Lord Charles Beresford
Encyclopedia
Charles William de la Poer Beresford, 1st Baron Beresford GCB
GCVO
(10 February 1846 – 6 September 1919), styled Lord Charles Beresford between 1859 and 1916, was a British
Admiral
and Member of Parliament
.
Beresford was the second son of John Beresford, 4th Marquess of Waterford
, thus despite his honorary title as second son was still eligible to enter the House of Commons. He combined the two careers of the navy and a member of parliament, making a reputation as a hero in battle and champion of the navy in the House of Commons. He was a well-known and popular figure who courted publicity, widely known to the British public as "Charlie B". He was considered by many to be a personification of John Bull
, indeed was normally accompanied by his trademark, a bulldog
.
His later career was marked by a longstanding dispute with Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Fisher, over reforms championed by Fisher introducing new technology and sweeping away traditional practices. Fisher, slightly senior to Beresford and more successful, became a barrier to Beresford's rise to the highest office in the navy. Beresford rose to occupy the most senior sea commands, the Mediterranean and Channel fleets, but failed in his ambition to become First Sea Lord. Charles was captivated by the sight of the Channel Fleet at age twelve.
His family traced their ancestry to Englishmen who had invaded Ireland with James I and stayed to rule. Their estate covered 100000 acres (404.7 km²) at Curraghmore near Waterford in South East Ireland, had stables for 100 horses and employed 600 people. The family enjoyed hunting, to the extent that his uncle was killed in a riding accident, his brother was crippled in another, and he himself managed ten broken bones at various times.
Beresford had a reputation for kindness to his men, saying 'Any smart action performed by an officer or man should be appreciated publicly by signal...Everyone is grateful for appreciation'. At 46 and as captain, he took part in inter-ship rowing competitions.
He married Mina Gardner, daughter of Richard Gardner and Lucy Mandesloh, on 25 June 1878 at London, England. They had two daughters, the Hon. Eileen Teresa Lucy de la Poer Beresford (d. 1939) and the Hon. Kathleen Mary de la Poer Beresford (1879–1939).
in 1859 aged 13, and started his training as a cadet
at the naval training academy HMS Britannia
; successfully completing his passing-out examination in March 1861. He was immediately appointed a midshipman on the flagship of the Mediterranean fleet, the steam three-decker Marlborough
. Beresford described the Marlborough as "the smartest and happiest ship that ever floated". Beresford left the Marlborough in Spring 1863, and was appointed to the Defence
in the summer of 1863. The Defence was one of four new ironclads serving in the Channel Squadron; Beresford was unhappy in the Defence, which he described as "a slovenly, unhandy tin kettle, which could not sail without steam... and which took minutes instead of seconds to cross topgallant yards". Beresford got into debt, his father consulted Admiral Eden, who arranged for Beresford's transfer in mid-1864 to the steam-corvette Clio
, where Beresford would be the senior midshipman, which it was hoped would develop Beresford's sense of responsibility. In Spring 1865, the Clio visited the Kingdom of Hawaii
(then known as the Sandwich Islands); it was then that Beresford first met the Nancy Wahinekapu Sumner, one of Queen Dowager Emma
's courtladies. Beresford and Sumner became friends, and continued their friendship through correspondence. Later in 1865, Beresford was transferred to the steam-corvette Tribune, which was commanded by Lord Gilford
and was one of the smartest ships in the navy at the time. Beresford was promoted to acting sub-lieutenant in January 1866. A month later Beresford was transferred to the steam-frigate Sutlej
, the flagship of the Pacific Squadron. Beresford passed his seamanship examination to qualify for lieutenant on board the Sutlej, which he left later in 1866. Beresford did a gunnery course on the Excellent, a hulk in Portsmouth harbour. Beresford broke a bone in his foot whilst mismounting a gun on the Excellent, an injury that caused him pain for the rest of his life. Beresford joined the Research
still as a sub-lieutenant in 1867, and then in the summer of 1868 was one of the sub-lieutenants on the royal yacht Victoria and Albert
. Beresford joined the steam-frigate Galatea
, commanded by Queen Victoria's son the Duke of Edinburgh, and toured the world, witnessed executions in Japan and got tattooed. On a visit to the Kingdom of Hawaii
in 1869, Beresford met Nancy Sumner again. He proposed to her, but she refused due to their social and racial differences.
