John Beresford, 5th Baron Decies

John Graham Hope de la Poer Beresford, PC (December 5, 1866 – January 31, 1944), 5th Baron Decies, was an Anglo-Irish army officer. He was educated at Eton College before joining the army in 1887. His military service was mainly in Africa. From 1916-19 he was Chief Press Censor for Ireland. [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=Lord Decies dies in England at 77. Soldier, Sportsman, Friend of Taxpayer. Married Gould Heiress Here in 1911. |url= |quote= |publisher=New York Times |date=February 2, 1944 |accessdate=2007-07-21 ]

Name

His name has been written many ways:
*John Graham Hope de la Poer Beresford, 5th Baron Decies
*John Graham Hope de la Poer Horsley Beresford

Asked how to say his name, he 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.)

Biography

John was the son of William Robert John Beresford, 3rd Baron Decies and Catherine Anne Dent. He married Helen Vivien Gould (1885–1931) on February 7, 1911. Together they had the following children:
*Eileen Vivien de la Poer Beresford (1912–?) who married an O'Brien
*Catherine Moya de la Poer Beresford (1913–1967)
*Arthur George Marcus Douglas de la Poer Beresford (1915–1992) the 6th Baron Decies

Helen 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.

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. ..." [cite news |first= |last= |authorlink= |coauthors= |title='Time May Have Come ...' |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,739163,00.html |quote=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. . . ." |publisher=Time (magazine) |date= |accessdate=2007-07-21 ]

Timeline

*1866 Birth
*1911 Marriage to Helen Vivien Gould
*1912 Birth of Eileen Vivien de la Poer Beresford
*1913 Birth of Catherine Moya de la Poer Beresford
*1915 Birth of Arthur George Marcus Douglas de la Poer Beresford
*1916 Begins tenure as Chief Press Censor for Ireland
*1919 Ends tenure as Chief Press Censor for Ireland
*1931 Death of wife
*1936 Marriage to Elizabeth Wharton Drexel
*1944 Death

References