GEMMS IDGEMMS-PERSON-003120
NameGeorge Berkeley
TitleBishop
Gendermale
DenominationChurch of Ireland
Livedb. 1685-03-12 - d. 1753-01-14 (old)
Linked Manuscriptsmanuscript owner - Berkeley Papers, Vol. III: Add MS 39306
Linked SermonsCopy of a Sermon on 1 Timothy 1:2 -- preacher? (autograph: no)Sermon on 1 Timothy 1:2 -- preacher? (autograph: uncertain)Sermon on 2 Timothy 1:10 -- preacher (autograph: uncertain)Sermon on John 13:35 -- preacher? (autograph: uncertain)
Linked Reports
Associated PlacesCloyne -- BishopricNewport -- Place of BusinessTrinity College -- Place of StudyDerry -- PostTrinity College -- Post
Source of DataDavid Robinson
Biographical Sources ConsultedODNB
Other NoteBishop of Cloyne and philosopher. Born at or near Kilkenny on 12 March 1685 to William Berkeley, gentleman farmer, and his wife, Elisabeth Southerne, daughter of a Dublin brewer. Received a classical education at the Duke of Ormonde's school in Kilkenny, before entering Trinity College, Dublin in January 1700. He graduated BA in Spring 1704; then fellow and MA in 1707. He remained fellow until 1724, during which time he published several works on mathematics and philosophy, and was at times librarian, junior, dean, Greek lecturer, Hebrew lecturer, divinity lecturer, and senior proctor. He was ordained deacon then priest in 1709. He also published An Essay towards a New Theory of Vision that year and part one of A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge in 1710 (the manuscript of the second part was lost in Italy). He obtained leave from his fellowship to visit England in 1713 where he mingled with compatriots like Richard Steele and Jonathan Swift, and made new contacts with Joseph Addison and Alexander Pope. These connections eventually resulted in his appointment as chaplain to Charles Mordaunt, earl of Peterborough with whom he traveled to Italy in 1713 to attend the coronation of the king of Sicily. He intended to return to Dublin in 1716, expecting that he would obtain the living of St Paul's, but the lord justices opposed it, believing him to have Jacobite sensibilities. He instead spent another four years in Italy (1717-1720) accompanying St George Ashe the Younger. He returned to Dublin in 1721 where he proceeded BD and DD. In 1724, he was made dean of Derry, but he never took up residence there. Instead, he spent the next four years mostly in London, managing the estate of Esther van Homrigh and working towards a plan to establish a college in Bermuda to bring about "a reformation of manners" for both colonists and the indigenous population. He received a charter for St Paul's College in Bermuda in 1725. He married Anne Forster on 1 August 1728 and the two left for America soon afterwards. They settled in Newport, Rhode Island where they bought a farm at Middletown and slaves to farm the crops that would be used to fund the college. However, the promised funds for the college never materialized and he returned to England in 1731. He was made Bishop of Cloyne in January 1734. He died 14 January 1753.
GEMMS record createdSeptember 21, 2020
GEMMS record last editedSeptember 30, 2020