He entered Parliament
as a Conservative
in 1874, representing County Waterford and retained his seat until 1880. Some difficulties arose with the Lords of the Admiralty, who objected to a junior officer debating the navy publicly in the House of Commons. Beresford's parliamentary career was saved by the intervention of the Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, who feared the loss of the seat to an opposition party, should Beresford be forced to resign. Whilst an MP he continued to serve in the navy, becoming a commander
in 1875.
In 1874, Beresford was one of thirty-two aides chosen to accompany the Prince of Wales on a tour of India. Victoria objected, on the grounds of his bad reputation, but he remained at the Prince's insistence. The tour was a lively mixture of social engagements and animal hunts. The Prince insisted on dressing for dinner, even in the jungle, but allowed the concession of cutting off the tails of their evening coats, creating the dinner jacket. He was aide-de-camp to the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII
, from 1875 until 1876.
During his service under Edward VII, he became involved in an affair with Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick
(i.e., Frances Brooke), with whom Edward VII was also involved romantically. The affair strained his friendship with Edward VII, even though Edward himself was married to Alexandra of Denmark
.
From 1878 until 1881 Beresford was second in command of the royal yacht HMY Osborne. He was captain of the gunboat HMS Condor
in 1882 when it took part in the bombardment of Alexandria
during the Egyptian war of 1882
and won admiration amongst the British public for taking his ship inshore to bombard the Egypt
ian batteries at close range.
In 1884 and 1885 Beresford joined the staff of the Gordon Relief Expedition under Garnet Wolseley, along with the Naval Brigade
and a Gardner machinegun, to which Beresford was much attracted. During the battle of Abu Klea, Dervishes overran his Gardner gun when it jammed at the last moment. Beresford just escaped death by diving under the trail of the gun. Henry Newbolt's Abu Klea poem "Vitaï Lampada" is often quoted, "The Gatling's jammed and the Colonel's dead...", although it was a Gardner machine gun which jammed.
, and re-elected at the 1886 general election
. Beresford constantly pushed for greater expenditure on the navy, resigning his seat in protest on this issue in 1888. Meanwhile in 1886 he had also become Junior Naval Lord
. The Naval Expenditure Act of 1889, which increased naval spending, was passed partly as a result of public pressure resulting from this action. From 1889 until 1893 he was the captain of HMS Undaunted
, which was part of the Mediterranean Fleet.
In 1898 Beresford was promoted to rear-admiral and again entered Parliament, this time representing York. He retained this seat until 1900, although he spent much of his time in China
representing the Associated Chambers of Commerce, and from 1900 onwards was second in command of the Mediterranean Fleet. A dislike steadily developed between Beresford and Jackie Fisher who was then commanding that fleet. Shortly after his arrival, Beresford took a company of men ashore and used them as stand-ins for ships to practice manoeuvring and assembling a fleet. Fisher noticed the display and publicly sent a signal demanding to know why Beresford had landed his men without permission. Lord Charles resented his superior as a social climber from unknown origins, while Fisher was jealous of Beresford's inherited wealth and social position.
, but resigned in 1903 when he was promoted to admiral and appointed chief of the Channel Fleet
. Beresford was in command of the Mediterranean Fleet
from 1905 until 1907. David Beatty
, then a captain serving under Beresford, commented that Beresford's command of the fleet was characterised by 'rigid training and discouragement of initiative'. Beresford aspired to reach the navy's most senior post, First Sea Lord
, but the position was held by Fisher, who was widely respected. Mandatory retirement at 65 would have led to Fisher departing in 1906, but promotion for Fisher to Admiral of the fleet also brought with it an extension of retirement age to 70. Beresford himself would reach retirement at 65 in 1911, unless he too could achieve the same promotion. As this seemed unlikely, the only possibility was if Fisher resigned, or was obliged to. Beresford set about organising a campaign criticising his handling of the navy and its reforms.
Beresford transferred to command of the Channel fleet from 1907–1909. He was complimented as having 'no superior as a seaman', but his time in charge was described as 'principally a processional career around the ports of Britain...I do not recall that any serious problems of war were either attempted or solved [but] Lord Charles received deputations, addressed crowded meetings in his honour, and became freeman of innumerable cities'. It was noted that his personality seemed to have changed for the worse, and historians have suggested that he might have suffered a minor stroke at some time before 1907. In 1907 and 1908 there were two signals incidents with Admiral Percy Scott
; in 1907 Scott objected to being taken off gunnery practice to clean ships for viewing by the Kaiser, and in 1908 Scott disobeyed an order from Beresford which would have resulted in a collision.
