(591) Berney of Reedham, Kirby Bedon and Barton Bendish, baronets

Berney baronets

The Berneys are one of the most ancient of Norfolk families. Blomefield believed they could trace their origin to the village of Berney (now Barney in Fulmodeston), where the first of the family to be mentioned was Adam de Berney in the late 12th century, but the early references he found did not allow him to construct a coherent pedigree before the time of Sir Thomas de Berney (d. 1389). He married the daughter and heiress of Sir William de Redham, through which the family acquired their estate at Reedham on the River Yare, close to the Suffolk border. In the genealogy below, I take up the story with Henry Berney (d. 1585), who built a new seat on his Reedham estate, which seems to be the first property of the family that could be defined as a country house, although we have no visual image of it. Henry was succeeded by his eldest son, Sir Thomas Berney (1565-1616), kt., who was knighted as part of the Coronation celebrations of King James I in 1603, and served as High Sheriff of Norfolk in 1610-11. The family seem to have been on an upward social trajectory at this time, and Sir Thomas, his siblings and his children mostly made marriages with other county gentry families. His two eldest sons having died without issue in his lifetime, Sir Thomas was succeeded by his third son, Sir Richard Berney (c.1594-1668), 1st bt., who was raised to a baronetcy in 1620 and served as High Sheriff in 1622-23. He was a Parliamentarian in the Civil War, as the majority of Norfolk gentry were, but he is not known to have played any particular role in either the fighting or county governance. Unfortunately, he fell out with his eldest son over the latter's desire to become a lawyer and to choose his own wife, and disinherited him, so at his death the Reedham estate passed to his second son, Richard Berney (c.1621-80), while the baronetcy passed to the spurned eldest son, Sir Thomas Berney (c.1619-94), 2nd bt. Richard Berney was High Sheriff in 1662-63 and 1669-70, but proved to be a poor choice of custodian for the Reedham estate, as he burned his way through a large cash legacy in little more than a decade. At his death he did make some provision for the younger children of his elder brother, but the funds were left in the hands of his own son, Richard Berney (1650-95), who continued the dissipation of the estate, and they were still unpaid when he in turn died fifteen years later. The younger Richard left large debts and had no choice but to instruct his executors to sell the Reedham estate to meet them and to finally pay the outstanding legacies.

The third son of the 1st baronet was John Berney (d. 1689), who lived at Westwick (Norfk), but inherited the manor of Elsing (Norfk) in right of his wife. He in turn had two sons: John, who inherited the Westwick and Elsing estates, which were later divided between his two daughters; and Richard Berney (1674-1738), a lawyer and leading figure in Norwich, who acted as Clerk of the Peace for Norfolk. Richard also inherited the Langley Park estate from another branch of the Berney family, which had held it since the dissolution of the monasteries, and probably around 1730, he built a new two storey house at Langley, which had a five-bay entrance front and seven-bay garden front.

Langley Park: the house after enlargement in c.1742-44.

Perhaps partly through the expense of building, Richard became financially over-extended, and in 1736 he went bankrupt. He died not long afterwards, and the Langley Park estate was sold in 1739 and the house greatly enlarged to the design of Matthew Brettingham in c.1742-44.

To revert to the main line of the family, Sir Thomas Berney (c.1619-94), 2nd bt., did get to study law but not to marry the girl he wanted, and indeed he did not marry at all until 1653, when he made a match with a daughter of the governor of the Landguard Fort in Suffolk. They settled in Colchester and later in Norwich, where Sir Thomas probably worked as a solicitor, and had a family of six sons and five daughters. In 1655 he bought an estate at Barton Bendish on the edge of the fens, but this seems to have been an investment property and he never lived there. Several of his children died young, and one of his sons was hanged for murder, but the baronetcy and the Barton Bendish estate descended to his eldest son, Sir Richard Berney (1655-1706), 3rd bt., who followed his father into the law, married a daughter of the Branthwayte family of Hethel (Norfk), and had no less than sixteen children, including two sets of twins. By 1690 - and thus during his father's lifetime - Sir Richard had made a home at Kirby Bedon Hall, south-east of Norwich. He was at first probably a tenant, but in 1704 he purchased the freehold and the estate remained with his descendants until about 1836, when it was sold and the house demolished.

The 3rd baronet was succeeded in turn by his two eldest sons, Sir Richard Berney (1688-1711), 4th bt., who died unmarried, and Sir Thomas Berney (1690-1742), 5th bt. The latter married Elizabeth Folkes, the daughter of a Grays Inn lawyer who was also the ultimate heir to a sugar plantation in Barbados named after her grandfather, Samuel Hanson (d. 1689?), which was a financially significant addition to the family estates. The value of the property (later estimated as £2,500 a year, net) no doubt explains why Sir Thomas' heir was named Sir Hanson Berney (1722-78), 6th bt. With Sir Hanson, the family probably reached the peak of its prosperity. From his father he inherited the Kirby Bedon and Barton Bendish estates in Norfolk and the Barbados plantation, and through his marriage to Catherine Woolball he acquired Lite's Manor at Ardeley (Herts). In the early years of his marriage, and possibly later, he also maintained a town house in London. All this property he handed on to his son and heir, Sir John Berney (1757-1825), 7th bt., whose prosperity allowed him to marry into the aristocracy, in the person of Lady Henrietta Nevill, daughter of the 1st Earl of Abergavenny. Sadly, Sir John quickly ran up huge debts, presumably through gambling, and as early as 1789 his affairs were placed in the hands of trustees, who sold Lite's Manor in 1789. In 1793 his brother-in-law, the 2nd Earl, seems to have paid off some of his debts, and he resumed control of his estates, but he again fell into debt. He was obliged to sell the Barbados plantation in 1809, and the contents of Kirby Bedon Hall were auctioned off in 1816. The house itself was up for sale in 1817, but although a sale was agreed it seems to have fallen through. He may have moved to Barton Bendish Hall at that time, as his wine cellar there was sold in 1823, after which he and his family moved to Belgium, out of the reach of pressing creditors. Two of his younger sons stayed in the Brussels area for the rest of their lives and died unmarried.

