Historical References: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

History

Berkley is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts ans is the least populated town in the county.  Berkley was first settled in 1638 and was officially incorporated in 1735. It was named for the philosopher and Bishop George Berkeley (1685–1753), who lived in Newport, Rhode Island from 1728 to 1731. The extra ‘e’ was apparently dropped by mistake when officially registered by the State House. The town was formerly part of Taunton, Massachusetts and Dighton, Massachusetts.

The mostly rural town is also the home to Dighton Rock State Park, the home of Dighton Rock, a tidal boulder well known for its strange markings, which have been totally or partly attributed to Vikings, Wampanoags, or Portuguese explorer Miguel Corte-Real. At the southern tip of the “Berkley Neck” which hangs into the confluence of the Taunton River and the Assonet Bay, there is a small island, named “Conspiracy Island“, whose name origin remains obscure.

Town of Berkley Official Website
http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=mg2homepage&L=1&sid=massgov2&L0=Home