By 1909, Beresford had managed to gain sufficient support for an official enquiry to be opened by the Prime Minister into Fisher's conduct at the admiralty. The enquiry exonerated Fisher, but sufficient damage was done to his reputation that he was obliged to retire slightly early, in 1910, in anticipation of a forthcoming general election.
After his term with the Channel Fleet finished in 1909, Beresford returned to Parliament at the January 1910 general election, representing Portsmouth
. In 1912, it was proposed by George V
, who knew Beresford, that he might be promoted Admiral of the Fleet, but it fell to Beatty, now naval secretary to First Lord Winston Churchill
to point out that others would be more deserving of such a promotion. Beresford had been somewhat left behind by the technological innovations and changes in the navy during the last years of his service as an admiral. It is likely that he would have performed poorly had he continued as an admiral into World War One. However, at times during his career he supported proposals to reform the fleet signal book, which might have made it more suitable for wartime use, and had championed reforms in fire control, where understanding of how best to use the new big guns on Fisher's dreadnought ships lagged behind their ability to hit at long ranges.
Fisher was replaced as First Sea Lord by Sir Francis Bridgeman
. Bridgman proved to be unsatisfactory, and Churchill resolved to replace him with the Second Sea Lord, Prince Louis of Battenberg
. Beresford questioned the matter of Bridgman's resignation, officially said to be for reasons of ill health, by challenging Churchill in the House of Commons. Churchill responded, saying of Beresford that "since I became first lord of the admiralty...within a fortnight he made a speech in which he said I had betrayed the navy...and ever since he has been going about the country pouring out charges of espionage, favouritism, blackmail, fraud, and inefficiency... The noble Lord nourishes many bitter animosities on naval matters". The House of Commons supported Churchill, considering that Beresford's attack was a continuation of his dispute with Fisher, who was now acting privately as advisor to Churchill.
On the eve of World War I
, First Lord Churchill and First Sea Lord Prince Louis of Battenberg made the crucial decision to cancel the scheduled dispersal of the British fleet following practice manoeuvres, in order to preserve the Royal Navy's battle readiness. Nonetheless with the outbreak of war, rising anti-German sentiment among the British public, newspapers, and elite gentlemen's clubs (where resentment was inflamed by Beresford despite Churchill's remonstrances) drove Churchill to ask Prince Louis to resign as on 27 October 1914, which Louis did amidst an outpouring of appreciation from politicians and his naval comrades.
Beresford remained an MP until 1916, although he retired from the navy in 1911. In 1916, he was raised to the peerage
as Baron Beresford
of Metemmeh and of Curraghmore in the County of Waterford. Lord Beresford died in 1919 at the age of 73, at which point his title became extinct.
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Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
GCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(10 February 1846 – 6 September 1919), styled Lord Charles Beresford between 1859 and 1916, was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
and Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
.
Beresford was the second son of John Beresford, 4th Marquess of Waterford
John Beresford, 4th Marquess of Waterford
Reverend John de la Poer Beresford, 4th Marquess of Waterford was an Irish peer and Church of Ireland minister.Beresford was the third son of the Henry Beresford, 2nd Marquess of Waterford and his wife, Susanna...
, thus despite his honorary title as second son was still eligible to enter the House of Commons. He combined the two careers of the navy and a member of parliament, making a reputation as a hero in battle and champion of the navy in the House of Commons. He was a well-known and popular figure who courted publicity, widely known to the British public as "Charlie B". He was considered by many to be a personification of John Bull
John Bull
John Bull is a national personification of Britain in general and England in particular, especially in political cartoons and similar graphic works. He is usually depicted as a stout, middle-aged man, often wearing a Union Flag waistcoat.-Origin:...
, indeed was normally accompanied by his trademark, a bulldog
Bulldog
Bulldog is the name for a breed of dog commonly referred to as the English Bulldog. Other Bulldog breeds include the American Bulldog, Olde English Bulldogge and the French Bulldog. The Bulldog is a muscular heavy dog with a wrinkled face and a distinctive pushed-in nose...
.