Sir John's heir was his eldest son, Sir Hanson Berney (1780-1870), 8th bt., who lived at Kirby Bedon for about ten years after his father's death but then sold the estate in 1836. Although he retained some ties to Norfolk, he leased out the Barton Bendish estate and lived at Twycross (Leics) until around 1867, when he moved to Beaumaris in Anglesey. Under his long tenure as head of the family, its financial position seems to have stabilised somewhat, although the Barton estate may have remained mortgaged. Sir Hanson was married twice, but his only child was a son by his second wife, Sir Henry Hanson Berney (1843-1907), 9th bt., who took advantage of living in Anglesey to indulge a passion for yachting. After his father's death, however, the impact of the Agricultural Depression on his income meant this was a luxury he could no longer afford, and he and his family moved frequently from one rented property to another. His eldest son, Capt. Thomas Hugh Berney (1866-1900), was killed in the Boer War and so the 9th baronet's heir was his grandson, Sir Thomas Reedham Berney (1893-1975), 10th bt., who came of age in 1914 and sold the Barton Bendish estate soon afterwards. That ended the family's connection with Norfolk, but the baronetcy continues, having been inherited on the 10th baronet's death in 1975 by his grandson, Sir Julian Reedham Stuart Berney (b. 1952). who now lives in Essex.

Park Hall (later Reedham Hall), Reedham, Norfolk

The house is said to have been built for Henry Berney (1524-85) in 1557. It replaced the Old Hall (which they had held since 1357) at the east end of Reedham village, which was right on the edge of the Yare floodplain. The new house stood on slightly higher land and was perhaps thought to be in a rather healthier situation. Little is known of its appearance, except that it is said to have had two flanking towers.  Aerial photographs of 1953 show the earthworks of ditches, possibly relating to a moat or garden features, and a building platform. The Tudor house remained until 1750, when it was said to have burnt down. A new house was built on the same site for the Leathes family, which probably incorporated some portions of the earlier building, but map evidence and descriptions from 19th century letting particulars suggest that it was a large farmhouse rather than a country house.

Reedham Hall: plan of site in 1884.

In 1848, although approached by 'a fine avenue of handsome trees' and possessed of a lodge, shrubbery and pleasure grounds, the house had only six bedrooms. By the later 19th century it was a tenanted farm and the rebuilt Old Hall had resumed its position as the principal residence in the parish. The 18th century farmhouse was pulled down between 1937 and 1946 when Reedham Hall Farm was acquired by the English Beet Sugar Corporation Ltd., and replaced by a series of large sheds and yards. 

Descent: built for Henry Berney (1524-85); to son, Sir Thomas Berney (1565-1615), kt.; to son, Sir Richard Berney (c.1590-1668), 1st bt.; to second son, Richard Berney, who sold 1669... Sir James Edwards, kt., of London... Sir Lambert Blackwell, bt.; to son? Sir Samuel Blackwell... sold by 1739 to Carteret Leathes (1698-1780) of Oakley House, Harwich (Essex) who rebuilt it as a farmhouse; to son, John Leathes (d. 1787); to brother, George Leathes (d. 1817); to John Francis Leathes (1786-1848) of Herringfleet Hall; to brother, Henry Mussenden Leathes (1790-1864); to son, Lt-Col. Hill Mussenden Leathes (1829-1915); to son, Carteret de Mussenden Leathes (1870-1952), who sold to the English Sugar Beet Corporation.

Kirby Bedon Hall, Norfolk

A small, probably 16th century, house south of the village was expanded into a country house between 1612 and 1616 for Owen Sheppard (1561-1629). A description of the building was recorded in 1616 as 'a very fayre house new builte with lyme brick & stone', which had extensive cellars. On the ground floor were 'a fayre great hall with a chymney, a ploughmans hall, a parlour waynscotted with a chimney & a little lodging chamber by it with a chimney, a stillhouse with a furnace... a very fayre & greate study waynscotted with a great many boxes for evidence, wherein there is a chimney' and 'a lytle study... for a clerke to write in'. On the first floor was 'a fayre greate chamber & a chymney, six good lodging chambers... all with chimneys and five inward chambers to them'. The top floor had four 'lodging chambers with chymneys & 7 lodging chambers without chimneys, all well furnished', while in the attics there was ample storage space. A 'very fayre stayer case' between the parlour and the great hall gave access to the great chamber, and there was a secondary staircase adjoining the kitchen which gave access to all the floors. North of the house was 'a courte yarde walled with stone with battlements on top of the wall', together with other courts; while to the south there was 'a gardeyne fore flowers with [a] fesaunt house & partitions to keep them in'.  A large number of outbuildings included a chamber over the stables where there were nine beds for servants, and a malthouse with two guest chambers at the end. 

Kirby Bedon Hall, from an engraving published in 1781. 

The house was recorded in an engraving of 1781, which shows a house with a two-storey centre and three-storey projecting wings, a stepped gable over the centre, and battlemented parapets over the wings. The windows in the wings are shown as remarkably low and wide for the date of the house, and those on the first floor have low-pitched pediments across the whole width of the windows, in the East Anglian fashion familiar from Roos Hall, Honingham Hall and elsewhere. It is likely that the drawing rather over-emphasises the width and low height of the building, and the battlemented parapets over the wings may be a later alteration, replacing the gables which it seems likely the house had originally. By 1781, the earlier formal gardens had given way to a landscaped setting, although sale particulars of 1817 note that there were still numerous detached offices, including a dairy, granary, coach house and stables. The house still stood in a small park at the time of Bryant's map of Norfolk in 1826, but had apparently been disparked before the tithe map was drawn in 1842. When it was offered for sale in 1836 it was noted that 'a considerable sum has been expended [on the house] within a few years' and it then had fifteen bedrooms, a dining room, drawing room, library, study and 'spacious halls'. The new owner, H.J. Stracey of Rackheath Hall, had no use for the house and pulled most of it down in 1841, when there was a dispersal and demolition sale. He retained only the kitchen range (possibly the earliest, Tudor, part of the house) which was converted into labourer's cottages; these, and any other ruins of the Jacobean mansion, were pulled down in 1895.

Descent: sold 1604 to Thomas Osbourne; to son-in-law, Owen Sheppard (1561-1629), who enlarged the house; to son, Robert Sheppard... John Cock and Nicholas Rookwood...sold 1704 to Sir Richard Berney (1663-1706), 3rd bt.; to son, Sir Richard Berney (1688-1710), 4th bt.; to brother, Sir Thomas Berney (1689-1742), 5th bt.; to son, Sir Hanson Berney (1722-78), 6th bt.; to son, Sir John Berney (1757-1825), 7th bt.; to Sir Hanson Berney (1780-1870), 8th bt., who sold 1836 to H.J. Stracey, who demolished the house in 1841.

Barton Hall, Barton Bendish, Norfolk

Barton Bendish Hall: south front.

A two storey Elizabethan house of pale red brick with crowstepped gables at either end, which was enlarged and remodelled by James & Turner of Norwich in 1856; it is not clear whether the alterations were undertaken for the Berney estate (which invested heavily in cottages around this time) or for the tenant, Charles Muskett. The Victorian additions comprise three gabled ranges of different heights with their roof ridges at right-angles to the original Elizabethan range. The southernmost Victorian range has two dormers with stepped gables and is stepped back a little from the gable-end of the Elizabethan wing, which therefore appears as a cross-wing. The house now has Victorian mullioned and transomed windows under hood-moulds throughout. A circuitous drive originally led through the modest grounds from a lodge north of the house to a main entrance by the porch on the west side of the house, but in more recent years this has become the garden front and the house is now entered on the north.

