be brief, but later entries may include dates of births, occupations, home addresses and more. Useful for documenting immigration.
An index to and images of documents recording over 1.65 million passengers who arrived in Victoria, Australia, including passengers whose voyage was paid for by others.
Details on over 600,000 non-British citizens arriving in England. Often includes age and professions. Useful for discerning the origin of immigrants.
Details on thousands of 17th century British immigrants to the U.S., detailing their origins and nature of their immigration.
Berkley Military Records
An index to almost 11,000 men connected with Somerset who died during WWI.
An early census of men able to serve in the militia.
A history of the regiment in the run-up to and during the Napoleonic Wars.
A list of names found on World War One monuments in Somerset, with some service details.
A list of names found on World War Two monuments in Somerset, with some service details.
Berkley Court & Legal Records
A collection of charters, writs, letters, conveyances and other records from the Dean & Chapter of Wells.
Transcripts of a large number of records detailing investigations into deaths.
An index to names and places mentioned in act books of the Province of Canterbury. It records various licences and conferments, such as marriage and physician licences.
Records of over 300,000 prisoners held by quarter sessions in England & Wales. Records may contain age, occupation, criminal history, offence and trial proceedings.
Over 175,000 records detailing prisoner's alleged offences and the outcome of their trial. Contains genealogical information.
Berkley Taxation Records
A transcription of records naming those who had taxes levied against them for the privilege of owning a hearth.
An index to 11,000,000 parcels of land and property, connected to digital images of registers that record their owner, occupier, description, agricultural use, size and rateable value.
This vital collection details almost 1.2 million properties eligible for land tax. Records include the name of the landowner, occupier, amount assessed and sometimes the name and/or description of the property. It is a useful starting point for locating relevant estate records and establishing the succession of tenancies and freehold. Most records cover 1798, but some extend up to 1811.
An index linked to original images of registers recording apprenticeship indentures. Details are given on the trade and nature of apprenticeship. Many records list the parents of the apprentice.
A compilation of records from the Court of the Exchequer primarily dealing with taxes and land. These records are in Latin.
Berkley Land & Property Records
A collection of charters, writs, letters, conveyances and other records from the Dean & Chapter of Wells.
An index to 11,000,000 parcels of land and property, connected to digital images of registers that record their owner, occupier, description, agricultural use, size and rateable value.
This vital collection details almost 1.2 million properties eligible for land tax. Records include the name of the landowner, occupier, amount assessed and sometimes the name and/or description of the property. It is a useful starting point for locating relevant estate records and establishing the succession of tenancies and freehold. Most records cover 1798, but some extend up to 1811.
Poll books record the names of voters and the direction of their vote. Until 1872 only landholders could vote, so not everyone will be listed. Useful for discerning an ancestor's political leanings and landholdings. The collection is supplemented with other records relating to the vote.
Abstracts of records detailing the estates and families of deceased tenants from the reigns of Henry III and Edward I.
Berkley Directories & Gazetteers
An exhaustive gazetteer, containing details of settlement's history, governance, churches, postal services, public institutions and more. Also contains lists of residents with their occupation and address.
A comprehensive place-by-place gazetteer, listing key contemporary and historical facts. Each place has a list of residents and businesses. Contains details on local schools, churches, government and other institutions.
A comprehensive place-by-place gazetteer, listing key contemporary and historical facts. Each place has a list of residents and businesses. Contains details on local schools, churches, government and other institutions.
A comprehensive place-by-place gazetteer, listing key contemporary and historical facts. Each place has a list of residents and businesses. Contains details on local schools, churches, government and other institutions.
A comprehensive place-by-place gazetteer, listing key historical and contemporary facts. Contains details on local schools, churches, government and other institutions. Also contains a list of residents and businesses for each place.
Berkley Cemeteries
Details extracted from tombs, monuments and plaques.
An index to vital details engraved on over 100,000 monuments across the county of Somerset.
Photographs and descriptions of Somerset's most illustrious church monuments, often featuring effigies, medieval inscriptions and heraldic devices.
Images of millions of pages from cemetery and crematoria registers, photographs of memorials, cemetery plans and more. Records can be search by a name index.
Photographs and transcriptions of millions of gravestones from cemeteries around the world.
Berkley Obituaries
The UKs largest repository of obituaries, containing millions of searchable notices.
A growing collection currently containing over 425,000 abstracts of obituaries with reference to the location of the full obituary.