His later career was marked by a longstanding dispute with Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Fisher, over reforms championed by Fisher introducing new technology and sweeping away traditional practices. Fisher, slightly senior to Beresford and more successful, became a barrier to Beresford's rise to the highest office in the navy. Beresford rose to occupy the most senior sea commands, the Mediterranean and Channel fleets, but failed in his ambition to become First Sea Lord. Charles was captivated by the sight of the Channel Fleet at age twelve.
Family life and character
Beresford was the second of five brothers. His older brother John joined the life guards, succeeding to the family estate and titles in 1866 on the death of their father. William joined the 9th Lancers, won a V.C. in the Zulu wars and became military secretary to several viceroys of India. Marcus joined the 7th Hussars, became an equerry to King George and in charge of the King's racehorses. The youngest brother, Delaval, became a rancher in Canada.His family traced their ancestry to Englishmen who had invaded Ireland with James I and stayed to rule. Their estate covered 100000 acres (404.7 km²) at Curraghmore near Waterford in South East Ireland, had stables for 100 horses and employed 600 people. The family enjoyed hunting, to the extent that his uncle was killed in a riding accident, his brother was crippled in another, and he himself managed ten broken bones at various times.
Beresford had a reputation for kindness to his men, saying 'Any smart action performed by an officer or man should be appreciated publicly by signal...Everyone is grateful for appreciation'. At 46 and as captain, he took part in inter-ship rowing competitions.
He married Mina Gardner, daughter of Richard Gardner and Lucy Mandesloh, on 25 June 1878 at London, England. They had two daughters, the Hon. Eileen Teresa Lucy de la Poer Beresford (d. 1939) and the Hon. Kathleen Mary de la Poer Beresford (1879–1939).
Naval and Parliament careers
Beresford joined the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1859 aged 13, and started his training as a cadet
Cadet
A cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
at the naval training academy HMS Britannia
HMS Britannia (1820)
HMS Britannia was a 120-gun first-rate ship-of-the-line of the Royal Navy, laid down in 1813 and launched on 20 October 1820.Commissioned in 1823, she saw service in the Mediterranean from 1830-1 and in 1841...
; successfully completing his passing-out examination in March 1861. He was immediately appointed a midshipman on the flagship of the Mediterranean fleet, the steam three-decker Marlborough
HMS Marlborough (1855)
HMS Marlborough was a first-rate three-decker 131 gun screw ship built for the Royal Navy in 1855. She was begun as a sailing ship of the line , but was completed to a modified design and converted to steam on the stocks.She served as flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet from 1858-64 HMS...
. Beresford described the Marlborough as "the smartest and happiest ship that ever floated". Beresford left the Marlborough in Spring 1863, and was appointed to the Defence
HMS Defence (1861)
HMS Defence was the lead ship of the armoured frigates ordered by the Royal Navy in 1859. Upon completion in 1862 she was assigned to the Channel Fleet. The ship was paid off in 1866 to refit and be re-armed and was briefly reassigned to the Channel Fleet again when she recommissioned in 1868...
in the summer of 1863. The Defence was one of four new ironclads serving in the Channel Squadron; Beresford was unhappy in the Defence, which he described as "a slovenly, unhandy tin kettle, which could not sail without steam... and which took minutes instead of seconds to cross topgallant yards". Beresford got into debt, his father consulted Admiral Eden, who arranged for Beresford's transfer in mid-1864 to the steam-corvette Clio
HMS Clio (1858)
HMS Clio was a wooden 22-gun , built at Sheerness Dockyard and launched on 28 August 1858. She was the flagship of the Australia Station between 3 September 1870 until 16 October 1873 and from 1876 was used as a school ship....
, where Beresford would be the senior midshipman, which it was hoped would develop Beresford's sense of responsibility. In Spring 1865, the Clio visited the Kingdom of Hawaii
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
(then known as the Sandwich Islands); it was then that Beresford first met the Nancy Wahinekapu Sumner, one of Queen Dowager Emma
Queen Emma of Hawaii
Queen Consort Emma Kalanikaumakaamano Kaleleonālani Naea Rooke of Hawaii was queen consort of King Kamehameha IV from 1856 to his death in 1863. She ran for ruling monarch against King David Kalākaua but was defeated....
