George Berkeley, First Earl of Berkeley

D.O.B: 1627 D.O.D: 1698

Berkeley used his social connections and a broad engagement with trading companies and the administration of England’s emerging empire (including a founding investment in the Company of Royal Adventurers trading to Africa) to bolster his family’s financial position. Berkeley was a member of the Company of Royal Adventurers and subscribed to the Company’s first patent in 1660. Although he appears to have held only a half a share (worth £200), Berkeley was one of the most assiduous attenders of the Company of Royal Adventurers’ board meetings attending 24 meetings between 1664 and 1671 (only the Duke of York, Thomas Grey, and Matthew Wren attended more). He was also a member of the Court of Assistants of the Royal African Company from 1674 to 1676 and then again from 1679 to 1681, 1684-1686. Throughout the late 1670s and 1680s, he dealt in African Company shares and traded profitably. He participated in 23 transactions turning over £4,000 of Royal African Company stock. During his 28 year financial association with the Company of Royal Adventurers and the Royal African Company, these organisations mounted 332 slave trading voyages.