BERRINGTON (AND VARIANTS) MENTIONS BY COUNTY AND
ISLE
Medieval Berrington records have so far been located in the English counties
and islands listed below. The data is based largely on the heraldic visitation records*, which
sadly do not give dates in their pedigree trees. Where possible dates have
been added or estimated from other sources, but this has been a somewhat
random process because the variations in the spellings of the Berrington
surname have meant that potentially useful on-line sources do not always turn up in
searches.
Berkshire
 During
the sixteenth century, there was a Berington family in Berkshire: in
Streatley, near Reading. This family descended from the Berringtons /
Beringtons of Herefordshire. For further information on both, see the Berringtons
of Herefordshire page. Their coat of arms, three collared greyhounds, is shown
on the right.
Incidentally, Datchet, where Neil's Berringtons were based, is on the
borders of Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. Somewhat confusingly, it is now located in
Berkshire
although in the time of Neil's Berringtons it was formally in
Buckinghamshire. So far, no link between the Datchet and Streatley
Berringtons / Beringtons has been established.
Buckinghamshire
As argued on the Berringtons of
Datchet, Buckinghamshire page, no Berringtons seem to have been there before the
early sixteenth century.
Cheshire
 The 1580 Visitation of Cheshire
has an entry for the Berington family of Bradwall, Cheshire. The crest
includes among other things the same three greyhounds as the Hereford and Berkshire
Berringtons.
The pedigree starts with Radoll Berington and goes ten generations to
Elenor Berington who was living at the time of the Visitation in 1580. On the estimate of 30 years
per generation, this would suggest that the following individuals in the
tree were alive sometime around the dates given in brackets below. The
reason for the revised dates is given in the Note below.
- Randoll Berington (c1300) [c1280 revised]. No wife's name given.
[Name written as Randall Berington de Moresborowe in the pedigree of
the Oldfeilde family of Bradwall 1613 Visitation]
- John Berington (c1330) [1300 revised], Randoll's first son, married Agatha daughter of Thomas Vernon of
Lostock. The descendancy of John's second son Adam follows lower down
the page.
- Thomas Berington (c1360), [1340 revised] first son of John, married Jone daughter of and coheir
William Venables of Bradwall. Their second son was Hugh (c1360) [1340
revised] but
there is no further information about him.
- William Berington (c1390) [1370 revised] of
Bradwall, Thomas's first son, (c1420) married Margery [in 1476/7 from
the 1613 Visitation].
Their sons were 1. John (c1480) and 2. Henry, but the tree in the
1580 Visitation continues through
Henry. The tree for John continues in the 1613 Visitation and is
given below.
- Henry Berington, (c1480) son of William. No wife's name given.
- William Berington (c1500) of Bradwall, son of Henry, married Margaret Penketh.
Only one son, another William is shown on the tree.
- William Berington (c1530) son of William, married Agnes Cotton. Only
one son, George, is shown.
- George Berington (c1560) married Alice daughter of William Raynes of Newbold
Astbury, Cheshire. Only one son, William, is shown.
- William Berington (c1590) of Bradwell married Elizabeth daughter of John Bowyer of
Knipsley, Staffs. Only one daughter, Elenor, is shown.
- Elenor (1630) daughter of and heir of William Berington married Phillip Oldfield of
Midlewich, now of Bradwall.
Note on dates: A record held in the Vernon Collection at the Cheshire and Chester Archives
registers a claim made by a William de Berington regarding land in
the manor of Bradwall. It is dated 'Ao 15 Edw. III'. Edward III reigned
during the 50-year period of 1327-77. So the William concerned is probably the one
above originally estimated at c1390. Consequently the estimated dates have been
revised earlier. Further evidence on which to estimate dates comes from
the 1613 Visitation of Cheshire which gives some annotations. Although it does not have a Berington
pedigree, some dates occur in Berington mentions in other pedigrees.
The other branch to the tree in the Visitation is via Adam, the second son of
Randoll (there called Randall):
- Randoll Berington / Randall Berington de Moresborowe (c1280). No wife's name given.
- Adam Berington (c1300), second son of Randoll / Randall. No wife's name given.
- Thomas Berington (c1330) son of Adam. No wife's name given.
- Richard Berington (c1360) son of Thomas. No wife's name given. He had
three children:
- John (c1390) son of Richard, who had a
daughter Anne
- William (c1390) son of Richard who married a Margareta [1613
Visitation].
- Margaret (c1390) daughter of Richard - no husband's name given.
- This branch of the tree stops at the children of William (c1390).
- Leonard Berington (c1420).
- Thomas Berington (c1420).
- William Berington (c1420).