's courtladies. Beresford and Sumner became friends, and continued their friendship through correspondence. Later in 1865, Beresford was transferred to the steam-corvette Tribune, which was commanded by Lord Gilford
Richard Meade, 4th Earl of Clanwilliam
Admiral of the Fleet Richard James Meade, 4th Earl of Clanwilliam, GCB, KCMG , styled Lord Gillford until 1879, was a British Royal Navy officer and peer.-Background:...
and was one of the smartest ships in the navy at the time. Beresford was promoted to acting sub-lieutenant in January 1866. A month later Beresford was transferred to the steam-frigate Sutlej
HMS Sutlej (1855)
HMS Sutlej was a Constance-class 50-gun fourth-rate frigate of the Royal Navy.The class was designed by Sir William Symonds in 1843, and were the largest sailing frigates built for the Navy. Sutlej was ordered from Pembroke Dockyard on 26 March 1845, laid down in August 1847 and launched on 17...
, the flagship of the Pacific Squadron. Beresford passed his seamanship examination to qualify for lieutenant on board the Sutlej, which he left later in 1866. Beresford did a gunnery course on the Excellent, a hulk in Portsmouth harbour. Beresford broke a bone in his foot whilst mismounting a gun on the Excellent, an injury that caused him pain for the rest of his life. Beresford joined the Research
HMS Research (1863)
HMS Research was a small ironclad warship, converted from a wooden-hulled sloop and intended as an experimental platform in which to try out new concepts in armament and in armour...
still as a sub-lieutenant in 1867, and then in the summer of 1868 was one of the sub-lieutenants on the royal yacht Victoria and Albert
HMY Victoria and Albert II
HMY Victoria and Albert, a 360 foot steamer launched 16 January 1855, was a Royal Yacht of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom until 1900, owned and operated by the Royal Navy. She displaced 2,470 tons, and could make 15 knots on her paddles...
. Beresford joined the steam-frigate Galatea
HMS Galatea (1859)
HMS Galatea was an Ariadne class 26-gun sixth rate wooden screw frigate launched in 1859 and broken up 1883. In 1866 she went on a world cruise, under the command of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh....
, commanded by Queen Victoria's son the Duke of Edinburgh, and toured the world, witnessed executions in Japan and got tattooed. On a visit to the Kingdom of Hawaii
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
in 1869, Beresford met Nancy Sumner again. He proposed to her, but she refused due to their social and racial differences.
He entered Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
as a 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...
in 1874, representing County Waterford and retained his seat until 1880. Some difficulties arose with the Lords of the Admiralty, who objected to a junior officer debating the navy publicly in the House of Commons. Beresford's parliamentary career was saved by the intervention of the Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, who feared the loss of the seat to an opposition party, should Beresford be forced to resign. Whilst an MP he continued to serve in the navy, becoming a commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
in 1875.
In 1874, Beresford was one of thirty-two aides chosen to accompany the Prince of Wales on a tour of India. Victoria objected, on the grounds of his bad reputation, but he remained at the Prince's insistence. The tour was a lively mixture of social engagements and animal hunts. The Prince insisted on dressing for dinner, even in the jungle, but allowed the concession of cutting off the tails of their evening coats, creating the dinner jacket. He was aide-de-camp to the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
, from 1875 until 1876.
During his service under Edward VII, he became involved in an affair with Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick
Daisy Greville, Countess of Warwick
Frances Evelyn "Daisy" Greville, Countess of Warwick was a society beauty, and mistress to King Edward VII.-Family:...
(i.e., Frances Brooke), with whom Edward VII was also involved romantically. The affair strained his friendship with Edward VII, even though Edward himself was married to Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
.
Involvement in Egypt and Sudan
HMS Condor (1876)
HMS Condor was the name-ship of the Royal Navy Condor-class composite gunvessel of 3 guns.-Construction:Designed by Nathaniel Barnaby, the Royal Navy Director of Naval Construction, her hull was of composite construction; that is, iron keel, frames, stem and stern posts with wooden planking...
in 1882 when it took part in the bombardment of Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
during the Egyptian war of 1882
Urabi Revolt
The Urabi Revolt or Orabi Revolt , also known as the Orabi Revolution, was an uprising in Egypt in 1879-82 against the Khedive and European influence in the country...
and won admiration amongst the British public for taking his ship inshore to bombard the Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian batteries at close range.
