The Beresford Baronets

The surname of BERESFORD was assumed from Beresford, in the parish of Alstonefield, Staffordshire, of which manor, JOHN DE BERESFORD was seised in 1087, during the reign of WILLIAM II, and was succeeded therein by his son, HUGH DE BERESFORD, from whom lineally descended

JOHN BERESFORD (1390-1475), Lord of Beresford and Enson, who married Elizabeth, daughter of William Basset, of Blore, Staffordshire, and had, with other issue,

John, his heir;
THOMAS.

Mr Beresford was succeeded at Beresford by his eldest son; while the second,

THOMAS BERESFORD (1420-1473), seated himself at Newton Grange, Derbyshire, where he was resident during the reigns of HENRY VI and EDWARD IV; the former of whom he served in his French wars, and, according to tradition, mustered a troop of horse at Chesterfield, consisting alone of his sons and his own and their attendants.

Mr Beresford wedded Agnes, daughter and heiress of Robert Hassall, of Arclid, Cheshire, by whom he had sixteen sons and five daughters, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Aden; but we pass to the seventh,

HUMPHREY BERESFORD, who eventually became of Newton Grange.

This gentleman espoused Margery, daughter of Edmond Berdesley, or Beresley, and was succeeded by his second son (the eldest having left a daughter only at his decease),

GEORGE BERESFORD, whose eldest son,

MICHAEL BERESFORD (1540-1608), was an officer in the Court of Wards, and seated at Oxford, and The Squires, Kent.

He married Rose, daughter of John Knevitt, and had seven sons and four daughters; of whom

TRISTRAM BERESFORD (1574-1666), the third son, going into Ulster in the reign of JAMES I, settled at Coleraine, County Londonderry, as manager for the Corporaton of London during the plantation of Ulster.

He was succeeded by his eldest son, 

SIR TRISTRAM BERESFORD, Knight (1595-1673), of Coleraine, MP for Coleraine, 1634-66, who was created a baronet in 1665, designated of Coleraine.

Sir Tristram wedded firstly, Anne, eldest daughter of John Rowley, of Castleroe, County Londonderry, by whom he had one son, RANDAL, his heir, and two daughters; and secondly, Sarah Sackville, and had three sons and three daughters, namely,

Tristram;
Michael;
Sackville;
Susanna; Sarah; Anne.

Sir Tristram was succeeded by his eldest son,

SIR RANDAL BERESFORD, 2nd Baronet, MP for Coleraine, 1661-8, who wedded Catherine, younger daughter of Francis, 1st Viscount Valentia, and niece, maternally, of Philip, 1st Earl of Chesterfield, and had issue,

TRISTRAM, his successor;
Jane; Catherine.

Sir Randal died in 1681, and was succeeded by his son and heir,

SIR TRISTRAM BERESFORD, 3rd Baronet (1669-1701), MP for County Londonderry, 1692-9, who commanded a regiment of foot against JAMES II, and was attainted by the parliament of that monarch.

He espoused, in 1687, Nichola Sophia, youngest daughter and co-heiress of Hugh, 1st Baron Hamilton of Glerawly, and had issue,

MARCUS, his successor;
Susanna Catherina; Arabella Maria; Jane; Aramintha.

Sir Tristram was succeeded by his son,

SIR MARCUS BERESFORD, 4th Baronet (1694-1763), MP for Coleraine, 1715-20, who married, in 1717, Catherine, only daughter of James, 3rd Earl of Tyrone, and in consequence of that alliance was advanced to the peerage, in 1720, as Baron Beresford, of Beresford, County Cavan, and Viscount Tyrone; and was created Earl of Tyrone, 1746.

A memorial in Coleraine parish church was restored by the first Baronet's descendant, Henry, 3rd Marquess of Waterford.

In 1872, John, 5th Marquess of Waterford, sold 40,000 acres of Beresford property in County Londonderry, 8,000 acres being acquired by the Beresfords of Learmount.

The present Marquess of Waterford is the 12th Beresford Baronet.

First published in February, 2011.  Beresford arms courtesy of European Heraldry.