- Anne Berington (c1420) who married William Reynolds.
The 1613 Visitation of Cheshire gives some descendants of John, the
first son of William Berington (c1390) [1370 revised] of
Bradwall and Margery:
- John de Berrington of Bradwall married Agnes daughter of Richard
Sandbage or Sandbach and had a son William Berington
- William Berington of Bradwall married Margaret, daughter of Richard
Penkethe of Lancashire and had a son William Berington, the younger
- William Berington, the younger married Agnes Cotton [c1513]
- George Berington, son of William married Alice, daughter and heir of
William Rayone of Newbalt Astbury in Cheshire.
- William Berington, son of George married Elizabeth daughter of
William Bowyer of Knipersley in Staffordshire.
- With Elianor, daughter and heir of William Berington, this
Berrington line died out through the male line.
There is clearly some confusion between the 1580 and the 1613
Visitation as the same names appear to come down through different sons of
William Berington (c1390) [1370 revised] of
Bradwall and Margery: Henry in the 1560 Visitation and John in the
1613 Visitation.
There are a number of 'loose ends' in terms of male Beringtons
of Cheshire which nothing more is known, who could conceivably have gone on to have a son,
grandson or great grandson who was Thomas
of Datchet (<1538 - 1603).
A number of other Berrington records are held in the Cheshire and Chester Archives
from the 1600s onwards but they are outside the scope of this study. They
do, however, show that Beringtons were in Cheshire long after the
Visitations.
Devonshire
The late Medieval records in the IGI flag Burringtons [sic] in
Devonshire. Yet the Visitation of 1654 gives no mention of the family.
Herefordshire
For reasons argued on the Berringtons
of Herefordshire page, this was the county that seemed to be the most
likely one for starting to look for Neil's Berrington ancestors. However,
as explained on that page, the research drew a blank. The Visitation of
Berkshire shows that some Herefordshire
Berringtons spread out into Berkshire, but no doubt they also spread
elsewhere.
Jersey
In the fourteenth century, according to Balleine's Biographical
Dictionary of Jersey, the de Barentins held the following manors in
Jersey: Rozel. Samares, Longueville. Dielament, La Hougue Boete, Houmet,
La Fosse and Paisne. For a hundred years they were one of the most
important families in the Island. The founder was Drogo De Barentin (also
written as Drouet, Drui and Drew) who died about 1265.**
Norfolk
According to the Victoria History of Norfolk, a chapel was founded in
Ickburgh, Norfolk by William De Barentin under King Edward I (1272 -
1307). It later became a leper hospital. No Barentin / Berrington lines
are listed in the 1563 and 1613 Visitation of Norfolk.
Northumberland (north of England/Yorkshire)
Various records put a Berrington family in the North of England.
However no Berrington references by any spelling variation showed up in
"Visitations of the north, or some early heraldic visitations of, and collections of pedigrees relating to, the north of England.
Parts 1-4. (Bob Boynton, University of Iowa)
Oxfordshire
The Pedigree Resource File of the Latter Day Saints indicates that a John Barrington /
Berentyne was born about 1426 in Haseley Parva, Oxfordshire. So there were
'Berringtons' in Oxfordshire in the late Medieval period.
Entries in the 1566 and 1634 Visitation of Oxfordshire show that Elizabeth,
widow of Francis Barrantyne, son and heir of Wm. Barantine of Hasley in Oxon,
Knight, married R. Fynes of Broughton in Oxon. There was no issue. So this
would seem an unlikely ancestor of Thomas of Datchet.
Also Anne daughter of Sir Nicholas Barrington, Knight married John Anne
(an unusual surname) of North Aston - but this almost certainly links with
the other line of Essex Barringtons.
A note in the Visitation reads: The above are the quarterings of Sir
William Barrentyne over the belfry door on the north side of the church at
Churchill [where quarterings is a term from heraldry indicating pedigree]:
"Three eagles (Barrentyne)". The other quarters are from the
Drayton, Popham and Malyns families. Sir William Barrentyne was lord of Churchill after the de Noers in
1447.
Research by W. D. Macray *** on the Charters
relating to Chalgrove and other various other documents held in Magdalen
College, Oxford, has traced their descent to the year 1485. He starts with
a note dated 27 December 1233 in the Royal letters of Henry III:
"Drogo de Barentyne. Grant to him by Henry III of half the manor
of Chaugave [sic] until the King or his heirs shall restore the manor,
formerly belonging to Hugh de Malo Alneto, to the right heirs ..."
