Berkeley Moreton, 4th Earl of Ducie

Berkeley Moreton 4th Earl of Ducie
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Burnett
In office 30 August 1870 – 24 October 1871 Serving with Charles Haly
Preceded by	Ratcliffe Pring
Succeeded by	Walter Scott
In office 1 October 1883 – 15 May 1888
Preceded by	William Baynes
Succeeded by	George Jones
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Maryborough
In office 7 November 1873 – 16 March 1875
Preceded by	William Walsh
Succeeded by	John Douglas
Member of the Queensland Legislative Council
In office 25 May 1888 – 25 June 1891
In office 15 July 1901 – 23 March 1922
Personal details
Born	Berkeley Basil Moreton 18 July 1834 Woodchester, Gloucestershire, England
Died	7 August 1924 (aged 90) Tortworth, Gloucestershire, England
Nationality	English
Spouse(s)	Emily Eleanor Kent (m.1862 d.1921)
Relations	Henry Reynolds-Moreton, 2nd Earl of Ducie (father), Henry Reynolds-Moreton, 3rd Earl of Ducie (brother)
Alma mater	Magdalen College, Oxford and Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester
Occupation	Grazier, Chairman of Queensland Deposit Bank and Building Society
Religion	Church of England

Berkeley Basil Moreton, 4th Earl of Ducie (18 July 1834 – 7 August 1924), was a British peer and a politician and pastoralist in Australia. He was a Member of both the Queensland Legislative Assembly and the Queensland Legislative Council.

Early life

Berkeley Basil Moreton was born on 18 July 1834 at Woodchester, Gloucestershire, England, the son of Henry Reynolds-Moreton, 2nd Earl of Ducie and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of Lord Sherborne. He was educated at Rugby School and attended university at Magdalen College at Oxford.

Australian years

Berkeley Moreton arrived in Australia on 27 November 1855.^[1]

On 30 August 1870, he became a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly when he was elected to the seat of Burnett; that term finished on 24 October 1871.^[2]

On 7 November 1873, he again became a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly when he was elected to the seat of Maryborough; that term finished on 16 March 1875.^[2]

In March 1880, he was the founding chairman of the Rawbelle Divisional Board, a local government area surrounding the town of Gayndah.^[3]

On 1 October 1883, he became a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for the third time when he was elected (again) to the seat of Burnett, which he held until 12 May 1888. During this period, he briefly held the role of Queensland Postmaster-General from 17 March 1885 to 22 April 1885. This was followed by three years as the Secretary for Public Instruction from 17 April 1885 to 13 June 1888, which was partly concurrent by his two-year stint as Colonial Secretary from 1 April 1886 to 13 June 1888.^[2]

On 25 May 1888, he was appointed to be a Member of the Queensland Legislative Council. Although such appointments were for life, he chose to resign on 25 June 1891.^[2]

On 17 July 1901, he was appointed again for life to the Queensland Legislative Council; this appointment ended on 23 March 1922 when the Council was abolished.^[2]

Peerage

On 28 October 1921, Berkeley Moreton's brother Henry Reynolds-Moreton, 3rd Earl of Ducie died and Berkeley Moreton became the 4th Earl of Ducie. As the third Earl had a son Henry Reynolds-Moreton, Lord Moreton, Berkeley Moreton had not expected to inherit the title, but that changed on 28 February 1920 when his nephew Henry Reynolds-Moreton predeceased his father, the third Earl.^[4]

He left Queensland for England on 23 February 1922 to take possession of the Gloucestershire estate and take his seat in the House of Lords.^[5]

Moreton died in 1924 and was buried in St Leonard's Churchyard, Tortworth.^[6]

Arms

Arms of Berkeley Moreton, 4th Earl of Ducie

Coronet A Coronet of an Earl Crest A Moorcock's Head Or combed and wattled Gules between two Wings displayed Azure Escutcheon Quarterly: 1st and 4th, Argent a Chevron Gules between three Square Buckles Sable (Moreton); 2nd and 3rd, Or two Lions passant guardant Gules (Ducie) Supporters On either side a Unicorn Argent armed unguled maned and tufted Or, each gorged with a Ducal Coronet per pale Gold and Gules Motto Perseverando (By persevering)

References

1. "The Earl of Ducie Farewelled.". The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 7 January 1922. p. 6. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
2. "Alphabetical Register of Members of the Legislative Assembly 1860–2012 and of the Legislative Council 1860–1922" (PDF). Queensland Parliament. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
3. "THE CENTRAL BURNETT.". The Brisbane Courier. National Library of Australia. 13 April 1923. p. 7. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
4. "BRISBANE NOTES.". Cairns Post (Qld. : 1909 – 1954). Qld.: National Library of Australia. 29 April 1920. p. 2. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
5. "THE EARL OF DUCIE.". The Queenslander. Brisbane: National Library of Australia. 18 February 1922. p. 10. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
6. Some Memorial Inscriptions - Tortworth, Gloucestershire — Wishful Thinking. Retrieved 27 January 2016.

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by the Earl of Ducie