Sir Tristram Beresford, 3rd Baronet

Sir Tristram Beresford, 3rd Baronet (1669 – 16 June 1701)[1] was an Irish politician and baronet.

Background

He was the second, but oldest surviving son of Sir Randal Beresford, 2nd Baronet and his wife Catherine Annesley, daughter of Francis Annesley, 1st Viscount Valentia and his second wife Jane Stanhope.[2] In 1681, he succeeded his father as baronet.[3]

Career

Commanding a Protestant regiment, Beresford was attained by King James II of England in May 1689. However he was acquitted after the Glorious Revolution.[2] He entered the Irish House of Commons in 1692, sitting for Londonderry County until 1699.[4]

Family and death

In February 1687, he married Nichola Sophia Hamilton, youngest daughter of Hugh Hamilton, 1st Viscount of Glenawly, who spent most of his career in the Swedish army, and his second wife Susanna Balfour, and had by her four daughters and a son.[5] His wife grew up with John Power, 2rd Earl of Tyrone and according to a family legend they both agreed in their childhood, that whoever should die at first, should try to return and report to the other about the afterlife.[6] In October 1693, Nichola wore one morning a black ribbon and after a request by her husband, declared that her friend had died.[6] Shortly thereafter a letter from the earl's steward arrived, confirming her assertion.[6] She also predicted Beresford the birth of his son and when in 1713, a clergyman presented her documents, which changed her age to forty-seven, she announced her oncoming death. Nichola told a female friend, that in the night after the earl's death, his ghost had manifested and had given her information about her future life.[6] As a proof, that it had been no dream, a black mark then appeared at her wrist, which she later covered with a ribbon.[6] Following this explanation Nichola expired in the presence of her friend.[6]

Beresford himself died in 1701 and was succeeded in the baronetcy by his son Marcus, later raised to the Peerage of Ireland by the title Earl of Tyrone.[3] Nichola remarried General Richard Gorges of Kilbrew, County Meath, and had a further six children. Despite the romantic family legend, her death in 1713 was probably in childbirth with her youngest daughter Lucy, who married firstly William St Lawrence, 14th Baron Howth, by whom she had several children, and secondly Nicholas Weldon.

References

1. "Leigh Rayment - Baronetage". Retrieved 29 August 2009.
2. Collins, Arthur (1812). Sir Egerton Brydges (ed.). Collin's Peerage of England. vol. VIII. London: T. Bensley. pp. 84–87.
3. Lodge, Edmund (1838). The Genealogy of the Existing British Peerage (6th ed.). London: Saunder and Otley. pp. 512.
4. "Leigh Rayment - Irish House of Commons 1692-1800". Retrieved 29 August 2009.
5. Lodge, John (1789). Mervyn Archdall (ed.). The Peerage of Ireland or A Genealogical History of the Present Nobility of that Kingdom. vol. II. Dublin: James Moore. pp. 299–301.
6. Chambers, Robert (2004). Book of Days: A Miscellany of Popular Antiquities in Connection with the Calenda. vol. II. Kessinger Publishing. pp. 785–786. ISBN 0-7661-8339-4.

Parliament of Ireland
Preceded by Patriot Parliament	Member of Parliament for Londonderry County 1692–1699 With: George Philips 1692–1697 James Lenox 1697 William Jackson 1697–1699	Succeeded by William Conolly Hercules Rowley
Baronetage of Ireland
Preceded by Randal Beresford	Baronet (of Coleraine) 1681–1701	Succeeded by Marcus Beresford