Marcus Beresford (British Army officer, born 1800) explained

Honorific Prefix:General
Marcus Beresford
Office:Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed
Term Start:1826
Term End:1832
Predecessor:Sir Francis Blake
Sir John Beresford
Alongside:John Gladstone, Sir Francis Blake
Successor:Sir Rufane Shaw Donkin
Sir Francis Blake
Office1:Member of Parliament for Northallerton
Term Start1:1824
Term End1:1826
Predecessor1:William Lascelles
Henry Peirse (younger)
Alongside1:William Lascelles
Successor1:Sir John Poo Beresford
Henry Lascelles
Birth Date:28 July 1800
Birth Place:Cork, Ireland
Education:Winchester College
Alma Mater:Trinity College, Dublin
Parents:George Beresford
Susan Gorges
Relations:William Beresford, 1st Baron Decies (grandfather)

General Marcus Beresford (28 July 1800 – 16 March 1876)[1] was an officer of the British Army and politician in England.

Early life

Beresford was born on 28 July 1800 in Cork, Ireland. He was the second son of the Rev. George Beresford and his wife Susan Gorges. His grandfathers were Archbishop William Beresford, 1st Baron Decies and Hamilton Gorges MP, of Kilbrew.[2]

His great-uncle George Beresford, 1st Marquess of Waterford, had two illegitimate sons, William Carr Beresford, created Viscount Beresford in 1814, and Sir John Beresford, "both of whom influenced the course of his career."[2]

He was educated at Winchester College and graduated from Trinity College, Dublin in 1815.[3]

Career

He was Member of Parliament for Northallerton from 1824 to 1826. At the next general election, he made way for Sir John Beresford at Northallerton and stood for Berwick-upon-Tweed, where his family had recently established an interest, serving from 1826 to 1832.[4] "In the House, Beresford followed his family’s Tory line."[2]

After he was defeated in his bid to return to the House, he resumed his military career and served for five years as military secretary to the Indian commander-in-chief. He was made a full General on 4 March 1866 and given the colonelcy of the 20th Foot from 1858 to his death in 1876.[5]

Personal life

On 1 October 1828, he married his first cousin, Isabella Sewell, a daughter of Thomas Bermingham Daly Henry Sewell and Hon. Harriet Beresford. Before her death in August 1836,[2] they were the parents of:

After the death of his first wife, he married Caroline Fane, daughter of William Fane and Louisa Hay Dashwood, on 22 January 1838 in Calcutta, India. Together, they were the parents of:

General Beresford died on 16 March 1876.[7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: House of Commons constituencies beginning with "N" (part 2). Leigh Rayment's House of Commons pages. 2009-04-17. usurped. https://web.archive.org/web/20181006224549/http://www.leighrayment.com/commons/Ncommons2.htm. 6 October 2018.
  2. Web site: Casey . Martin . BERESFORD, Marcus (1800-1876), of 16 Cavendish Square, Mdx. . www.historyofparliamentonline.org . . 1 February 2022.
  3. "Alumni Dublinenses: a register of the students, graduates, professors and provosts of Trinity College in the University of Dublin (1593–1860)" George Dames Burtchaell/Thomas Ulick Sadleir p60: Dublin, Alex Thom and Co, 1935
  4. Web site: House of Commons constituencies beginning with "B" (part 2). Leigh Rayment's House of Commons pages. 2009-04-17. usurped. https://web.archive.org/web/20120224095640/http://www.leighrayment.com/commons/Bcommons2.htm. 24 February 2012.
  5. Web site: The Lancashire Fusiliers [UK]]. https://web.archive.org/web/20060103225102/http://www.regiments.org/regiments/uk/inf/020LancF.htm. 3 January 2006. 2 January 2016.
  6. Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage and Baronetage, 106th edition, 2 volumes. Crans, Switzerland: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 1999, volume 1, page 573.
  7. Mosley, Charles, editor. Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes. Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003, volume 1, page 1061.