Descent: sold 1665 to Sir Richard Berney (1663-1706), 3rd bt.; to son, Sir Richard Berney (1688-1710), 4th bt.; to brother, Sir Thomas Berney (1689-1742), 5th bt.; to son, Sir Hanson Berney (1722-78), 6th bt.; to son, Sir John Berney (1757-1825), 7th bt.; to Sir Hanson Berney (1780-1870), 8th bt.; to son, Sir Henry Hanson Berney (1843-1907), 9th bt.; to grandson, Sir Thomas Reedham Berney (1893-1975), 10th bt., who sold...

The house was let for most of the 19th century.

Langley Park, Norfolk

This house has been described in a previous post.

Berney family of Reedham, Kirby Bedon and Barton Bendish, baronets

Berney, Henry (d. 1585). Only son of John Berney (d. 1557) of Reedham and his first wife, Margaret, daughter of William Reade of Beccles (Suffk), variously said to have been born between 1524 and 1540. A Commissioner of Sewers for Norfolk. He married, 22 March 1562 at Dartford (Kent), Alice, daughter of Roger Appleton of Combe (Essex), and had 'a numerous issue' including:

(1) Anne Berney (b. c.1563), born about 1563; married, October 1585, Thomas Guybon (1561-1605) (who m2, 1600 at Oby (Norfk), Audrey (b. 1565), daughter and coheir of John Clippesby of Oby, and had further issue two sons), eldest son of Humphrey Guybon of Castle Acre (Norfk), and had issue six sons and two daughters; died before 1600;

(2) Sir Thomas Berney (1565-1616), kt. (q.v.);

(3) Margaret Berney (c.1566-1641?), born about 1566; married, 10 November 1586, as his second wife, Edward Paston (1550-1630) of Thorpe Hall and Appleton Hall (Norfk), and had issue five sons and four daughters; buried at Blofield (Norfk), 1641, where she is commemorated by a floor slab erected by her son;

(4) Henry Berney; said to have married Mary Tyrwhitt of Hadderstone and Ripon (Yorks WR);

(5) John Berney; said to have married Mary, daughter of Sir Francis Cursoun, and had issue one son;

(6) Edward Berney;

(7) Richard Berney;

(8) Mary Berney; married [forename unknown] Elstoff.

He inherited the Reedham estate from his father, but built a new house called Park Hall on a site north of the village where he created an enclosed park.

He died 4 March 1584/5 and was buried at Reedham, where he is commemorated by a fine monument erected by his widow; his will was proved 9 May 1585 and an inquisition post mortem was held at Norwich, 27 July 1585. His widow's date of death is unknown.

Berney, Sir Thomas (1565-1616), kt. Eldest son of Henry Berney (d. 1585) and his wife Alice, daughter of Roger Appleton of Combe (Essex), born 1565. He was one of the large group of £40 freeholders knighted before the coronation of King James I, 23 July 1603. High Sheriff of Norfolk, 1610-11. He married, c.1589, Juliana (c.1568-1645), daughter of Sir Thomas Gawdy (d. 1588) of Redenhall (Norfk), justice of Common Pleas, and had issue:

(1) William Berney (c.1590-c.1615); married, 1614 (licence 4 January 1613/4) at Stondon (Herts), Bridget (1596-1653) (who m2, William Skinner (1596-1627), MP for Grimsby, 1626, son of Sir Vincent Skinner of Thornton College (Lincs), and had issue three sons and four daughters), daughter of Sir Edward Coke, lord chief justice, but had no issue; died in the lifetime of his father, about 1615;

(2) John Berney (b. c.1592); died unmarried in the lifetime of his father;

(3) Sir Richard Berney (c.1594-1668), 1st bt. (q.v.);

(4) Thomas Berney (c.1596-1673) [for whom see my forthcoming post on the Berneys of Gowthorpe Manor and Bracon Hall etc.];

(5) Frances Berney (c.1600-67), born about 1600; married, 31 July 1622 at Tottenham (Middx), Sir Edward Barkham (c.1595-1667) of Southacre (Norfk), MP for Boston, 1625-26, and had issue five sons and eleven daughters; buried at Southacre, 25 July 1667.

He inherited Park Hall, Reedham from his father in 1584. His widow lived at Swardeston (Norfk).

He died in 1616. His widow was buried 11 February 1645; her will was proved in Norwich, 1645.

Berney, Sir Richard (c.1594-1668), 1st bt. Third, but eldest surviving, son of Sir Thomas Berney (1565-1615), kt., and his wife Juliana, daughter of Sir Thomas Gawdy of Redenhall (Norfk), born about 1594. He was created a baronet, 5 May 1620. High Sheriff of Norfolk, 1622. He supported the parliamentary faction during the Civil War and was a member of the County Committee for Norfolk, but seems not to have taken a very active part in its work. He married, c.1618, Anne (1590-1652), daughter of Michael Smallpage (d. 1594) of Chichester (Sussex), and had issue, with several further daughters, whose names seem not to be recorded:

(1) Sir Thomas Berney (c.1619-94), 2nd bt. (q.v.);

(2) Richard Berney (c.1621-80) (q.v.);

(3) John Berney (1623-89) [for whom see below, Berney of Westwick and Langley]; 

(4) William Berney (c.1627-58); married, 8 January 1651/2 at Elsing (Norfk), Philippa (d. 1701) (who m2, 16 May 1661, William Bladwell (d. 1697) of Swannington (Norfk), and had further issue two sons and two daughters), a daughter of Thomas Browne of Elsing Hall (Norfk), and had issue one son and one daughter; died aged 31 and was buried at Elsing, 27 August 1658; will proved 17 December 1658;

(5) Henry Berney; died unmarried;

(6) Edmond Berney (b. 1628), baptised at St Margaret, Westminster (Middx), 25 February 1627/8; said to have died in infancy;

(7) Elizabeth Berney (fl. 1669).

He inherited Park Hall, Reedham from his father in 1616. Having fallen out with his eldest son, he left most of his property at his death to his second son, Richard Berney. He purchased an estate at Westwick and Bromholm which he bequeathed to his third son, John.

He died 'aged 74', and was buried at Reedham, 2 January 1668/9; his will was proved 21 January 1669 and 25 June 1701. His wife was buried at Reedham, 12 October 1652.

