[Illustration] The family of Vincent descend from Miles Vincent, owner of lands at Swinford in the county of Leicester, in the tenth of Edward II. Early in the fifteenth century the family removed to Bernack, in the county of Northampton, on marriage with the heiress of Sir John Bernack, of that place. Here they continued to reside, until David Vincent, Esq. seventh in descent from that marriage, settled at Long-Ditton, in Surrey, in the reign of Henry VIII. His son, Sir Thomas Vincent, by marriage with the heiress of Lyfield, removed to Stoke d'Abernon, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, which was sold shortly after 1809, when the family removed to the present seat in this county. See Wotton's Baronetage, vol. i. p. 418; and Manning and Bray's Surrey, vol. ii. p. 723. ARMS.--_Azure, three quatrefoils urgent_. Present Representative, Sir Francis Vincent, 10th Baronet. GLOUCESTERSHIRE. +Knightly.+ BERKELEY OF BERKELEY CASTLE, EARL OF BERKELEY 1679; BARON BERKELEY 1416. [Illustration] Pre-eminent among the Norman aristocracy is the house of Berkeley, and more especially remarkable from being the only family in England in the male line retaining as their residence their ancient Feudal Castle. This great family are descended from Hardinge, who fought with William at the battle of Hastings; and whose son, Robert Fitzhardinge, received the lordship and castle of Berkeley from Henry II., in reward for his fidelity to the Empress Maude and her son. His son and successor Maurice married Alice, daughter of Roger de Berkeley, the former and dispossessed owner of Berkeley. Younger branches. The Berkeleys of Cotheridge and Spetchley, both in Worcestershire, and both descended from Thomas, fourth son of James fifth Lord Berkeley, and Isabel, daughter of Thomas Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk. (Nash's Worcestershire, i. 258.) For Berkeley of Stoke-Gifford in this county, and of Bruton, co. Somerset, (Lords Berkeley of Stratton,) both extinct, see Blore's Rutlandshire, p, 210; for Berkeley of Wymondham, also extinct, see Nichols's Leicestershire, ii. pt. 1. p. 413; for Berkeley-Portman of Bryanston, co. Dorset, see Hutchins's Dorset, i. 154. For Berkeley Genealogy, see Leland's Itinerary, vi. fo. 49, &c.; for Charters of the Berkeleys, with their seals copied from the originals at Berkeley Castle, see MSS. Reg. Coll. Oxon. cxlix., and, above all, Fosbroke's "Abstracts and Extracts of Smyth's Lives of the Berkeleys," admirably illustrative of the ancient manners of our old landed families.