William Berkeley | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Flagmen_of_Lowestoft_Vice-Admiral_Sir_William_Berkeley_1639-66_by_Sir_Peter_Lely.jpg) Vice-Admiral Sir William Berkeley, part of the Flagmen of Lowestoft series by Sir Peter Lely | |
| Born | 1639 |
| Died | 1 June 1666 (aged 26–27) Aboard HMS Swiftsure during the Four Days' Battle |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  Kingdom of England |
| Service/ |  Royal Navy |
| Years of service | Finished 1666 |
| Rank | Vice-Admiral of the Blue |
| Commands | |
| Battles/wars | |
| Relations | |
Vice-Admiral Sir William Berkeley (1639 – 1 June 1666) was a Royal Navy officer who saw service during the Second Anglo-Dutch War, rising to the rank of vice-admiral.
Berkeley was born into a noble family, one of the younger sons of a courtier of King Charles II, and a younger brother of one of the King's favourites. He joined the Royal Navy and enjoyed a meteoric rise owing to these important sources of patronage, something he himself acknowledged. After service in the Mediterranean, and time spent commanding his own ships, he was advanced to flag rank and joined the Royal fleets assembling for battle during the Second Anglo-Dutch War. He was a junior flag officer at the Battle of Lowestoft in 1665, during which his brother was killed. Caustic comments were made about his conduct, including by the poet and satirist Andrew Marvell.
Determined to answer his critics, Berkeley, by now promoted to vice-admiral and leading the van at the Four Days' Battle, took his ship into the thick of the fighting, and was surrounded by Dutch ships. Cut off from support he fought fiercely, but his ship was overwhelmed and captured, with Berkeley being killed in the action. His body was taken to the Netherlands and embalmed, before being returned to England and interred in Westminster Abbey. Accusations of cowardice pursued him even after his death, but later biographies have been more sympathetic.