Men of the Time, eleventh edition/Beresford, William Charles Delapoer
BERESFORD, Lord William Charles Delapoer, second son of the Rev. John Beresford, fourth Marquis of Waterford, by Christiana Julia, fourth daughter of the late Colonel Charles Powell Leslie, of Glaslough, co. Monaghan, was born Feb. 10, 1846, at Philiptown, co. Dublin. He entered the Royal Navy in 1859, was appointed a lieutenant in 1868, and advanced to the rank of commander in 1875. He served successively in the "Marlborough," the "Defence," the "Clio," the "Tribune," the "Luchez," the "Research," the Royal yacht "Victoria and Albert," and the "Galatea." In 1872 he was appointed Flag Lieutenant to the Commander-in-Chief at Devonport; and he accompanied the Prince of Wales as naval aide-de-camp to India in 1875–76. His lordship received the gold medals of the Royal Humane Society, and of the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society, for having on three occasions jumped overboard and saved lives at sea. On one of these occasions, when he rescued a marine who had fallen overboard at Port Stanley, Falkland Island, he was attired in heavy shooting clothes, and his pockets were filled with cartridges. At the time of the bombardment of the forts of Alexandria, Lord Charles Beresford was in command of the gunboat "Condor," and in the action of July 11, 1882, he greatly distinguished himself by his gallant conduct. The ironclad, "Temeraire," which got ashore at the beginning of the engagement, was safely assisted off by the "Condor." Then the formidable Marabout batteries, which constituted the second strongest defence of the port of Alexandria, were effectually silenced. This latter success was chiefly due to the gallant way in which the "Condor" bore down on the fort and engaged guns immensely superior to her own. So vigorous, indeed, was the attack on the big fort, that the Admiral's ship signalled "Well done, 'Condor.'" It was ascertained that the Khedive, who had taken refuge with Dervish Pasha at Ramleh, was in imminent danger. Arabi Pasha had sent a body of troops to guard the palace, and ordered them to kill the Khedive, but Tewfik and Dervish managed to bribe the men, and to communicate with Admiral Sir Beauchamp Seymour, who dispatched the "Condor" in shore to keep the Egyptian troops in check. The Khedive then succeeded in getting away, and drove to Ras-el-Tin. As the conflagration and looting continued in the city of Alexandria, the Americans were asked to land marines to assist in keeping order, and a regular police system was organized under Lord Charles Beresford, while Captain Fisher, of the "Inflexible," took command of the land forces. Strong measures were necessary to subdue the looters. Several of the scoundrels detected in the very act of setting fire to houses were summarily shot in the great square, and those caught plundering were flogged. Lord Charles Beresford was promoted to the rank of captain (Aug. 7, 1882) for the services he had rendered at the bombardment of Alexandria. His lordship sat in the House of Commons, as member for the county of Waterford, in the Conservative interest, from Feb., 1874, till April, 1880, when his candidature was unsuccessful. He is heir-presumptive to his brother, the present Marquis of Waterford. He married in 1878 Mina, eldest daughter of the late Mr. Richard Gardner.