In 1884 and 1885 Beresford joined the staff of the Gordon Relief Expedition under Garnet Wolseley, along with the Naval Brigade
Naval Brigade
A Naval Brigade is a body of sailors serving in a ground combat role to augment land forces.-Royal Navy:Within the Royal Navy, a Naval Brigade is a large temporary detachment of Royal Marines and of seamen from the Royal Navy formed to undertake operations on shore, particularly during the mid- to...
and a Gardner machinegun, to which Beresford was much attracted. During the battle of Abu Klea, Dervishes overran his Gardner gun when it jammed at the last moment. Beresford just escaped death by diving under the trail of the gun. Henry Newbolt's Abu Klea poem "Vitaï Lampada" is often quoted, "The Gatling's jammed and the Colonel's dead...", although it was a Gardner machine gun which jammed.
Re-election to Parliament, promotion to Rear Admiral
In 1885 he was again elected to Parliament, this time as MP for Marylebone EastMarylebone East (UK Parliament constituency)
Marylebone East was a borough constituency located in the Metropolitan Borough of St Marylebone, in London. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system....
, and re-elected at the 1886 general election
United Kingdom general election, 1886
-Seats summary:-See also:*MPs elected in the UK general election, 1886*The Parliamentary Franchise in the United Kingdom 1885-1918-References:*F. W. S. Craig, British Electoral Facts: 1832-1987**...
. Beresford constantly pushed for greater expenditure on the navy, resigning his seat in protest on this issue in 1888. Meanwhile in 1886 he had also become Junior Naval Lord
Fourth Sea Lord
The Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Supplies was formerly one of the Naval Lords and members of the Board of Admiralty which controlled the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom.-History:...
. The Naval Expenditure Act of 1889, which increased naval spending, was passed partly as a result of public pressure resulting from this action. From 1889 until 1893 he was the captain of HMS Undaunted
HMS Undaunted (1886)
HMS Undaunted was a ship of the Orlando-class of first-class cruisers built in the yards of Palmer and launched on 3 August 1886 and sold for scrapping on 9 April 1907 to Harris of Bristol.-References:...
, which was part of the Mediterranean Fleet.
In 1898 Beresford was promoted to rear-admiral and again entered Parliament, this time representing York. He retained this seat until 1900, although he spent much of his time in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
representing the Associated Chambers of Commerce, and from 1900 onwards was second in command of the Mediterranean Fleet. A dislike steadily developed between Beresford and Jackie Fisher who was then commanding that fleet. Shortly after his arrival, Beresford took a company of men ashore and used them as stand-ins for ships to practice manoeuvring and assembling a fleet. Fisher noticed the display and publicly sent a signal demanding to know why Beresford had landed his men without permission. Lord Charles resented his superior as a social climber from unknown origins, while Fisher was jealous of Beresford's inherited wealth and social position.
As Admiral
Beresford returned to Parliament in 1902, this time for WoolwichWoolwich (UK Parliament constituency)
Woolwich was a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 1918 and from 1983 to 1997...
, but resigned in 1903 when he was promoted to admiral and appointed chief of the Channel Fleet
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1690 to 1909.-History:The Channel Fleet dates back at least to 1690 when its role was to defend England against the French threat under the leadership of Edward Russell, 1st Earl of...
. Beresford was in command of the Mediterranean Fleet
Mediterranean Fleet
Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. See:* Mediterranean Fleet * French Mediterranean Fleet* Mediterranean Squadron * United States Sixth Fleet...
from 1905 until 1907. David Beatty
David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty
Admiral of the Fleet David Richard Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO was an admiral in the Royal Navy...
, then a captain serving under Beresford, commented that Beresford's command of the fleet was characterised by 'rigid training and discouragement of initiative'. Beresford aspired to reach the navy's most senior post, First Sea Lord
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
, but the position was held by Fisher, who was widely respected. Mandatory retirement at 65 would have led to Fisher departing in 1906, but promotion for Fisher to Admiral of the fleet also brought with it an extension of retirement age to 70. Beresford himself would reach retirement at 65 in 1911, unless he too could achieve the same promotion. As this seemed unlikely, the only possibility was if Fisher resigned, or was obliged to. Beresford set about organising a campaign criticising his handling of the navy and its reforms.