Berney, Richard (c.1621-80). Second son of Sir Richard Berney (c.1594-1668), 1st bt., and his wife Anne, daughter of Michael Smallpage of Chichester (Sussex), born c.1621. Educated at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge (matriculated 1639) and Grays Inn (admitted 1640). High Sheriff of Norfolk, 1662-63 and 1669-70. He married, 27 June 1649 at Southwood (Norfk), Mary (c.1632-91), daughter of Sir Jacob Garrard (1586-1666), kt. and later 1st bt., of Plaistow (Essex) and Langford St. Andrew (Norfk), a rich London merchant, and had issue:

(1) Richard Berney (1650-95), born at Plaistow (Essex), 1650; educated at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge (matriculated 1669); High Sheriff of Norfolk, 1692-93; inherited the Park Hall, Reedham estate, which reputedly yielded some £7,000 a year, from his father, but dissipated his estate and directed his executors to sell it to pay his debts; married, 10 June 1692 at St Nicholas Cole Abbey, London, possibly as his second wife*, Elizabeth Cowan (b. c.1665), by whom he had issue one son; died 18 October 1695 and was buried at Reedham, where he is commemorated by a floor slab; will proved in the PCC, 7 December 1695.

He inherited Park Hall, Reedham, from his father in 1668, and reputedly some £50,000 in cash, which he squandered.

He died 28 January 1679/80 and was buried at Reedham, where he is commemorated by a floor slab; his will was proved in the PCC, 6 February 1679/80. His widow died 18 March, and was buried at Reedham, 20 March 1691/2.

* He is described as 'widower' in the parish register, but no earlier marriage has been traced.

Berney, Sir Thomas (c.1619-94), 2nd bt. Eldest son of Sir Richard Berney (c.1594-1668), 1st bt., and his wife Anne, daughter of Michael Smallpage of Chichester (Sussex), born c.1619. Educated at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge (matriculated 1637) and Grays Inn (admitted 1637). He fell out with his father over his desire to study law and his choice of marriage partner, and was disinherited. He eventually married, 15 September 1653 at St Mary-in-the-Marsh, Norwich, Sarah (1630-1712), daughter of Thomas Tyrell, governor of the Landguard Fort, Felixstowe (Suffk), and had issue:

(1) Ann Berney (b. 1654), baptised at St Peter, Colchester, 29 September 1654; possibly the woman of this name who married, 2 July 1700 at Pyrford (Surrey), as his second wife, Robert Suckling (1641-1707) of Woodton (Norfk);

(2) Sir Richard Berney (1655-1706), 3rd bt. (q.v.);

(3) Sarah Berney (1659-65), baptised at St Peter, Colchester, 26 February 1658/9; died young and was buried at Colchester, 9 February 1664/5;

(4) Elizabeth Berney (b. 1661), baptised at St Peter, Colchester, 24 February 1660/1;

(5) Thomas Berney (1663-84), baptised at St Peter, Colchester (Essex), 17 April 1663; educated at Norwich, Kings Lynn, Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge (matriculated 1680) and Grays Inn (admitted 1681); described as 'hot-headed, poor with money and quick to anger', he was hanged at Norwich for the murder of Capt. Thomas Bedingfield during a drunken brawl in Norwich, 8 September 1684;

(6) John Berney (1665-1719), baptised at St Peter, Colchester, 16 March 1664/5; lived at Weasenham (Norfk); married Philippa, daughter of Thomas Browne of Elsing (Norfk), and had issue three sons and three daughters; died 1719; will proved in the PCC, 17 December 1719;

(7) Rev. William Berney (1668-1748), baptised at Lexden (Essex), 19 March 1667/8; educated at Norwich, Kings Lynn, Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge (matriculated 1685; LLB 1690); Fellow of Gonville & Caius College, 1691-93; ordained priest, 1693; vicar of Worstead (Norfk), 1693-1730; rector of Stokesby and Herringby, 1730-47; married Mary, daughter of Henry Hancock, and had issue one surviving son; died 22 January 1747/8 and was buried at Worstead;

(8) Henry Berney (b. 1671), baptised at St Peter Hungate, Norwich, 8 January 1670/1; educated at Norwich, Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge (matriculated 1690; BA 1694) and Grays Inn (admitted 1696); probably died unmarried;

(9) Mary Berney (1672-1720), born 5 November and baptised at St Peter, Hungate, Norwich, 14 November 1672; married, 26 August 1707 at Weasenham (Norfk), as his second wife, Charles Barnwell (1679-1750) of Mileham (who m3, 30 May 1722 at Weasenham, Mary (1701-87), daughter of Rev. John Novell, and had further issue three sons and four daughters), and had issue four sons and three daughters; died 17 December 1720 and was buried at Mileham (Norfk);

(10) Sarah Berney (1674-80), baptised at St Peter Hungate, Norwich, 21 May 1674; died young, 6 July 1680 and was buried at Reedham;

(11) Charles Berney (1676-82), baptised at St Peter Hungate, Norwich, 19 September 1676; died young, 20 May 1682, and was buried at Reedham.

He lived at Colchester (Essex) and later in Norwich. He bought the Barton Bendish estate in 1665.

He was buried at Kirby Bedon, 12 March 1693/4; his will was proved in the PCC, alongside that of his son, 5 February 1713/4. His widow was buried at Kirby Bedon, 11 January 1711/12.

Berney, Sir Richard (1655-1706), 3rd bt. Eldest son of Sir Thomas Berney (c.1619-94) and his wife Sarah, daughter of Thomas Tyrell of Essex, born 23 September and baptised at St Peter, Colchester (Essex), 28 September 1655. Educated at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge (matriculated 1675) and Grays Inn (admitted 1678). He married, c.1685, Dorothy (c.1660-1711), daughter of William Branthwayte of Hethel (Norfk), and had issue:

(1) Julian Berney (f.) (c.1687-1750), eldest daughter, born about 1687 and probably baptised at Hethel, for which the registers do not survive; married, 29 February 1719/20 at Kirby Bedon, her cousin, Thomas Berney (c.1690-1745), recorder of Kings Lynn, son of John Berney (d. 1719) of Weasenham (Norfk) and a grandson of the 2nd baronet, and had issue two sons; buried at St Margaret & St Nicholas, Kings Lynn, 14 October 1750; administration of goods granted 1750/1;

(2) Sir Richard Berney (1688-1711), 4th bt. (q.v.);

(3) Sir Thomas Berney (1690-1742), 5th bt. (q.v.);

(4) twin, Rev. William Berney (1691-1714); baptised at Kirby Bedon, 18 February 1690/1; educated at Eton, Norwich and Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge (matriculated 1708; LLB 1714); ordained deacon, 1714; curate of Westwick (Norfk); died unmarried and was buried at Kirby Bedon, 19 June 1714; will proved in Norwich, 1714;