A collection of 364 obituaries of Quakers from the British Isles. The volume was published in 1849 and includes obituaries of those who died in late 1847 through 1848.
This transcribed and searchable work by Sir William Musgrave contains 10,000s of brief obituaries. The work is a reference point for other works containing information on an individual.
A text index and digital images of all editions of a journal containing medical articles and obituaries of medical practitioners.
Berkley Histories & Books
Selected issues of a periodical which contains many historical and genealogical tracts relating to the counties of Somerset and Dorset.
A history of Catholicism in South West England with biographies of noted Catholics. Contains details of the Dominican, Benedictine, and Franciscan orders.
A detailed history of the county's hundreds, parishes and religious houses.
Photographs and images of churches in Somerset.
A history of turnpikes and tollhouses in Somerset. Includes profiles of individual turnpikes.
Berkley School & Education Records
A name index connected to digital images of registers recording millions of children educated in schools operated by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education. Records contain a variety of information including genealogical details, education history, illnesses, exam result, fathers occupation and more.
A name index linked to original images of registers recording the education and careers of teachers in England & Wales.
A name index linked to original images of short biographies for over 120,000 Oxford University students. This is a particularly useful source for tracing the ancestry of the landed gentry.
A transcript of a vast scholarly work briefly chronicling the heritage, education and careers of over 150,000 Cambridge University students. This is a particularly useful source for tracing the ancestry of the landed gentry.
A searchable database containing over 90,000 note-form biographies for students of Cambridge University.
Berkley Occupation & Business Records
Abstracts of apprenticeship indentures initiated by parishes in Somerset. These records provide details on parents' names and occupations.
An introduction to smuggling on the west coast of Britain & the Isle of Man, with details of the act in various regions.
Histories of Somerset pubs, with photographs and lists of owners or operators.
Profiles of coal and metal mines in the south of England.
An index of Glamorgan police officers who came from the West Country.
Pedigrees & Family Trees Covering Berkley
Pedigrees of Somerset gentry families, including depictions of their arms. The book also contains some biographical information.
A detailed history of the county's hundreds, parishes and religious houses.
Extensive and impeccably sourced genealogies for British, Irish & Manx royalty and nobility. Scroll down to 'British Isles' for relevant sections.
A searchable database of linked genealogies compiled from thousands of reputable and not-so-reputable sources. Contains many details on European gentry & nobility, but covers many countries outside Europe and people from all walks of life.
A searchable book, listing pedigrees of titled families and biographies of their members.
Berkley Royalty, Nobility & Heraldry Records
Pedigrees of Somerset gentry families, including depictions of their arms. The book also contains some biographical information.
A detailed history of the county's hundreds, parishes and religious houses.
Photographs and descriptions of Somerset's most illustrious church monuments, often featuring effigies, medieval inscriptions and heraldic devices.
Extensive and impeccably sourced genealogies for British, Irish & Manx royalty and nobility. Scroll down to 'British Isles' for relevant sections.
A searchable database of linked genealogies compiled from thousands of reputable and not-so-reputable sources. Contains many details on European gentry & nobility, but covers many countries outside Europe and people from all walks of life.
Berkley Church Records
A collection of charters, writs, letters, conveyances and other records from the Dean & Chapter of Wells.
Abstracts of apprenticeship indentures initiated by parishes in Somerset. These records provide details on parents' names and occupations.
A history of Catholicism in South West England with biographies of noted Catholics. Contains details of the Dominican, Benedictine, and Franciscan orders.
Transcriptions of registers that record baptisms, which typically occur shortly after birth; marriages and burials. They can help establish links between individuals back to the 16th century.
An index to vital details engraved on over 25,000 monuments across the county of Somerset.
Biographical Directories Covering Berkley
Brief biographies of thousands of notable Somerset men.
A searchable book, listing pedigrees of titled families and biographies of their members.
A book containing genealogies and biographies of Britain's titled families.
A book containing genealogies and biographies of Britain's titled families.
Brief biographies of Anglican clergy in the UK.
Berkley Maps
Digital images of maps covering the county.
Detailed maps covering much of the UK. They depict forests, mountains, larger farms, roads, railroads, towns, and more.
Maps showing settlements, features and some buildings in mainland Britain.
An index to 11,000,000 parcels of land and property, connected to digital images of registers that record their owner, occupier, description, agricultural use, size and rateable value.
