Elizabeth (Cooke) Berkeley (1599 - 1623)

Ancestors

Biography

Elizabeth Coke was the eldest daughter of the jurist Sir Edward Coke and his second wife Elizabeth Cecil, who styled herself as Lady Hatton. Elizabeth was born at Hatton House in the Strand, London, on 6 August 1599 and named for Queen Elizabeth, who was one of her godmothers on her baptism 12 August. ^[1] In his personal memoir, Sir Edward recorded the event: Elizabetha, primogenita filia predictorum Edwardi et Elizabethae, nata fuit apud Hatton House, in Holborne, in comitatu Middlesex', sexto die Augusti paulo ante horam nonam ante meridiem, anno domini 1599, regnique Reginae Elizabethae 41, in festo transfigurationis Domini. (Elizabeth, firstborn daughter of the said Edward and Elizabeth, was born at Hatton House, in Holborne, in the county of Middlesex, on the sixth of August, a little before the ninth hour before noon 1599, and in the 41th year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, on the Feast of the Transfiguration.) He did not, however, mention the godparents, as he did in the case of other family baptisms. Nor, inexplicably, did he record the birth of his last daughter Frances in this memoir. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

In 1622, her father decided to marry her to Sir Maurice Berkeley. The marriage took place on 8 December 1622 at Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey, ^[5] and she died in November 1623, having given birth to a daughter Frances Berkeley, who was baptised at St Peter, Rendcomb, Gloucestershire on 7 October. ^{[6] [7] [8] [9]}

Following the death of Sir Edward Coke in 1634, Sir Maurice Berkelely petitioned the king for redress on behalf of young Frances, as having been effectively disinherited by the lack of parity in her mother's marriage portion.

Petition of Sir Maurice Berkeley, on behalf of Frances Berkeley, an infant, only daughter of Dame Elizabeth, late wife of the said Sir Maurice, eldest daughter of Sir Edward Coke, by the Lady Hatton, to the King. Sir Edward Coke had with Lady Hatton a very great estate, and promised to assure all lands purchased after marriage on the children of the marriage, who were Dame Elizabeth Berkeley and the Viscountess Purbeck. On the marriage between Sir Maurice and Dame Elizabeth, Sir Edward Coke promised to give 4,000l., but only gave 3,500l. With Lady Purbeck he gave 10,000l. in money, and assured lands of 1,300l. per annum. Seeing that Dame Elizabeth (being the eldest child) has not had any advancement, neither out of Sir Edward Coke's estate, nor from her mother the Lady Hatton, who has sold her land, and yet the Lady Purbeck (being the youngest) has had so great a portion, petitioner prays that if relief be given to the Lady Hatton upon agreements for the benefit of herself and her children, the Lady Berkeley and her child, who are in effect disinherited by both, should be considered.^[10]

Research Notes:

Many accounts of Lady Hatton's daughters have ignored Elizabeth or attributed events in her life to her younger sister Frances Coke Villers. Many sources declare that she died unmarried. However, there is ample evidence to show that Elizabeth Coke Berkeley lived long enough to marry and bear one daughter of her own. The accounts of Queen Elizabeth being the godmother of Frances Coke are clearly incorrect, confusing Frances with Elizabeth.

It remains unexplained why Sir Edward decided in 1617 to marry off his almost-underage daughter Frances to John Villiers instead of the then 18 year old Elizabeth. ^[11]

Sources

1. ↑ ECDbD_Court_Women_Royal_Household.pdf pp. 84-85 [https:folgerpedia.folger.edu Women at Court; Royal Household]
2. ↑ "From Sir Edward Coke's "Vade Mecum", J B, ed. Collectanea Topographica Et Genealogica, Volume 6, p. 118. London: John Bowyer Nichols and Son, 1840. Vade Mecum
3. ↑ Blomefield, Francis. "North Greehow Hundred: Holkham." An Essay Towards A Topographical History of the County of Norfolk: Volume 9. London: W Miller, 1808. 231-244. British History Online. Web. 9 February 2022. Pedigree
4. ↑ Luthman, Johanna. Love, Madness, and Scandal: The Life of Frances Coke Villiers, Viscountess Purbeck. Oxford University Press: 2017. Luthman
5. ↑ Surrey : Kingston Upon Thames : All Saints : Transcript : "Parish Register" database, FreeREG (https://www.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5bcb7694f493fd5ebbe065b1 : viewed 26 Feb 2022) marriage Maurice Barklay to Elizabeth Coke 08 Dec 1622
6. ↑ Gloucestershire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1538-1813 for Francis Berkely/Rendcomb1566-1711 Ancestry
7. ↑ Smyth, John. The Berkeley Manuscripts: The Lives of the Berkeleys, Lords of the Honour, Castle and Manor of Berkeley, in the County of Gloucester, from 1066 to 1618; with a Description of the Hundred of Berkeley and of Its Inhabitants. Volume 1. p. 265. Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society: 1883. Smyth
8. ↑ History of Parliament Online: BERKELEY, Maurice (1599-1654), of Stoke Gifford, Glos. Berkeley
9. ↑ Will of Sir Maurice Berkeley of Stoke Gifford, Gloucestershire, proved 22 May 1655. PROB 11/249/637
10. ↑ 'Charles I - volume 280: Undated 1634', in Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Charles I, 1634-5, ed. John Bruce (London, 1864), pp. 402-421. British History Online BHO
11. ↑ 'Preface', in Calendar of State Papers Domestic: Charles I, 1634-5, ed. John Bruce (London, 1864), pp. vii-xliv#anchorn7. British History Online BHO