(5) twin, Henry Berney (b. & d. 1691), baptised at Kirby Bedon, 18 February 1690/1; died in infancy and was buried at Kirby Bedon, 11 August 1691;

(6) Sarah Berney (1692-1701), baptised at Kirby Bedon, 1 April 1692; died young and was buried at Kirby Bedon, 12 April 1701;

(7) John Berney (b. 1693), baptised at Kirby Bedon, 30 June 1693; died young;

(8) Robert Berney (b. 1694), baptised at Kirby Bedon, 11 December 1694; living in 1705 and said to have died in Barbados;

(9) Dorothy Berney (1696-1772), baptised at Kirby Bedon, 24 January 1695/6; married, 19 June 1722 at Kirby Bedon, her first cousin, Rev. William Berney (1697-1763), rector of Newton Flotham (Norfk), 1721-63 and of Frettenham (Norfk), 1736-63, son of William Berney (1668-1748), and had issue at least two sons; will proved in the PCC, 15 September 1772;

(10) Henry Berney (1697-1729?), baptised at Kirby Bedon, 23 April 1696/7; living in 1705 and possibly the man of this name buried at Little Plumstead (Norfk), 1 May 1729;

(11) Frances Berney (1698-1713), baptised at Kirby Bedon, 3 June 1698; died young and was buried at Kirby Bedon, 9 November 1713;

(12) Rev. John Berney (1699-1782), baptised at Kirby Bedon, 11 August 1699; educated at Norwich and Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge (matriculated 1717; BA 1721; MA 1724; DD 1741); Fellow of Gonville & Caius College, 1721-37; ordained deacon, 1722 and priest, 1724; rector of St Clement, Norwich, 1736, Hethersett (Norfk), 1736 and Saxlingham (Norfk), 1740-82 and Archdeacon of Norwich, 1744-82; a chaplain in ordinary to King George III; married, 9 June 1740 at Saxlingham, Elizabeth (1705-62), daughter of Very Rev. John Baron, Dean of Norwich Cathedral, but had no issue; died 13 June 1782 and was buried at Hethersett, where he and his wife are commemorated by a floor slab; will proved in the PCC, 12 July 1782;

(13) twin, Charles Berney (1700-01), baptised at Kirby Bedon, 26 November 1700; died in infancy and was buried at Kirby Bedon, 31 August 1701;

(14) twin, Branthwayt Berney (1700-01), baptised at Kirby Bedon, 26 November 1700; died in infancy and was buried at Kirby Bedon, 10 May 1701;

(15) Sarah Berney (1702-41), baptised at Kirby Bedon, 4 April 1702; lived in the precincts of Norwich Cathedral; died unmarried and was buried at Kirby Bedon, 25 February 1740/1;

(16) Elizabeth Berney (1705-83), baptised at Kirby Bedon, 12 November 1705; died unmarried and was buried at Kirby Bedon, 10 May 1783; will proved in the PCC, 6 June 1783.

He inherited the Barton Bendish estate from his father in 1693, but was living at Kirby Bedon Hall by 1690. He purchased the freehold of the Kirby Bedon estate in 1704 with money left to him by his uncle Richard Berney (d. 1679), which he did not actually receive until some time after the death of his cousin, Richard Berney (d. 1695).

He was buried at Kirby Bedon, 8 May 1706; his will was proved 5 February 1713/4. His widow was buried at Kirby Bedon on the same day as her eldest son, 8 January 1710/11.

Berney, Sir Richard (1688-1711), 4th bt. Eldest son of Sir Richard Berney (1655-1706), 3rd bt., and his wife Dorothy, daughter of William Branthwayte of Hethel (Norfk), baptised at Kirby Bedon, 12 November 1688. Educated at Eton and Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge (matriculated 1706). He was unmarried and without issue.

He inherited Kirby Bedon Hall and the Barton Bendish estate from his father in 1706 and came of age in 1709.

He was buried at Kirby Bedon on the same day as his mother, 8 January 1710/11.

Berney, Sir Thomas (1690-1742), 5th bt. Second son of Sir Richard Berney (1655-1706), 3rd bt., and his wife Dorothy, daughter of William Branthwayte of Hethel (Norfk), baptised at Kirby Bedon, 4 March 1689/90. He married, in or before 1714, Elizabeth (fl. 1742), only daughter and heir of Simon Folkes of Grays Inn, and also eventual heir of her maternal grandfather, Samuel Hanson (d. 1689?) of Barbados, and had issue:

(1) Elizabeth Berney (b. & d. 1717), baptised at Kirby Bedon, 3 October 1717; died in infancy and was buried at Kirby Bedon, 14 October 1717;

(2) Julian Berney (1718-19), baptised at Kirby Bedon, 27 December 1718; died in infancy and was buried at Kirby Bedon, 8 January 1718/9; 

(3) Thomas Berney (d. 1721), baptism not traced but buried at Kirby Bedon, 26 January 1720/1;

(4) Sir Hanson Berney (1722-78), 6th bt. (q.v.);

(5) Rev. Richard Berney (1725-94), baptised at Kirby Bedon, 19 February 1724/5; educated at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge (matriculated 1741; BA 1746; MA 1749); ordained deacon, 1748, and priest, 1749; rector of Stokesby (Norfk), 1749-94 and Bramerton (Norfk), 1756-94 and perpetual curate of Dunston (Norfk), 1761; married Mary [surname unknown] (fl. 1794); died 23 December and was buried at Kirby Bedon, 30 December 1794; will proved in the PCC, 13 January 1795;

(6) Thomas Berney (1726-27), baptised at Kirby Bedon, 23 April 1726; died in infancy and was buried at Kirby Bedon, 12 April 1727.

He inherited Kirby Bedon Hall and the Barton Bendish estate from his elder brother in 1710.

He was buried at Kirby Bedon, 19 April 1742; his will was proved in the PCC, 5 May 1742. His widow was living in 1742; her date of death is unknown.

Berney, Sir Hanson (1722-78), 6th bt. Second, but eldest surviving son of Sir Thomas Berney (1690-1742), 5th bt., and his wife Elizabeth, only daughter of Simon Folkes of Suffolk, baptised at Kirby Bedon, 13 March 1721/2. Educated at Bury GS and Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge (matriculated 1738; MA 1743). Fellow of Gonville & Caius College, 1743-56. High Sheriff of Norfolk, 1762-63. He married, 8 April 1756 at Somerset House, London, Catherine (1728-92), daughter and heir of William Woolball of Walthamstow (Essex), and had issue:

(1) Sir John Berney (1757-1825), 7th bt. (q.v.);

(2) Elizabeth Berney (b. 1759), baptised at Kirby Bedon, 5 January 1759; probably died unmarried;

(3) Catherine Berney (1761-1823), baptised at Kirby Bedon, 30 September 1761; lived in Norwich; died unmarried, 21 August 1823; will proved 16 September 1823;

(4) Juliana Berney (1762-63), baptised at Kirby Bedon, 30 November 1762; died in infancy and was buried at Kirby Bedon, 8 June 1763;

(5) Hanson Berney (1764-65), baptised at Kirby Bedon, 20 July 1764; died in infancy and was buried at Kirby Bedon, 3 May 1765.

