Sir George Berkeley (1819–1905) was a British colonial governor, in the

Leeward Islands The Leeward Islands () are a group of islands situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean. Starting with the Virgin Islands east of Puerto Rico, they extend southeast to Guadeloupe and its dependencies. In Engl ...

and the West Africa Settlements.

Life

Born on

Barbados Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...

on 2 November 1819, he was the eldest son of General Sackville Hamilton Berkeley, colonel of the

16th Regiment of Foot The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment was the final title of a Line infantry, line infantry regiment of the British Army that was originally formed in 1688. After centuries of service in many conflicts and wars, including both the World War ...

, and his wife Elizabeth Pilgrim, daughter of William Murray of Bruce Vale Estate, Barbados. Educated at

Trinity College, Dublin Trinity College Dublin (), officially titled The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, and legally incorporated as Trinity College, the University of Dublin (TCD), is the sole constituent college of the Univ ...

, which he entered on 3 July 1837, he graduated with a B.A. in 1842, and soon returned to the West Indies, where his active life was almost wholly passed. On 11 February 1845 Berkeley was appointed colonial secretary and controller of customs of

British Honduras British Honduras was a Crown colony on the east coast of Central America — specifically located on the southern edge of the Yucatan Peninsula from 1783 to 1964, then a self-governing colony — renamed Belize from June 1973

, and ''ex-officio'' member of the executive and legislative councils. While still serving there, he was chosen in 1860–1 to administer temporarily the government of

Dominica Dominica, officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island country in the Caribbean. It is part of the Windward Islands chain in the Lesser Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean Sea. The capital, Roseau, is located on the western side of t ...

, and on 8 July 1864 was appointed lieutenant-governor of Saint Vincent. During his tenure of office, in 1867, an Act to amend and simplify the legislature substituted a single legislative chamber for the two houses which had been in existence since 1763. Berkeley was acting administrator of

Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

from December 1872 to October 1873, when he was appointed governor in chief of the West Africa settlements (

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...

Gambia The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...

, Gold Coast, and Lagos). The Gold Coast and Lagos were soon made into a separate colony (24 July 1874); Berkeley was recalled, and a new governor of Sierra Leone and Gambia was appointed. While he was on his way home in June 1874, he was offered, and accepted, the government of

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

; but then did not take up the appointment, being sent instead to the Leeward Islands as governor in chief. There he remained until 27 June 1881, when he retired on a pension. Berkeley was created C.M.G. on 20 February 1874, and K.C.M.G. 24 May 1881. He died unmarried in London on 29 September 1905, and was buried in

Kensal Green cemetery Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in the Kensal Green area of North Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in London, England. Inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in P ...

Notes

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Berkeley, George Burials at Kensal Green Cemetery Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George 1819 births 1905 deaths British Honduras people British Dominica people Governors of the Lagos Colony Governors of Sierra Leone Governors of the Gambia Governors of the Gold Coast (British colony) Governors of the Leeward Islands Governors of British Saint Vincent and the Grenadines