Sir Tristram Beresford, 3rd Baronet (1669 – 16 June 1701) 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

Francis Annesley, 1st Viscount Valentia

Francis Annesley, 1st Viscount Valentia PC was an English statesman during the colonisation of Ireland in the seventeenth century. He was a Member of Parliament for both the English and Irish houses, and was elevated to the Irish peerage as Baron Mountnorris, and later Viscount Valentia.-Rise to...

. In 1681, he succeeded his father as baronet.

Career

Commanding a Protestant regiment, Beresford was attained by King James II of England in May 1689, however was acquitted after the Glorious Revolution

Glorious Revolution

The Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, is the overthrow of King James II of England by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau...

. He entered the Irish House of Commons

Irish House of Commons

The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland, that existed from 1297 until 1800. The upper house was the House of Lords...

 in 1692, sitting for Londonderry County

Londonderry County (Parliament of Ireland constituency)

Londonderry County was a constituency represented in the Irish House of Commons until 1800.-Members of Parliament:*1634: Tristram Beresford*1656–1658: Tristram Beresford*1661–1666: Tristram Beresford -1692–1801:...

 until 1699.

Family and death

In February 1687, he married Nichola Sophia Hamilton, youngest daughter of Hugh Hamilton, 1st Baron Hamilton of Glenawly, and had by her four daughters and a son. His wife grow up with James Power, 3rd 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. In October 1693, Nichola wore one morning a black ribbon and after a request by her husband, declared that her friend had died. Shortly thereafter a letter from the earl's steward arrived, confirming her assertion. She also predicted Beresford the birth of his son and when in 1713, a clergyman presented her documents, which changed her age to fortyseven, 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. As a proof, that it had been no dream, a black mark then appeared at her wrist, which she later covered with the rippon. Following this explanation Nichola expired in the presence of her friend. Beresford himself died in 1701 and was succeeded in the baronetcy by his son Marcus

Marcus Beresford, 1st Earl of Tyrone

Marcus Beresford, 1st Earl of Tyrone , known as Sir Marcus Beresford, 4th Baronet until 1720 and subsequently as The Viscount Tyrone until 1746, was an Irish peer, freemason and politician.-Background:...

, later raised to the Peerage of Ireland

Peerage of Ireland

The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...

 by the title Earl of Tyrone

Earl of Tyrone

The Earl of Tyrone is a title created three times in the Peerage of Ireland.It was first created as part of the Tudor attempt to establish a uniform social structure in Ireland by converting the Gaelic kings and chiefs into hereditary nobles of the Kingdom of Ireland...

.