John Beresford, 5th Baron Decies

For other people named John Beresford, see John Beresford (disambiguation).
The Lord Decies

Lord Decies with his first wife Helen, 1911.
Born December 5, 1866(1866-12-05)
Died January 31, 1944(1944-01-31) (aged 77)
Title Baron Decies
Spouse Helen Vivien Gould
Elizabeth Wharton Drexel

John Graham Hope de la Poer Beresford, 5th Baron Decies PC (5 December 1866 – 31 January 1944), styled The Honourable John Beresford until 1910, was an Anglo-Irish army officer and civil servant.

Contents

Background and education

Beresford was the second son of William Horsley-Beresford, 3rd Baron Decies, by Catherine Anne Dent, daughter of Commander William Dent. He was educated at Eton before joining the army in 1887.

Career

Beresford's military service was mainly in Africa. In 1910 he succeeded his elder brother in the barony. This was an Irish peerage and did not entitle him to an automatic seat in the House of Lords. However, in 1912 he was elected as an Irish Representative peer and was able to take a seat in the upper chamber of Parliament. From 1916-19 he was Chief Press Censor for Ireland.[1]

Time magazine on May 5, 1930 reported his stance on British taxation:

"The time may have come," said Lord Decies ominously, "when our wealthy men should seriously consider whether they must send their money out of this country." As Director of the British Income Taxpayers' Association, he vowed that he would suggest to them that "the time may have come. ..." [2]

Family

Lord Decies married Helen Vivien Gould on February 7, 1911. They had three children:

Lady Decies died on February 3, 1931, and following her death, he married Elizabeth Wharton Drexel, the daughter of Joseph William Drexel, on May 25, 1936. Elizabeth had previously been married to Harry Lehr.

Asked how to say his name, Lord Decies told The Literary Digest: "With ci as in conscience it is dee-shees, and Beresford is berysford." (Charles Earle Funk, What's the Name, Please?, Funk & Wagnalls, 1936.)

References

  1. ^ "Lord Decies dies in England at 77. Soldier, Sportsman, Friend of Taxpayer. Married Gould Heiress Here in 1911.". New York Times. February 2, 1944. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F2061EFD3E59147B93C0A91789D85F408485F9. Retrieved 2007-07-21. "Married Gould Heiress Here in 1911." 
  2. ^ "'Time May Have Come ...'". Time (magazine). May 5, 1930. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,739163,00.html. Retrieved 2007-07-21. "The British Treasury collected a death duty (inheritance tax) of $5,620,000 last week on the estate of $13,985,000 left by Major Andrew Coats, of the famed Paisley thread-spinning family. This and the increased taxes of all sorts provided in Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Snowden's Budget (TIME, April 21), stirred to wrath and protest the Englishman who married Miss Helen Vivien Gould (daughter of Jay) and her millions: John Graham Hope de la Poer Beresford, fifth Baron Decies, D. S. O., lately of the 7th Hussars, onetime Chief Press Censor for Ireland (1916-19). "The time may have come," said Lord Decies ominously, "when our wealthy men should seriously consider whether they must send their money out of this country." As Director of the British Income Taxpayers' Association, he vowed that he would suggest to them that "the time may have come. . . ."" 
Political offices
Preceded by
The Lord Crofton		 Representative Peer for Ireland
1912–1944		 Succeeded by
office lapsed
Peerage of Ireland
Preceded by
William Marcus de la Poer Beresford		 Baron Decies
1910–1944		 Succeeded by
Arthur George Marcus Douglas de la Poer Beresford