Beresford transferred to command of the Channel fleet from 1907–1909. He was complimented as having 'no superior as a seaman', but his time in charge was described as 'principally a processional career around the ports of Britain...I do not recall that any serious problems of war were either attempted or solved [but] Lord Charles received deputations, addressed crowded meetings in his honour, and became freeman of innumerable cities'. It was noted that his personality seemed to have changed for the worse, and historians have suggested that he might have suffered a minor stroke at some time before 1907. In 1907 and 1908 there were two signals incidents with Admiral Percy Scott
Percy Scott
Admiral Sir Percy Moreton Scott, 1st Baronet GCB KCVO was a British Royal Navy officer and a pioneer in modern naval gunnery.-Early years:...
; in 1907 Scott objected to being taken off gunnery practice to clean ships for viewing by the Kaiser, and in 1908 Scott disobeyed an order from Beresford which would have resulted in a collision.
By 1909, Beresford had managed to gain sufficient support for an official enquiry to be opened by the Prime Minister into Fisher's conduct at the admiralty. The enquiry exonerated Fisher, but sufficient damage was done to his reputation that he was obliged to retire slightly early, in 1910, in anticipation of a forthcoming general election.
After his term with the Channel Fleet finished in 1909, Beresford returned to Parliament at the January 1910 general election, representing Portsmouth
Portsmouth (UK Parliament constituency)
Portsmouth was a borough constituency based upon the borough of Portsmouth in Hampshire. It returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the bloc vote system.- History :...
. In 1912, it was proposed by George V
George V of the United Kingdom
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 through the First World War until his death in 1936....
, who knew Beresford, that he might be promoted Admiral of the Fleet, but it fell to Beatty, now naval secretary to First Lord Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
to point out that others would be more deserving of such a promotion. Beresford had been somewhat left behind by the technological innovations and changes in the navy during the last years of his service as an admiral. It is likely that he would have performed poorly had he continued as an admiral into World War One. However, at times during his career he supported proposals to reform the fleet signal book, which might have made it more suitable for wartime use, and had championed reforms in fire control, where understanding of how best to use the new big guns on Fisher's dreadnought ships lagged behind their ability to hit at long ranges.
Fisher was replaced as First Sea Lord by Sir Francis Bridgeman
Francis Charles Bridgeman Bridgeman
Admiral Sir Francis Charles Bridgeman Bridgeman GCB, GCVO was a British sailor.-Naval career:The son of Reverend William Bridgeman Simpson and Lady Frances Laura Wentworth FitzWilliam , and descendant of the 1st Baron Bradford was Aide-de-Camp to King Edward VII between 1901 and 1903...
. Bridgman proved to be unsatisfactory, and Churchill resolved to replace him with the Second Sea Lord, Prince Louis of Battenberg
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven
Louis Alexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven, GCB, GCVO, KCMG, PC , formerly Prince Louis Alexander of Battenberg, was a German prince related to the British Royal Family...
. Beresford questioned the matter of Bridgman's resignation, officially said to be for reasons of ill health, by challenging Churchill in the House of Commons. Churchill responded, saying of Beresford that "since I became first lord of the admiralty...within a fortnight he made a speech in which he said I had betrayed the navy...and ever since he has been going about the country pouring out charges of espionage, favouritism, blackmail, fraud, and inefficiency... The noble Lord nourishes many bitter animosities on naval matters". The House of Commons supported Churchill, considering that Beresford's attack was a continuation of his dispute with Fisher, who was now acting privately as advisor to Churchill.
On the eve of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, First Lord Churchill and First Sea Lord Prince Louis of Battenberg made the crucial decision to cancel the scheduled dispersal of the British fleet following practice manoeuvres, in order to preserve the Royal Navy's battle readiness. Nonetheless with the outbreak of war, rising anti-German sentiment among the British public, newspapers, and elite gentlemen's clubs (where resentment was inflamed by Beresford despite Churchill's remonstrances) drove Churchill to ask Prince Louis to resign as on 27 October 1914, which Louis did amidst an outpouring of appreciation from politicians and his naval comrades.
Beresford remained an MP until 1916, although he retired from the navy in 1911. In 1916, he was raised to the peerage
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
as Baron Beresford
Baron Beresford
Baron Beresford is a title that was created three times, one in the Peerage of Ireland and later also two in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. In all instances it was created for men who were eminent politicians or soldiers...
of Metemmeh and of Curraghmore in the County of Waterford. Lord Beresford died in 1919 at the age of 73, at which point his title became extinct.
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