He inherited Kirby Bedon Hall and the Barton Bendish estate from his father in 1742. He also inherited Hanson's Plantation in Barbados from his wife's grandfather, which is said to have yielded £2,500 a year, and came into Lite's Manor, Ardeley (Herts) on his marriage. From 1757-61 he leased 47 Upper Grosvenor St., Westminster as a town house.

He died at Kensington (Middx) and was buried at Kirby Bedon, 5 February 1778; administration of his goods was granted 16 April 1778. His widow died 24 July and was buried at Kirby Bedon, 2 August 1792.

Berney, Sir John (1757-1825), 7th bt. Eldest and only surviving son of Sir Hanson Berney (1722-78), 6th bt., and his wife Catherine, daughter and heir of William Woolball of Walthamstow (Essex), born 11 April and baptised at St James, Piccadilly, Westminster (Middx), 3 May 1757. Educated at Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge (matriculated 1776; MA 1778). In the 1780s, he became financially embarassed and his affairs were placed in the hands of trustees, 1789-93, after which his brother-in-law, the Earl of Abergavenny, apparently paid off his pressing debts, but for the rest of his life he remained troubled by legal suits from creditors, who ranged in scale from the mortgagees on his estates to cottagers from whom he borrowed small sums. He married, 9 September 1779 at Hingham (Norfk), Lady Henrietta (1756-1833), daughter of George Nevill (1727-85), 17th Baron Abergavenny and 1st Earl of Abergavenny, and had issue:

(1) Sir Hanson Berney (1780-1870), 8th bt. (q.v.);

(2) John Berney (1782-1835), baptised at Kirby Bedon, 7 January 1782; an officer in the Royal Navy (Lt., 1803; Cdr., 1814; retired on half-pay); perhaps the man of this name who married, 13 November 1815, at St George, Hanover Sq., Westminster (Middx), Ann Francoise Conner (d. 1824), and had issue one daughter; died at Dunkirk (France), 31 December 1835;

(3) Henrietta Berney (b. 1783), baptised at Kirby Bedon, 28 May 1783; perhaps died young;

(4) Henry Berney (1785-1850), baptised at Kirby Bedon, 19 September 1785; died unmarried at St André near Bruges (Belgium), 29/30 September 1850; will proved 19 December 1850;

(5) Catherine Berney (b. & d. 1787), born 20 October and baptised at Kirby Bedon, 21 October 1787; died in infancy and was buried at Kirby Bedon, 23 October 1787;

(6) Elizabeth Berney (1789-1836?), born 21 May and baptised at Kirby Bedon, 4 June 1789; married, 3 June 1819 at St Martin-in-the-Fields, Westminster, Jacob van Romyn, inventor of an improved spinning machine for yarn, and lived abroad; living in 1833 and said to have died in 1836;

(7) Anna Maria (alias Mary Anne or Marianne) Berney (1792-1857?), born 8 October and baptised at St Marylebone (Middx), 10 November 1792; married, 26 February 1816 at St. Marylebone (Middx), Lt. William Paul Williams RN; said to have died in 1857;

(8) George Berney (1795-1869), baptised at Barton Bendish, 20 August 1795; died unmarried at St. André near Bruges (Belgium), 15 February 1869.

He inherited the Kirby Bedon, Barton Bendish and Lite's Manor estates and Hansons Plantation, Barbados from his father in 1778. He also inherited the major portion of the estate of his great-uncle, the Rev. John Berney, in 1782. His trustees sold Lite's Manor in 1789. He sold the Barbados property in 1810. The contents of Kirby Bedon Hall were sold in 1816, and the sale of the estate to Col. Master of Catton (Norfk) was reported in 1817 although the property seems to have remained in the possession of the Berneys until the 1830s. The contents of Barton Hall were sold in 1789 and his wine cellar there in 1823, at which time he apparently went to live in Bruges.

He died in Belgium, 4 September 1825, and was buried in the English cemetery at Bruges. His widow died at Anderlecht (Belgium), 2 April 1833 and was also buried at Bruges; her will was proved in the PCC, 13 July 1833.

Berney, Sir Hanson (1780-1870), 8th bt. Eldest son of Sir John Berney (1757-1825), 7th bt., and his wife Lady Henrietta, daughter of George Nevill, 17th Baron Bergavenny and 1st Earl of Abergavenny, born 3 December and baptised at Kirby Bedon, 18 December 1780. Educated at Christ's College, Cambridge (matriculated 1800). An officer in the West Norfolk militia (Capt., 1803; Maj., 1809); JP and DL for Norfolk. A trustee of the Norwich Equitable Assurance Office and Vice-President of the West Norfolk and Lynn Hospital. He married 1st, 20 April 1811 at St Mary, Lewisham (Kent), Anne (d. 1838), eldest daughter of Henry Tahourdin of Sydenham (Kent), and 2nd, 10 October 1843 at St Edmund the King & Martyr, London, Agnes (1800-70), daughter of Thomas Peck, tradesman, and had issue:

(2.1) Sir Henry Hanson Berney (1843-1907), 9th bt. (q.v.).

He inherited the Kirby Bedon and Barton Bendish estates from his father in 1825, but sold the former about 1836. Barton Bendish was tenanted throughout his life. After selling Kirby Bedon, he lived at Twycross (Leics) until c.1867 and later in Beaumaris (Anglesey).

He died at Beaumaris, 7 September 1870 and was buried at Barton Bendish; his will was proved 6 December 1870 (effects under £8,000). His first wife died at Lindley Hall (Leics), 14 January 1838. His second wife died 6 October 1870 and was buried at Penmon near Beaumaris (Anglesey); her will was proved 17 December 1870 (effects under £4,000).

