Celebrating Hampshire Historians

Berry, William

1772 - 1842

He was a genealogist who in 1833 published a substantial volume on the pedigrees of prominent families in the county. It was one of a series of volumes on mainly southern counties that he published between 1830 and 1842, when he was forging a career as a genealogical writer, based on his experience as a ‘writing clerk’ to the registrar for the College of Arms between 1793 and 1809.

The publication of his first county volume on Kent caused the Gentleman’s Magazine to accuse him of deceit, by claiming to be the ‘registering clerk’ at the College of Arms, whereas we was only a ‘writing clerk’. In turn, he took them to court for libel, but in 1830 a jury decided against him.

County Genealogies of the Family of the County of Hants has long been a useful source for tracing prominent Hampshire families, and some copies are interleaved an annotated with additions and corrections. The copy in the HRO came from the library of Florence Horatio Suckling, the Romsey historian.

Sources

• ‘Berry William’, ODNB, G.C. Boase rev. Myfanwy Lloyd.

• Wikipedia


• HRO, 97M81/23/30

Portrait

None known.

Contribution to county’s history

Pedigrees of prominent families.

Relevant published works

• County Genealogies of the Family of the County of Hants, London, 1833 

Critical Comments

Other Comments

He is frequently cited in the VCH footnotes. Together with published family histories, this formed part of a long tradition of registering pedigrees for largely dynastic and legal reasons, rather than the recording of history.

Contributor

Barry Shurlock, 27 November 2023

Key Words

Genealogy, family history, pedigree, College of Arms

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