Lord William Beresford, V.C., Some Memories of a Famous Sportsman, Soldier and WitMenzies, Stuart, Mrs.
History
Lord William Beresford, V.C., Some Memories of a Famous Sportsman, Soldier and Wit
Menzies, Stuart, Mrs.
Beresford, William Leslie de la Poer, Lord, 1847-1900
Lord William was amused to find in his bachelor bedroom a print
of one of his relations, namely, Lord Marcus Gervais Beresford,
Archbishop of Armagh, Lord Primate of Ireland, whose eldest son
married Mary Annabella, sister of Sir William Vernon Harcourt, who
was first cousin to the author’s mother; Sir William’s mother
and author’s grandfather being brother and sister (_vide_ Burke,
Gooch-Vernon Harcourt); the author’s mother having been Miss Mary
Teresa Gooch, daughter of the Rev. William Gooch, Canon of York; she
having married Robert Calverly Bewicke-Bewicke, B.A., J.P., D.L., of
Coulby Manor, Yorkshire.
It is interesting to note Lord William’s father married his beautiful
wife while on a visit to this self-same gentleman looking down from
the walls of the Deepdene.
In September Lord William returned to India for a few months to
attend to some business and racing matters, after which he announced
his engagement to Lily Duchess of Marlborough, which came as a
surprise to most people. In India he was gradually becoming regarded
as a confirmed bachelor, though it seemed incredible that anyone who
was such an admirer of the fair sex and who was equally admired by
them in return should be able to escape; indeed, his having escaped
is only one more proof of his cool head and ability.
It was not a long engagement, April 30th, 1895, was chosen for the
wedding; when Lilian Warren, daughter of Cicero Price, Commodore
of the U.S. Navy, married Lord William Beresford as her third
husband, the first having been Mr. Louis Hammersley of New York, an
exceedingly wealthy man who left his wife a large fortune. Secondly,
she married the 8th Duke of Marlborough, who died in 1892, but not
before the Duchess’s fortune had done much for Blenheim Palace.
[Illustration:
_Photo. Russell, Baker Street_
LILY, DUCHESS OF MARLBOROUGH]
Lord William and his bride made their vows at the Church of
St. George’s, Hanover Square, witnessed by crowds of friends. The
bridegroom was supported by his younger brother, Lord Marcus, as
best man. Her Grace was given away by her stepson the 9th Duke of
Marlborough.
The Church was charmingly decorated with lilies of all sorts, a
pretty compliment to the bride’s name.
The Duke of Cambridge sat beside Lord William and the United States
Ambassador and Mrs. Bayard beside the bride. When the service was
over Lord and Lady William Beresford drove to the bride’s house
in Carlton House Terrace, where they received the congratulations
of their many friends, all of whom did justice to the good things
provided for them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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