Berney, Sir Henry Hanson (1843-1907), 9th bt. Only child of Sir Hanson Berney (1780-1870), 8th bt., and his second wife, Agnes, daughter of Thomas Peck, born 30 November and baptised at Twycross (Leics), 31 December 1843. Educated at Trinity Hall, Cambridge (matriculated 1862; LLB, 1865). The Agricultural Depression had a severe effect on his finances, and he was obliged to give up his chief recreation of yachting. He married, 31 January 1866 at Twycross, Jane Dorothy (1840-1921), daughter of Rev. Andrew Bloxam (1801-78), vicar of Twycross and later rector of Harborough Magna (Warks), and had issue:

(1) Maj. Thomas Hugh Berney (1866-1900) (q.v.);

(2) Richard William Berney (1867-1945), born 20 December 1867 and baptised at Twycross, 17 May 1868; emigrated to New Zealand, 1886, and then South Africa, where he became a farmer and an officer in the South African constabulary who served in the Boer War and in German SW Africa and German E Africa in the First World War; married, 25 June 1913 at Bloomfontein (South Africa), Maria Theresa, daughter of Rev. Leslie Carter, rector of Eglish (Co. Armagh), but had no issue; died 1945;

(3) John Hanson Berney (1868-1959), born 22 November 1868 and baptised at Twycross, 8 August 1869; emigrated to New Zealand, 1886; married, April 1900, Margaret (1880-1948), daughter of Sinclair George of New Zealand, and had issue four sons and two daughters; died at Masterton (NZ), 26 May 1959 and was buried at Wairarapa (NZ), where he and his wife were commemorated by a monument;

(4) Robert Henry Berney (1871-1961), born 5 May and baptised at Harborough Magna (Warks), 2 July 1871; educated at United Services College, Westward Ho! (Devon) and Trinity Hall, Cambridge (matriculated 1890; BA 1894; MA 1916); schoolmaster at Godstowe School and later headmaster of St George's Lower School, Harpenden (Herts); served in First and Second World Wars; married 1st, 24 December 1904 at Christ Church, Edinburgh (Midl.), Edith Ann (1865-1937), youngest daughter of Daniel Wilson of The Old Hall, Sandal Magna (Yorks WR), and 2nd, 20 December 1938, Salome Constance (1885-1968), daughter of Cdr. Edwin Dawes of Holmbury, Bedford (Beds), but had no issue; died 9 February 1961;

(5) Matthew Cromwell Berney (b. & d. 1872), born August 1872; died in infancy, 9 September 1872;

(6) Andrew James Berney (1873-1910), born 23 September 1873; educated at Trinity Hall, Cambridge (matriculated 1893; BA 1896); District Commissioner in Ghana and Sierra Leone; died unmarried at Zouaragu (Ghana), 28 December 1910; will proved 3 November 1911 (estate £1,475);

(7) Mary Agnes Berney (1876-1958), born 30 March 1876; lived at Leamington Spa (Warks); died unmarried, 3 April 1958; will proved 18 July 1958 (estate £3,454);

(8) Alexander David Berney (1877-1942), born 20 September 1877; garden designer; married, 19 March 1924, Alice Lizzie (1889-1939), fourth daughter of Arthur Jacobs Moore of Lowestoft (Suffk), and had issue one daughter; died 5 September 1942; will proved 5 February 1943 (estate £524);

(9) Jane Dorothy Elizabeth Berney (1878-1964), born 28 November 1878; married, 3 July 1907 at Moffat (Dumfriess.), Henry Dubs Middleton (1880-1932), solicitor, eldest son of Arthur Middleton of Far Headingley, Leeds (Yorks WR), and had issue two sons; died 15 December 1964; will proved 26 February 1965 (estate £6,032);

(10) Catherine Anne Berney (1880-1918), born 19 June 1880; married, 24 August 1904 at St Thomas, Edinburgh, Dr Robert William Thomas Ewart MD (1868-1939) of Sailfoot, Moffat (Dumfriess), eldest son of Lt-Col. Robert William Ewart of Allershaw (Lanarks), and had issue one daughter; died intestate, 25 December 1918 and was buried at Sleepyhillock Cemetery, Montrose (Angus); administration of goods granted 4 February 1919 (estate £84).

He inherited the Barton Bendish estate from his father in 1870, but continued to lease it out, and lived at various addresses across England, Wales and Scotland. 

He died at Burncrook, Moffat (Dumfriess.), 27 February 1907 and was buried at Barton Bendish; his will was proved 28 June 1907 (estate £65,495). His widow died at Leamington Spa (Warks), 7 December 1921; her will was proved 24 January 1922 (estate £7,373).

Capt. T.H. Berney (1866-1900) 

Berney, Capt. Thomas Hugh (1866-1900). Eldest son of Sir Henry Hanson Berney (1843-1907), 9th bt., and his wife Jane Dorothy, daughter of Rev. Andrew Bloxam, rector of Harborough Magna (Warks), born 17 October and baptised at Beaumaris (Anglesey), 27 November 1866. Educated at United Services College, Westward Ho! (Devon). An officer in the army (2nd Lt., 1887; Lt., 1889; Capt. 1894), who served in the Ashanti expedition and the Boer War (mentioned in despatches three times). He married, 2 July 1892 at Castle Hyde, Fermoy (Co. Cork), Fridzwede Katherine Enid Lawrence Fraser Ogilvy (1869-1941), second daughter of Lt-Col. Frederick William Bell of the Stand House, Fermoy (Co. Cork), and had issue:

(1) Sir Thomas Reedham Berney (1893-1975), 10th bt. (q.v.);

(2) (Richard) Geoffrey Gordon Berney (1897-1961), born 19 January and baptised at St Mary the Virgin, Dover, 9 May 1897; served in RAF, 1918; married, 1930 (sep. by 1937), Marjorie Vernon (1900-79), daughter of Lt-Col. Vernon W. Urquhart of Huntingfield (Suffk), and adopted one daughter; he was  subsequently partner of Doris Rosemary* (1912-78) (who married, 1967, Arthur William Foxley-Norris (1888-1977)), daughter of Cecil Dalziel Beckwith of London and West Africa; died Oct-Dec 1961.

He was killed in action at Monte Cristo, Natal (South Africa), 18 February 1900, and was buried at Colenso, Natal (South Africa); his will was proved 25 April 1900 (effects in England, £150). His widow died 13 March 1941; administration of her goods (with will annexed) was granted to her younger son, 30 June 1941 (estate £4,749).

* She took the name Berney in lieu of Beckwith by deed poll, 1941.