The pedigree, however, begins later with Sir William de Barentyne,
Knight (c1290 - 1300) who married an unnamed daughter of the lord of the
manor of Chalgrove. (The meaning of the dates is uncertain and probably
refers to the range of dates covered by the original documents that Macray
examined.) The couple's son was another Drogo, Sir Drogo, Knight (1290 -
1320). Hovering beside him on the chart with no parents or descendants is
Hugo de Barentyne 1284.
Next comes a Thomas Barantyne of Henton (1333 - 1364), whose parents
are not shown. He married an Elizabeth and two children are noted: Drugo
[sic] 1346 and Thomas 1368 - 1399 who may married Elizabeth Malus and then
possibly a Joan.
A son (presumably the eldest surviving son) of Thomas and Elizabeth
Malus was Reginald (1394 - 1429) who married first another Elizabeth and
then Joan, daughter of John James of Wallingford. Reginald is noted with
Arms of three eagles.
Reginald and Joan had a son named Drogo who was upwards of 40 years old
in 1441 and who married a Beatrix and then a Joan.
Drogo and Joan had a son John who was upwards of 16 years old in 1453.
He married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Stephen Popham, Knight.
Their son John is the last entry in the pedigree and is described as
"of Little Hasely, upwards of 15 years old in 1474".
Interestingly he disposed of all his interests in the manors of Goldore,
Rufford and Chalgrove in 1485. He died in December of that year. A wife
Mary is noted, but no children - presumably because the research related
to Chalgrove and they had moved on. However, if there were children, this
John is a candidate for being the grandfather of Thomas
of Datchet. The names of Thomas and John were certainly in the
families of both of them. However, such speculation comes nowhere near
proof.
Shropshire (also known as Salop)
The 1623 Visitation of Shropshire (which includes pedigrees from the
earlier 1241 and 1396 Visitations) shows a pedigree for Berington of
Shrewsbury and Moat Hall. It goes back via the female line to Edward I of
England, the Plantaganet King known as Edward Longshanks (1272 - 1307).
However, it is some four generations later that a Berington enters
pedigree with an Alicia marrying a Rogerus Berington. A generation later
Alicia's niece married a Roger de Berington and had a son listed as
William Beriton. That branch of the tree stops there in the Visitation,
which continues with the descendants of Rogerus Berington as shown below.
Dates are not given in the pedigree, but can be estimated on the basis of
30 years per generation, backed up from contemporary records - see the Note
below.
- Rogerus Berington (c1375 married Alicia 'filia Joh'es et cohaeres'
which translates as daugher of and coheiress of John of Ireland. Their
children were Willimus, Eleanora, Margaretta and Robertus. There is no
further information about the daughters.
- Willimus Berington (c1395), son of Rogerus and Alicia married Agnes,
sister of John Baldwin of Salop. Their children were Johannes,
Willimus and Hugo who died without issue, Thomas William, and Alice
who married another Berington, Richardi Berington de Salop.
- Robertus Berington (c1395) son of Rogerus and Alicia had two sons, only one of whom,
Thomas (c1425), is named, and daughters Alicia, Elizabetha and Eliarnora.
Christiana married ... Wicherley ... Bayston de Salop. No other
information is given; neither is the wife of Robertus's name given.
This branch of the three ends, and continues with Willimus and Agnes's
surviving son, Thomas William.
- Thomas William Berington (c1425) son of Willimus and Agnes marred
Juliana, daughter of Will'i Blakely of Blakley, Salop. The children
were Margeria who married a Gosnall, Robertus Thomas Berington who
carried on the line and Richardus and Willimus who died without issue.
- Robertus Thomas Berington de Shrewsbury (c1455) married Johanna daughter of
William Horley of Salop. The first son, Rogerus died without issue.
Son Thomas carried on the line; daughter Margett married Joh'es Browne
de Cotton.
- Thomas Berington de Salop (c1485), son and heir of Robertus Thomas
married Isabella, daughter of Joh'es Shoton de Salop. Offspring were
Elizabeth who married Richard Crisps, Roger, Richard and Edmond who
died without issue and Joh's who was to carry on the line.
- Joh'es Berington (c1500) surviving son of Thomas and Isabella
married Elizabeth Scrimshire. Children were Rogerus who died without
issues, Thomas who was to carry on the line, and Johanna, Anna and
Janna of whom nothing more is given.
- Thomas Berington (c1530), son and heir of Joh'es married Cecilia.
Children were Robertus who was stated as the heir but who showed no
children, Anna who married William Tenche who was Bailiff of
Shrewsbury in 1560, and Rogerus with whom the line continues.
- Rogerus Berington (c1550).
- Thomas Berington, (1580) surviving son of Rogerus, first married
Margaretta and then Francis daughter of William Houghton of Beckbury,
Salop.
