English: Stoke Gifford Hall in the parish of Stoke Gifford, Gloucestershire, the seat of w:John Symmes Berkeley, Esquire (1663–1736), twice MP for Gloucestershire. Drawing by Johannes Kip (1653 - 1722), published in "Britannia Illustrata: Or Views of Several of the Queen's Palaces, also of the Principal seats of the Nobility and Gentry of Great Britain, Curiously Engraven on 80 Copper Plates", London, first published 1707, this version from the 1724 edition. Copper engraving with later hand colouring. Engraved size : 430mm.x 345mm. including title above. The Tudor manor house built in 1553 by Sir Richard Berkeley (1531 – 1604) (HISTORY OF STOKE GIFFORD Edited by Adrian Kerton[1]). The site is today occupied by a large Georgian house, known as "Stoke Park" or "The Dower House".

The Berkeley family of Stoke Gifford was descended from Maurice de Berkeley (d.1347), killed at the Siege of Calais, who had acquired the manor of Stoke Gifford in 1337, the second son of w:Maurice de Berkeley, 2nd Baron Berkeley (1271–1326) of w:Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire. See: Maclean, Sir John; Heane, W.C., eds. (1885). The Visitation of the County of Gloucester, taken in the year 1623, by Henry Chitty and John Phillipot as deputies to William Camden, Clarenceux King of Arms; with pedigrees from the heralds' visitation of 1569 and 1582–3, and sundry miscellaneous pedigrees. Harleian Society, 1st ser. Vol. 21. London, pp.8-9, pedigree of "Barkley"[2]

• Sir John Berkeley (d. 1546) of Stoke Gifford, Gloucestershire, married Isabel Denys, a daughter of Sir William Denys (d. 1535) of Dyrham, Gloucestershire, by Anne Berkeley, daughter of Maurice Berkeley, de jure 3rd Baron Berkeley (1436–1506). His son and heir was:
  • Sir Richard Berkeley (1531 – 1604) of Stoke Gifford, Gloucestershire, MP for Gloucestershire in 1604, Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1564, and Deputy Lieutenant of Gloucestershire. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I in 1568. In 1595 he was appointed Lieutenant of the Tower of London. In 1553, aged just 22 just after coming out of wardship and gaining possession of his inheritance, he rebuilt the manor house at Stoke Gifford. His effigy is in the Gaunts Chapel, Bristol. Sir Richard Berkeley married firstly Elizabeth Read, daughter of William Read of Milton (or Mitton^[1]), Esq., by whom he had issue:
    • Henry Berkeley (died 1606), of Stoke Gifford, who married Mary (or Mirryell) Throckmorton, daughter of Thomas Throckmorton of w:Coughton Court, Warwickshire. He was father of
      • Richard Berkeley (1579–1661), MP, mural monument in St Michael's Church, Stoke Gifford, Gloucestershire. His eldest son and heir was:
        • Sir Maurice Berkeley (1599–1654), a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire. He married Elizabeth Cooke, a daughter of Sir Edward Cooke of Stoke, a Privy Counsellor to King James. His son and heir was:
          • Richard Berkeley of Stoke Gifford, who married Elizabeth Symmes, a daughter of Harry Symmes of Frampton Cotterell in Gloucestershire. His eldest son died in 1685. His second son and eventual heir was:
            • w:John Symmes Berkeley, Esquire (1663–1736), of Stoke Gifford, twice MP for Gloucestershire, the lord of the manor of Stoke Gifford whose house was drawn by Johannes Kip in 1707. He married secondly Elizabeth Norborne, a daughter and co-heiress of Walter Norborne of Calne, Wiltshire and the widow of Edward Devereux, 8th Viscount Hereford.
              • w:Norborne Berkeley, 4th Baron Botetourt (c.1717-1770), courtier, member of parliament, and governor of the colony of Virginia. He rebuilt Stoke Gifford House. Died unmarried, last in the senior male line. His heir was his sister Elizabeth Berkeley (Duchess of Beaufort), the wife of Charles Noel Somerset, 4th Duke of Beaufort.