Medical practitioner (surgeon); businessman. Educated at Cupar Grammar School and studied medicine at the St Andrews University and Edinburgh University. After qualifying in medicine, he joined ships trading with India and China as a surgeon's mate but soon decided to pursue the commercial side of shipping. In 1806 chartered and later bought a ship in partnership with Francis Short, speculating in goods. From 1808 made several voyages to New South Wales with cargos of goods. Travelled to South America and returned to London in 1812, after losing his ship. In 1819 returned to Sydney establishing a mercantile business in partnership with Edward Wollstonecraft. In 1822, Berry and Wollstonecraft applied for a grant of 10,000 acres on the Shoalhaven River in New South Wales. In 1823 they exported coal to Rio de Janiero. Closed their mercantile business in 1828. In 1830 a grant of land of 10, 000 acres applied for on the Shoalhaven in 1822 was approved. Between 1830 and 1840 he purchased an additional 22,000 acres which produced maize, tobacco, wheat, barley, potatoes, pigs and cattle. Wollstonecraft died in 1832 and from 1836, Berry rarely visited the Shoalhaven estate, leaving its management to his brother David. In the 1850's Berry began to let farms on the estate on clearing leases. By 1863 the estate comprised 40,000 acres. Interests included aboriginal culture and geology.