Maps of parishes in England, Scotland and Wales. They are useful in determining which parish records may be relevant to your research.
Berkley Reference Works
A beginner’s guide to researching ancestry in England.
Compiled in 1831, this book details the coverage and condition of parish registers in England & Wales.
A comprehensive guide to researching the history of buildings in the British Isles.
A service that provides advanced and custom surname maps for the British Isles and the US.
A dictionary of around 9,000 mottoes for British families who had right to bear arms.
Civil & Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction
Historical Description
BERKLEY is a parish and small village, 2 ½ miles north-east from Frome station on the Great Western railway, in the Frome division of the county, Frome hundred, petty sessional division, union and county court district, rural deanery of Frome, archdeaconry of Wells and diocese of Bath and Wells. The church of St. Mary, rebuilt in 1751, is an edifice of stone in the Italian style, consisting of chancel, nave, aisles, west porch and a small western tower with a balustraded parapet and pinnacles and containing 4 bells: the church has a dome said to be a copy of that of St. Stephen’s, Walbrook, London: in the chancel are three memorial windows to Mrs. Sheppard: there are sittings for 180 persons. The register dates from the year 1547. The living is a rectory, net yearly income £230, including 56 acres of glebe, with residence, in the gift of William Henderson esq. and held since 1892 by the Rev. Henry Montague Crossing M.A. of Corpus Christi college, Cambridge. “Berchlie” Manor belonged at the Conquest to Roger Arundel, and was held at a later period by the Newboroughs, a full account of whom may be seen on a monumental stone in the parish church, tracing their descent from the time of the Conquest to 1680, when the daughter of Roger Newborough, the last male heir, married John Prowse esq. of Compton Bishop; she died in 1740, and the last heir male of the Prowse family, Thomas Prowse esq. left two daughters, co-heiresses, one of whom, Elizabeth, married Sir John Mordaunt bart. M.P. for Warwickshire, and the other the Rev. Methuen Rogers, who held the Berkley estates for many years after the decease of his wife (who died without issue) by the courtesy of England, and at his death in 1834 they passed to the head of the Mordaunt family, by whom they have since been held. The trustees of the late Sir Charles Mordaunt bart. of Walton Hall, Warwick (d. 1897) and William Henderson esq. J.P. who is lord of the manor, are the principal landowners. Berkley House, a plain building north-east of the church, is the residence of William Henderson esq.: in the house are two portraits, said to be those of William III. and Mary, in whose reign the house is supposed to have been built by Thomas Prowse esq. who then represented this county in Parliament. The soil is loam and stone brash; the subsoil, day. The land is chiefly in pasturage for dairy purposes. The area is 1,981 acres; rateable value, £3,786; the population in 1901 was 355 in the civil and 336 in the ecclesiastical parish.
By Local Government Board Order 16,087, March 25, 1885, a detached part of Standerwick was added to this, parish, and Staplemead amalgamated with this parish from Laverton, while detached parts of Berkley were transferred to Frome and Beckington.
National School (mixed), erected in 1861, at the expense of the late lord of the manor, who enlarged it in 1874,11 for 120 children; average attendance, 68.