Sir Thomas Reedham Berney, 10th bt.
Image: National Portrait Gallery 

Berney, Sir Thomas Reedham (1893-1975), 10th bt. Elder son of Maj. Thomas Hugh Berney (1866-1900) and his wife Fridzwede Katherine, daughter of Lt-Col. F.W. Bell of Fermoy (Co. Cork), born 6 July 1893. Educated at Wellington and Trinity Hall, Cambridge (BA 1915; MA 1919). An officer in a territorial battalion of the Norfolk Regiment (2nd Lt., 1914; Lt.; Capt., 1915; retired 1927; returned to colours as Lt., 1941), who served in First and Second World Wars and was awarded the MC, 1918; ADC to Governor of Southern Rhodesia, 1925-26. He married 1st, 23 August 1921 at Langleybury (Herts) (div. 1927 on the grounds of his adultery with the woman who became his second wife), Estelle Irene (1901-86), youngest daughter of Reginald John Norton Dawson (1866-1925) of The Grange, Pakefield (Suffk); married 2nd, 25 July 1927 (div. 1947) at Kensington Register Office, Marjorie Agnew Erskine (1907-78), younger daughter of William Erskine Gill (1877-1949) of Salisbury (S. Rhodesia); and married 3rd, 26 April 1947, Muriel Margaret (k/a Peggie) (1903-69), younger daughter of Howard Mackay Page, stockbroker, and had issue:

(1.1) Estelle Elaine Berney (1922-2016), born 17 October 1922; married 1st, 25 September 1940 at Simla (India), Maj. Kenneth William Bols (1913-44), younger son of Maj-Gen. Sir Louis Jean Bols KCB KCMG DSO, and had issue one son and one daughter; married 2nd, 7 November 1946, Lt-Col. Mark Frederic Strutt MC (1913-82), and had further issue one daughter; died 30 September 2016;

(2.1) Elizabeth Anne Berney (b. 1927), born Jul-Sept 1927; married, 19 April 1952 at Church of the Holy Family, Witham (Essex) (annulled 1960), Allan Eustace Shepherd (1916-88);

(2.2) John Reedham Erskine Berney (1929-52), born 31 March 1929; educated at St Andrew's College, Grahamstown (South Africa) and Sandhurst; an officer in the Royal Norfolk Regiment (Lt.), who served in Korea (despatches); married, 27 July 1951, the Hon. Jean Davina (b. 1932) (who married 2nd, 20 January 1954 (div.), Percy William Jesson (1928-2000), son of Lt-Col. Harold Jesson, and had further issue two sons and two daughters, and who married 3rd, 1985, Michael Denison Ritchie (c.1932-2011)), only daughter of James Gray Stuart MP (1897-1971), later 1st Viscount Stuart of Findhorn, and had issue one son (now the 11th baronet); killed in action in Korea, 24 July 1952; 

(2.3) Claire Berney (b. 1933), born February 1933; married 1st, 20 December 1956 (div.), Lt. Jeremy Michael Howard Lynch RN (1930-2003) and had issue one son and two daughters; said to have married 2nd, 1992, Prof. Richard Christie.

He inherited the Barton Bendish estate from his grandfather in 1907, but sold it. He lived subsequently at Ewell (Surrey) and Downton (Wilts).

He died 5 January 1975; will proved 28 April and 15 September 1975 (estate £15,000). His first wife married 2nd, 29 December 1927, Eric Edward Dorman-Smith (c.1895-1969), and died 24 August 1986. His second wife married 2nd, c.1947 at Bulawayo (Zimbabwe), Jack Graham Pain. His third wife died 6 June 1969; administration of her goods was granted 29 August 1969 (estate £4,872).

Berney of Westwick and Langley Park

Berney, John (d. 1689). Third son of Sir Richard Berney (c.1594-1668), 1st bt., and his wife Anne, daughter of Michael Smallpage of Chichester (Sussex), born 1623. He married, 1671, Susan (d. 1691), daughter of John Staines, and had issue:

(1.1) John Berney (1672-1730), baptised at Westwick, 29 June 1672; married 1st, c.1700, Bridget (1679-1711), daughter of William Branthwayte, of Hethel, Esq.; and had issue two daughters; married 2nd, 16 July 1720 at St Botolph Aldgate, London, Elizabeth (c.1692-1764), daughter of Maurice Kendall of New Buckenham (Norfk); died 24 September 1730 and was buried at Westwick, where he is commemorated by a floor slab;

(1.2) Richard Berney (1674-1738) (q.v.). 

He inherited his father's estate Westwick and Bromholm (Norfk) in 1668, and through his wife he inherited the manor of Elsing (Norfk). Either he or his second son evidently inherited the Langley estate.

He died 31 March 1689 and was buried at Westwick, where he is commemorated by a floor slab. His widow was buried at Westwick, 29 March 1691.

Berney, Richard (1674-1738). Second son of John Berney (d. 1689) and his wife Susan, daughter of John Staines, baptised at Westwick, 3 August 1674. Educated at Grays Inn (admitted 1695). A solicitor in Norwich, he acted as Steward of Norwich, 1703-27; Recorder of Norwich, 1727-38; Tory MP for Norwich, 1710-15; and Clerk of the Peace for Norfolk by 1730. He became bankrupt in 1736, and placed his assets in the hands of trustees, including his son-in-law, to repay his debts. He married, 14 January 1710/11 at St Peter Mancroft, Norwich, Mary (1687-1765), daughter of Augustine Briggs, mayor of Norwich in 1695-96, and had issue:

(1) Elizabeth Berney (1712-69), born 14 March and baptised at St Michael-at-Plea, Norwich, 19 March 1711/2; married, 7 January 1732/3 at Langley (Norfk), as his second wife, Thomas Bramston MP (c.1690-1765), of Skreens Park, Roxwell (Essex), and had issue one son and two daughters; buried at Roxwell, 21 January 1769.

He inherited the Langley estate and built Langley Park (Norfk) in the 1720s, but it was sold after his death.

He was buried at Westwick, 8 January 1737/8; his will was proved in the PCC, 2 March 1737/8. His widow was buried at Westwick, 18 February 1765; her will was proved in Norwich, 1765.

Principal sources

Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 2003, pp. 357-58; W. Betham, The Baronetage of England, vol. 1, 1801, pp. 181-84; F. Blomefield, An essay towards a topographical history of the county of Norfolk, vol. 11, 1810, pp. 121-32; B. Cozens-Hardy, 'Some Norfolk halls', Norfolk Archaeology, 1961, pp. 163-208; T. Williamson, I. Ringwood & S. Spooner, Lost country houses of Norfolk, 2015, pp. 195-97, 226.

Location of archives

No substantial archive is known to survive, although some papers may remain with the family. A small group of material relating to the Barbados estate and the trustees of Sir John Berney, 7th bt., c.1779-1801 can be found in Norfolk Record Office, FEL 538-9, 881-7.

Coat of arms

Quarterly, gules and azure, over all a cross engrailed, ermine.

Can you help?

• Can anyone provide portraits or photographs of the people whose names appear in bold above, for whom no image is currently shown?
• If anyone can offer further information or corrections to any part of this article I should be most grateful. I am always particularly pleased to hear from current owners or the descendants of families associated with a property who can supply information from their own research or personal knowledge for inclusion.

Revision and acknowledgements

This post was first published 5 December 2024 and was updated 7 and 9 December 2024.