Sir William Berkeley Facts. Sir William Berkeley (1606-1677), English royal governor of the colony of Virginia, was a leading protagonist in Bacon's Rebellion. He made substantial contributions to the colony but was almost fanatically loyal to England. William Berkeley was the son of Maurice Berkeley of Bruton, Somerset, and brother of Lord John Berkeley, a proprietor of Carolina. William was educated at Oxford, where he received a bachelor of arts degree in 1624 and a master of arts in 1629.