Most Common Surnames in Berkley
| Rank | Surname | Incidence | Frequency | Percent of Parent | Rank in Frome Hundred |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Olding | 25 | 1:13 | 42.37% | 1,416 |
| 2 | Taylor | 15 | 1:22 | 0.61% | 7 |
| 3 | Davis | 14 | 1:23 | 0.55% | 5 |
| 4 | Bishop | 13 | 1:25 | 1.03% | 35 |
| 5 | Naish | 12 | 1:27 | 5.63% | 429 |
| 6 | Northeast | 9 | 1:36 | 90.00% | 4,470 |
| 6 | Youdle | 9 | 1:36 | 64.29% | 3,674 |
| 8 | Nash | 8 | 1:41 | 1.85% | 187 |
| 8 | Daniells | 8 | 1:41 | 42.11% | 3,072 |
| 8 | Avon | 8 | 1:41 | 40.00% | 2,987 |
| 11 | Bennett | 7 | 1:46 | 0.62% | 42 |
| 11 | Hooper | 7 | 1:46 | 0.61% | 40 |
| 11 | Singer | 7 | 1:46 | 4.12% | 529 |
| 14 | Martin | 6 | 1:54 | 0.44% | 28 |
| 14 | Young | 6 | 1:54 | 0.44% | 27 |
| 14 | Mason | 6 | 1:54 | 2.14% | 317 |
| 14 | Freeman | 6 | 1:54 | 4.88% | 744 |
| 14 | Wheeler | 6 | 1:54 | 1.18% | 153 |
| 14 | Sims | 6 | 1:54 | 1.31% | 172 |
| 14 | Haines | 6 | 1:54 | 1.95% | 290 |
| 14 | Parfitt | 6 | 1:54 | 1.00% | 116 |
| 14 | Viner | 6 | 1:54 | 4.76% | 728 |
| 14 | Crees | 6 | 1:54 | 3.92% | 594 |
| 14 | Hathway | 6 | 1:54 | 6.12% | 935 |
| 14 | Stay | 6 | 1:54 | 54.55% | 4,240 |
| 26 | Hill | 5 | 1:65 | 0.20% | 6 |
| 26 | Harris | 5 | 1:65 | 0.24% | 12 |
| 26 | Webb | 5 | 1:65 | 0.45% | 44 |
| 26 | Heath | 5 | 1:65 | 3.03% | 548 |
| 26 | Carpenter | 5 | 1:65 | 0.92% | 134 |
| 26 | Pickford | 5 | 1:65 | 1.98% | 357 |
| 26 | Cray | 5 | 1:65 | 5.68% | 1,028 |
| 33 | Knight | 4 | 1:81 | 0.35% | 41 |
| 33 | Sadler | 4 | 1:81 | 8.16% | 1,627 |
| 33 | Wilcox | 4 | 1:81 | 1.15% | 252 |
| 33 | Tovey | 4 | 1:81 | 1.63% | 368 |
| 33 | Stride | 4 | 1:81 | 2.96% | 680 |
| 33 | Dredge | 4 | 1:81 | 3.15% | 716 |
| 33 | Phippen | 4 | 1:81 | 2.90% | 665 |
| 40 | Sheppard | 3 | 1:108 | 0.39% | 79 |
| 40 | Pike | 3 | 1:108 | 0.43% | 99 |
| 40 | Perrett | 3 | 1:108 | 1.03% | 303 |
| 40 | Dicker | 3 | 1:108 | 7.32% | 1,863 |
| 40 | Hargrave | 3 | 1:108 | 42.86% | 5,654 |
| 45 | Millard | 2 | 1:162 | 0.28% | 86 |
| 45 | Burnside | 2 | 1:162 | 100.00% | 10,160 |
| 45 | Webley | 2 | 1:162 | 3.08% | 1,315 |
| 45 | Haine | 2 | 1:162 | 2.41% | 1,086 |
| 49 | Brown | 1 | 1:324 | 0.04% | 9 |
| 49 | White | 1 | 1:324 | 0.03% | 3 |
| 49 | Moore | 1 | 1:324 | 0.12% | 68 |
| 49 | Adams | 1 | 1:324 | 0.08% | 30 |
| 49 | Saunders | 1 | 1:324 | 0.13% | 81 |
| 49 | Carr | 1 | 1:324 | 1.09% | 984 |
| 49 | Francis | 1 | 1:324 | 0.12% | 70 |
| 49 | Short | 1 | 1:324 | 0.22% | 176 |
| 49 | Horton | 1 | 1:324 | 1.33% | 1,185 |
| 49 | Jacobs | 1 | 1:324 | 0.41% | 371 |
| 49 | Wicks | 1 | 1:324 | 1.49% | 1,286 |
| 49 | Whittington | 1 | 1:324 | 1.67% | 1,396 |
| 49 | Chapple | 1 | 1:324 | 0.53% | 491 |
| 49 | Purdy | 1 | 1:324 | 8.33% | 4,036 |
| 49 | Pask | 1 | 1:324 | 100.00% | 12,126 |
| 49 | Hanes | 1 | 1:324 | 16.67% | 6,245 |
| 49 | Parkhurst | 1 | 1:324 | 50.00% | 10,160 |
| 49 | Gunstone | 1 | 1:324 | 9.09% | 4,240 |
| 49 | Marsdon | 1 | 1:324 | 100.00% | 12,126 |
| 49 | Dubois | 1 | 1:324 | 25.00% | 7,808 |
| 49 | Rosseter | 1 | 1:324 | 14.29% | 5,654 |
| 49 | Lampier | 1 | 1:324 | 33.33% | 8,898 |