Sir John Beresford, 1st Baronet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir John Beresford
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|---|---|
| Born | 1766 |
| Died | 2 October 1844 |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ |
 Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1782–1835 |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Commands held | HMS Lynx HMS Hussar HMS Prévoyante HMS Raison HMS Unite HMS Diana HMS Virginie HMS Cambrian HMS Theseus HMS Poictiers HMS Royal Sovereign Leith Station Commander-in-Chief, The Nore |
| Battles/wars | French Revolutionary War War of 1812 |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Guelphic Order Order of the Tower and Sword |
Sir John Beresford (1766 – 2 October 1844) was a brave and important officer in the Royal Navy. He rose to the high rank of Admiral. He was also a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Conservative Party. He was given the special title of baronet, which means he was a knight whose title could be passed down in his family.
Contents
John Beresford was born in 1766 in Waterford, Ireland. He was the son of George Beresford, who was the 2nd Earl of Tyrone. John had a half-brother, William Beresford, who also became a famous general.
John went to school in Yorkshire, England. In 1782, when he was about 16, he joined the Royal Navy. He started as a captain's servant on a large warship called HMS Alexander. This was how many young men began their naval careers back then.
For about a year and a half, Beresford served on HMS Alexander. He sailed in areas like Newfoundland and the Leeward Islands. In 1784, he became a midshipman on HMS Winchelsea. A midshipman was a junior officer in training.
He continued to learn and serve on other ships. In 1787, he passed his test to become a lieutenant. He was officially promoted in 1790 and joined HMS Lapwing in the Mediterranean Sea.
When the French Revolution started, things became dangerous for British people living in other countries. Beresford was sent on secret missions ashore in places like Genoa and Turin. He helped British citizens escape, sometimes even disguising himself as a farmer to avoid being caught.
In 1794, Beresford joined HMS Resolution. This ship was the main ship for Rear-Admiral George Murray in North America. Later that year, Murray promoted Beresford to commander. He then gave him command of a small warship called HMS Lynx.
Leading Ships in Battle
First Commands
As commander of HMS Lynx, Beresford quickly showed his skills. He protected a group of merchant ships from two larger French warships. He also helped rescue a British frigate, HMS Thetis, that had run aground. Plus, he captured a powerful French privateer (a private ship allowed to attack enemy ships).
Because of his brave actions, Admiral Murray gave Beresford command of a larger ship, the 28-gun frigate HMS Hussar. He was given the temporary rank of post-captain.
In 1795, Beresford and another captain attacked five French supply ships in Hampton Roads. These French ships were heavily armed. The British ships captured two of them: Prévoyante and Raison. Beresford was then given command of the larger Prévoyante. He even spent his own money to make her a stronger 40-gun frigate. However, the Admiralty (the British Navy's leaders) decided she was too big for him. They gave him the smaller Raison instead, which became a 30-gun frigate in the Royal Navy.
Chases and Captures
In 1796, while sailing HMS Raison, Beresford was carrying a large amount of money (£200,000 in gold and silver coins) from Boston to Halifax. A much larger French frigate, Vengeance, attacked him. Many of Beresford's crew were away at the time, securing an American merchant ship they had captured. The French ship chased Raison, but Beresford managed to escape into a thick fog.
He continued to serve bravely. In 1797, he captured a valuable Spanish merchant ship near the Bahamas. He also tricked other enemy ships into thinking Raison was a much larger warship, causing them to destroy themselves against the shore. After capturing several more enemy ships, he returned to Britain.
Service in the Caribbean and North Sea
In 1798, Beresford took command of HMS Unite. He sailed to the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean. Over the next five years, he helped capture several islands, including Surinam, St Martin, St Bartholomew, St Thomas, St John, and Santa Cruz.
At some point, he moved to command HMS Diana. He was the senior officer for frigates under Rear-Admiral Sir John Duckworth. Before a peace treaty was signed in 1802, he escorted a large group of 200 ships back to England. After this, he stayed on land until the war started again in 1803. He then commanded HMS Virginie in the North Sea for about a year, but the harsh conditions made the ship unfit for service.
Important Commands
Beresford returned to North America, commanding the 44-gun frigate HMS Cambrian. He became very good at capturing enemy ships and their goods (called "prizes"). When the commander-in-chief, Admiral Sir Andrew Mitchell, died in 1806, Beresford became the senior officer until a replacement arrived.
In 1808, Beresford took command of a large 74-gun warship, HMS Theseus. He served in the English Channel and then helped blockade (block off) the port of Ferrol. After eight months, he was sent to blockade Lorient, another French port. In February 1809, he tried to stop French ships from entering Lorient but was forced away by a large French fleet.
He later joined Admiral Lord Gambier's fleet and took part in the Battle of the Basque Roads in April 1809. Beresford was the one who suggested using fireships (ships set on fire and sent into enemy fleets) in this battle.
In 1810, Beresford was given command of another 74-gun ship, HMS Poictiers. He blockaded the port of Brest and then worked with the army of Lord Wellington in Lisbon.
War of 1812 and Knighthood
In 1812, the War of 1812 began against America. Beresford was sent to the American coast. He served there for the rest of the war, becoming a commodore in his last year.
During this war, his ship, HMS Poictiers, captured the American ship USS Wasp and recaptured the British ship HMS Frolic. He was knighted on 22 May 1812 for his service. He returned home in November 1813.
In 1814, Beresford commanded one of the royal yachts, HMS Royal Sovereign. He helped escort Louis XVIII back to France after the Napoleonic Wars ended. For his service, he was made a baronet on 21 May and promoted to rear-admiral on 4 June.
The next year, he sailed to Rio de Janeiro with his new flagship, HMS Duncan. His mission was to bring John VI of Portugal back to Portugal. However, the prince decided not to return at that time, so Beresford sailed back to Britain. Even though his mission didn't succeed, John VI gave Beresford the Order of the Tower and Sword, a special award.
Beresford continued to receive honors. He was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1819. In 1820, he commanded the Leith Station. He was promoted to vice-admiral in 1825 and served as a commissioner for the Admiralty from 1834 to 1835. He received another award, the Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Guelphic Order, in 1836. Finally, he was promoted to the highest rank, admiral, on 28 June 1838.
Political Life
Besides his naval career, Sir John Beresford was also involved in politics. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for several areas. He represented Coleraine from 1809–1812 and again from 1814–1823. He also represented Berwick-upon-Tweed (1823–1826), Northallerton (1826–1832), and Chatham (1835–1837).
Family Life
Sir John Beresford was married three times. His first marriage was to Mary Molloy in 1809. They had one son named George. Mary passed away in 1813.
In 1815, he married Harriet Elizabeth Peirse. They had two sons, Henry William and John George, and four daughters. Harriet died in 1825.
His third marriage was to Amelia Peach in 1836. They did not have any children together. Sir John Beresford passed away on 2 October 1844. His son George from his first marriage inherited his baronetcy.
