Julius Beresford

Julius Beresford (born June 29, 1868 - died September 29, 1959), also known as Berry or The Old Berry was a British rower and coach. He won silver at the 1912 Summer Olympics in the coxed four. At Henley Royal Regatta, he won the Stewards Challenge Cup in 1909 and 1911, and the Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup in 1911.

He was the father of Jack Beresford, who won medals at five successive Olympics.

Beresford initially sculled at Kensington Rowing Club in Hammersmith with some success, winning many trophies although failing in attempts at the Wingfield Sculls and the London Cup at the Metropolitan Amateur Regatta. By 1904 he had decided that he had reached his limits as a single sculler and moved to Thames Rowing Club in order to row seriously in crew boats. He was to remain a member of Thames for the rest of his life.

He served as Captain of the club in 1914 and again in 1926. He was a dedicated coach with strong opinions. Despite holding similar views on techniques, Beresford clashed with Steve Fairbairn and a dispute between the two was an underlying cause of Fairbairn's move from Thames to London Rowing Club in 1927.

As a coach at Thames, Beresford's greatest successes came in 1927 when Thames won four events at Henley Royal Regatta and in 1928 when the club repeated the feat. In 1922 he was appointed a Vice President of the club.

His father Bernard was an emigre from Danzig; the 1871 British census shows the Beresford family living in Tottenham. Julius Beresford dropped his father's surname 'Wiszniewski' in the early 1900s. Outside rowing, he was a partner in a furniture making business, Beresford & Hicks.

Achievements

Olympic Games

* 1912 - Silver, Coxed Four

Henley Royal Regatta

* 1909 - Stewards' Challenge Cup
* 1911 - Stewards' Challenge Cup
* 1911 - Silver Goblets & Nickalls' Challenge Cup
* 1919 Victory Regatta - Fawley Cup