Maurice Berkeley, 1st Baron FitzHardinge


The Lord FitzHardinge

Admiral Lord FitzHardinge
Born(1788-01-03)3 January 1788
Died17 October 1867(1867-10-17) (aged 79)
Berkeley Castle, Gloucestershire
AllegianceUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Service / branch Royal Navy
Years of service1802–1862
RankAdmiral
CommandsHMS Semiramis
HMS Thunderer
Battles / warsPeninsular War
Oriental Crisis
AwardsKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Other workMember of Parliament
Privy Council

Admiral Maurice Frederick FitzHardinge Berkeley, 1st Baron FitzHardinge, GCB, PC, DL (3 January 1788 – 17 October 1867) was a Royal Navy officer. As a junior officer he commanded gunboats on the Tagus, reinforcing the Lines of Torres Vedras, in Autumn 1810 during the Peninsular War and, as a captain, he served on the coast of Syria taking part in the capture of Acre in November 1840 during the Oriental Crisis. He also served as Whig Member of Parliament for Gloucester and became First Naval Lord in the Aberdeen ministry in June 1854 and in that role focussed on manning the fleet and in carrying out reforms and improvements in the food, clothing, and pay of seamen.