The pedigree then becomes rather complex to unravel because it is
contorted to fit onto the page. However, by that time, it was too late for
any of the family to be ancestors of Thomas
Berrington (<1538 - 1603) of Datchet.
Note on dates: With regard to putting dates to the names in the Visitation, I
have relied on the 1560 Bailiffship of Shrewsbury; the Middle
Temple reference to Thomas Berrington, admitted 26 October 1580, late
of New Inn, gentleman, son and heir of Roger Berrington of Calcott, Salop;
and the
website on Discovering
Shropshire's history which states:
In 1545-6 the corporation made a perpetual grant to alderman Thomas Berington of a tower
... In 1586 Roger Berington was presented for failing to repair
..." These two Beringtons are probably father and son or
grandfather and son. So they almost certainly refer to the Thomas who
married Cecilia and Roger, his son, who married Margaretta.
The profusion of the names of John, Robert and Thomas are significant in view of the
tradition of carrying names on in families. These were the names that Thomas
Berrington (<1538 - 1603) of Datchet gave to his three sons.
The pedigree seems to show one possibility for the Thomas
<1538 - 1603) who could have forsaken Shropshire for Datchet: Thomas
(c1425), son of Rogerus and Alicia, grandson of Robertus Berington
(c1395).
Staffordshire
The Pedigree Resource File of the Latter Day Saints indicates that a William Barrington was
born in 1420 in Parva Hayward, Staffordshire, but no further details of
that line have so far emerged. Burial records show a Berrington presence
in the county, but for no-one as early as would be a possible ancestor of Thomas
of Datchet. Similarly an excellent old map exists for Staffordshire,
showing the Berrington coat of arms, but that too is too late for any
ancestry of Thomas of Datchet.
Sussex
The 1530 and 1633-4 Visitation of Sussex has the following entries for
the Barentyne family:
Reignold Barrentyne married but no name of wife.
Drew Barentyne (either son or brother) married but no name of wife. [The www.tudorplace.com.ar
website gives her name as Joan.]
Reignold Barentyne (either son or brother) married Elizabeth Popham, daughter and coheir of Sir Stephen
Popham.
John Barentyne (either son or brother) married Mary, daughter of Thomas Stoner of Oxfordshire.
Sir William Barentyne first married Jane daughter of Sir Roger Lewknor, Knight.
Their child, Sir Drew Barentyne of Plumpton Sowey married Ann, daughter of
Gray.
Sir William Barentyne next married the unnamed daughter of Hyton and widdow of
an unreadable Gray. Their children were Mary Barentyne and Francis, son and heir of Sir William
Barentyne, died
without offspring - a dead end as far as the ancestry of Thomas of Datchet
is concerned.
Individual Barentynes are mentioned in the pedigrees of other families,
but their names was lost on marriage, so they could not have been ancestors
of Thomas Berrington of Datchet: Grace, daughter of John Barentyne married
William Covert; Thomazin Barington married John Lunsford of Battell
[Battle] in Sussex and had a son William Lunsford, the she married William Sydney
and finally married into the Hoyton family.
Warwickshire
The 1619 Visitation of Warwickshire shows no Berington pedigree but the
following mentions of individuals occur as follows in the pedigrees of
other families:
- William Boughton, 2nd wife Elizabeth Brockett, widow of [Nicholas] Barrington
[the Barringtons of Hatfield Broad Oak].
- Elizabeth Smethwick married John Berington.
- Jane daughter of William Venables of Bradwall married Thomas Berington.
Worcestershire
Little Malvern Court in Worcestershire became the home of a Berington
family by descent around 1539. The Worcestershire origins of that family
are therefore too recent to be significant for directly relevant for the
ancestry of Thomas
Berrington (<1538 - 1603) of Datchet. The 1569 Visitation of Worcestershire
gives no specific Berington pedigree although it does mention Beringtons
who married into other Gloucestershire families:
- The Acton family - Mary Acton (daughter of Nicholas Acton) married Humffrey Berington of
Bishopstone, Herefordshire (c 1630).
- The Blount family - Elizabeth Blount (daughter of John Blount of Yee,
Worcestershire) married William Berington (c 1630).
- The Blount family - Roger Blount (son of Thomas Blount) m. Mary Berington d. William of Wimbersley in
Little Malvern (c 1630).
- The Rompeney family - John Rompeney of Lulldey, Worcestershire (son of William
Rompeney) married Anne daughter of John Berington of Stocke Lacye
[Stoke Lacey], Little Malvern (c 1600).
These records confirm the Berington names in other
visitations but shed no light on the origins of Thomas
Berrington (<1538 - 1603) of Datchet.
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