Baron Beresford
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Baron Beresford is a title that was created three times for the Beresford family, one in the Peerage of Ireland and later also two in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. In all instances it was created for men who were eminent politicians or soldiers. The first creation still exists as a subsidiary title, but the latter two became extinct at the death of their original holder.
The first creation was for Sir Marcus Beresford, 4th Baronet. In 1715, he entered the Irish House of Commons, sitting for Coleraine until 1720,[1] when he was raised to the Peerage of Ireland with the title Baron Beresford, of Beresford, in the County of Cavan, and further as Viscount Tyrone by King George I of Great Britain.[2] A year later, he joined the Irish House of Lords.[3] In 1736, he became Grandmaster of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, serving for the next two years.[4] Beresford was further honoured in 1746, when he was created Earl of Tyrone.[5] With the death of the 1st Earl of Tyrone, all his titles were inherited by George Beresford in 1763. He was Governor of Waterford from 1766 and custos rotulorum of that county from 1769 to 1800, during which time he was made a Knight of St Patrick, created Baron Tyrone in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1786 and elevated as a Marquess of Waterford in 1789. The title Baron Beresford is still extant and held by the Marquesses of Waterford as a subsidiary title.
Baron Beresford, second creation (1814–1854)
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The second creation was for General William Carr Beresford, GCB, GCH, GCTE (1768–1856) as Baron Beresford, of Albuera and Dungarvan in the County of Waterford of the Peerage of the United Kingdom, and was announced on 3 May 1814.[6][7] He was an illegitimate son of the 1st Marquess of Waterford.[8] William Beresford entered the British Army in 1785 and the next year he was blinded in one eye in an accident. In 1807 he was sent on a mission to Portugal. Later a general in the British Army and a marshal in the Portuguese army, he fought with the Duke of Wellington in the Peninsular War. For his services in Portugal he was created Count of Trancoso on 13 May 1811 and also Marquis of Campo Maior on 17 December 1812, both by decree of Prince Regent John. In the UK, Beresford was Member of Parliament for County Waterford from 1811 to 1814[9] until he was raised to the Peerage of the United Kingdom as Baron Beresford in 1814 and thus entered the House of Lords. In 1823 he was further made Viscount Beresford, of Beresford in the County of Stafford in the same peerage.[10] After his permanent return to Britain, he held the office of Master-General of the Ordnance in 1828 in Wellington's first ministry. In 1832 he married his first cousin Louisa, daughter of William Beresford, 1st Baron Decies and Elizabeth Fitzgibbon. The marriage was childless. Lord Beresford died in 1854 at the age of 85, and thereby his titles became extinct. He was also the last titular Governor of Jersey; since his death the Crown has been represented in Jersey by the Lieutenant Governor of Jersey.
