Sir Robert Berkeley (1584 – 5 August 1656) was an English judge and politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1621 to 1624.
[1] Berkeley was impeached by the Long Parliament for high treason on 12 February 1641,[2] after in 1637 he gave his judicial opinion in favour of the legality of Ship-Money.
According to Frederick Charles Cass, "the energetic terms in which he gave expression to the judgment had rendered him more obnoxious to the Commons than his colleagues.
"[3] In September 1643 the House of Lords deprived him of his office, and fined him £20,000, of which he paid one half to secure the waiver of the remainder and his release.
[4] In 1651, before the Battle of Worcester, his house at Spetchley Park was burnt by Scottish Presbyterians to prevent it falling into Parliamentary hands.