William Beresford
Encyclopedia
William Beresford was a British
Conservative
politician.
and his wife Frances Arabella, daughter of Joseph Leeson, 1st Earl of Milltown
. Beresford was educated at St Mary Hall, Oxford
, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
in 1819 and a Master of Arts five years later. He joined the British Army and served in the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers
and then in the 12th (Prince of Wales's) Royal Lancers, finally as a major.
unsuccessfully in 1837. He was elected for Harwich
in the next general election in 1841, which he represented until 1847. Beresford and Charles Newdegate were the Conservative whips
in the House of Commons
after the party split over the Corn Laws
. His relations with Benjamin Disraeli were strained, with Beresford often taking his cue from Lord Stanley
in the Lords instead of the nominal leader in the commons. As Chief Whip he managed the 1852 general election
, widely noted for its venality (even by the standards of the day), and was censured by the house for "reckless indifference to systematic bribery." Disraeli took the opportunity to remove Beresford, who was briefly succeeded as whip by William Forbes Mackenzie
. Mackenzie, however, lost his seat for much the same reason, and was in turn succeeded by Sir William Joliffe. The management of elections Disraeli transferred to his solicitor, Philip Rose
. He was appointed Secretary at War
in 1852 and on this occasion was sworn in as a Privy Counsellor
.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
politician.
Background
He was the only son of Marcus BeresfordMarcus Beresford (1764–1797)
-Background:A member of the Beresford family headed by the Marquess of Waterford, he was the eldest son of John Beresford. George Beresford and John Claudius Beresford were his younger brothers.-Political career:...
and his wife Frances Arabella, daughter of Joseph Leeson, 1st Earl of Milltown
Joseph Leeson, 1st Earl of Milltown
Joseph Leeson, 1st Earl of Milltown was an Irish peer and politician.-Background:He was the son of Joseph Leeson, who was a brewer in Dublin, and Mary Brice, daughter of Alderman Andrew Brice, Sheriff of Dublin...
. Beresford was educated at St Mary Hall, Oxford
St Mary Hall, Oxford
St Mary Hall was an academic hall of the University of Oxford associated with Oriel College since 1326, but which functioned independently from 1545 to 1902.- History :...
, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1819 and a Master of Arts five years later. He joined the British Army and served in the 9th Queen's Royal Lancers
9th Queen's Royal Lancers
The 9th Queen's Royal Lancers, or the Delhi Spearmen, were a cavalry regiment of the British Army. They are best known for their roles in the Indian mutiny of 1857 and for their part in the North African campaign of World War II including the retreat to and the battle of El Alamein in 1942.-Early...
and then in the 12th (Prince of Wales's) Royal Lancers, finally as a major.
Career
Beresford contested WaterfordWaterford (UK Parliament constituency)
Waterford was a parliamentary constituency in Ireland, represented in the British House of Commons.-Boundaries and boundary changes:This constituency once comprised the whole of County Waterford, except for the Parliamentary boroughs of Dungarvan and Waterford City...
unsuccessfully in 1837. He was elected for Harwich
Harwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Harwich was a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Until its abolition for the 2010 general election it elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
in the next general election in 1841, which he represented until 1847. Beresford and Charles Newdegate were the Conservative whips
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
after the party split over the Corn Laws
Corn Laws
The Corn Laws were trade barriers designed to protect cereal producers in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland against competition from less expensive foreign imports between 1815 and 1846. The barriers were introduced by the Importation Act 1815 and repealed by the Importation Act 1846...
. His relations with Benjamin Disraeli were strained, with Beresford often taking his cue from Lord Stanley
Edward Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby
Edward George Geoffrey Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, KG, PC was an English statesman, three times Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and to date the longest serving leader of the Conservative Party. He was known before 1834 as Edward Stanley, and from 1834 to 1851 as Lord Stanley...
in the Lords instead of the nominal leader in the commons. As Chief Whip he managed the 1852 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1852
The July 1852 United Kingdom general election was a watershed election in the formation of the modern political parties of Britain. Following 1852, the Tory/Conservative party became, more completely, the party of the rural aristocracy, while the Whig/Liberal party became the party of the rising...
, widely noted for its venality (even by the standards of the day), and was censured by the house for "reckless indifference to systematic bribery." Disraeli took the opportunity to remove Beresford, who was briefly succeeded as whip by William Forbes Mackenzie
William Forbes Mackenzie
William Forbes Mackenzie was a Scottish Conservative politician and temperance reformer. He is best known for the Forbes MacKenzie Act, legislation passed in 1853 to regulate public houses in Scotland....
. Mackenzie, however, lost his seat for much the same reason, and was in turn succeeded by Sir William Joliffe. The management of elections Disraeli transferred to his solicitor, Philip Rose
Philip Rose
Sir Philip Rose, 1st Baronet was the son of William Rose, an Assistant Surgeon in the British Indian Army and Charlotte Rose ....
. He was appointed Secretary at War
Secretary at War
The Secretary at War was a political position in the English and later British government, with some responsibility over the administration and organization of the Army, but not over military policy. The Secretary at War ran the War Office. It was occasionally a cabinet level position, although...
in 1852 and on this occasion was sworn in as a Privy Counsellor
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
.