? Beresford Family Society - Membership Events

Forthcoming Membership Events

Spring Gathering 17th and 18th May 2025. Please put the dates in your diary

The Spring Gathering will take place at the National Memorial Arboretum, Croxall Road, Alrewas, Staffordfshire DE13 7AR

The AGM will be held in the Founder's Room in the Aspects Building and start at 11:00 am

Following the AGM, there is opportunity to explore the wonderful and extensive grounds.

There is a nearby restaurant

At 2:00pm, there is a pre-booked tour available to take the NMA land-train around the site

The Saturday evening meal will be held at the Bentley Book Inn in Fenny Bentley, Derbyshire, DE6 1LF.

The Inn has some rooms available and those attending the BFS Dinner should receive a 10% discount Tel. 01335 350278 www.bentleybrookinn.co.uk

On Sunday 18th May, we will meet at St Edmund's Church, Fenny Bentley for morning worship

Full details of the weekend, including costs

will be published

in the Winter Magazine , along with application forms.

E-mail addresses: We find that a number of members have changed their email addresses and have not notified us. Do please let us know of any changes so that we can keep your records up to date and contact you should we need to send you Beresford updates from time to time.

Past Events for Members

SPRING GATHERING 2024 : May 11th and May 12th

Rowsley & Fenny Bentley, Derbyshire

The Spring Gathering and AGM of the BFS took place on the weekend of May 11th / 12th. The AGM was held in one of the staic coaches of the Peak Railway Society.

An afternoon Train Ride to Matlock on Peak Rail was enjoyed by all.

Evening dinner was once again at the Royal Oak Mayfield Ashbourne,

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SPRING GATHERING 2023 : May 13th and May 14th

2023AGM
CromfordCanalBFS2023

The Spring Gathering and AGM of the BFS took place on the weekend of May 13th / 14th at the Wheatcroft Café Cromford Wharf Derbyshire.

An afternoon cruise on the Birdswood canal longboat was enjoyed by all, enroute the renovated ‘Aqueduct Cottage' was visited.

Evening dinner was once again at the Royal Oak Mayfield Ashbourne,

SPRING GATHERING 2022 : May 28th and May 29th

Tissington Well Dressing
Beresford Dale

The Spring Gathering took place on the weekend of May 28th / 29th to coincide with the traditional Well Dressing that takes place in the Village of Tissington.

The Gathering gave BFS Members and Friends opportunity to see the six wonderful"Well Dressings" in Tissington; a chance to visit the Georgian Market Town of Ashbourne, so long associated with the Beresford Family.

A visit to Beresford Dale took place on the Saturday.

St Edmund's Church'
Tissington Hall

On Sunday 29th at 10:30am there was a Church service at St Edmunds, Fenny Bentley.

SPRING GATHERING 2020

St Edmunds FB Ceiling
St Edmund's Church'

Our Spring Gatherings in 2020 and 2021 had to be cancelled due to Covid-19, so our Secretary, Ralph, has made a pdf which is a tour round the historical items at St.Edmunds, Fenny Bentley, including the tomb of Thomas and Agnes and the Beresford stained glass windows. It shows all the historic Beresford items which you would have seen if the Gathering had taken place. It is an excellent summary of all there is to see at this historic Beresford site. Copies are still available; email Ralph at beresfordralph930@gmail.com and he will send you a copy.

AUTUMN GATHERING 2019

The Autumn Gathering on 11-13 October 2019 was based at the Ramada Birmingham Hotel, Sutton Coldfield. From here we went by coach to Warwick Castle where we toured the impressive interiors as well as viewing the River Avon from the towers and ramparts and watching an amazing Falconry display on the river bank. In the evening we returned to hold our Annual Dinner.

On the Sunday at our 39th Annual General Meeting, our members received a positive report on the year’s activities including an increase in membership.

Warwick Castle
Warwick Castle
SOCIETY VISITS & TOURS: One of the advantages and most popular aspects of membership of the Society are the many family visits which have been arranged to places of interest, often with Beresford connections. In recent years our programme has included The Historic Dockyard at Portsmouth, Warwick Castle; Tissington Hall (Derbyshire); Blenheim Palace (Oxfordshire); Sulgrave Manor (the home of George Washington's ancestors); the London Eye; Curragmore (home of the Marquis of Waterford); All Saints Church at Hoby; the tomb of Godfrey Beresford (1513) at Crich; Gala Dinner and tour of the Palace of Westminster; the City of Chester; Nether Winchendon House; St Paul's Cathedral; the Heritage Motor Centre in Warwickshire; Waterford Crystal tour; Thames river cruise; Chatsworth House; Greenwich World Heritage site; Fenny Bentley (tomb of Thomas and Agnes); historic Stotfold Mill, Herts; Sudbury Hall (Derbyshire); The Black Country Living Museum, Dudley; Middleton Hall, Staffordshire; Kedleston Hall, Derby; Bedgebury Park, Kilndown, Kent, Bakewell & Haddon Hall, Derbyshire; Hampton Court Castle, nr. Leominster, Herefordshire; the spa town of Buxton, Derbyshire; Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire, The Wedgewood Museum at Stoke on Trent; Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire; National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire; Wrest Park, Bedfordshire; Tissington Hall, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire; Highcliffe Castle, Bournemouth, Dorset; National Tramway Museum, Crich; Hardwick Hall (Derbyshire); Coventry Cathedral, Chatsworth House (Derbyshire)

Society Visits

(hover over thumbnails to enlarge)

Warwick Castle Warwick Castle

Warwick Castle

Impressive medieval castle overlooking the River Avon developed from a wooden fort, originally built by William the Conqueror in 1068.
Warwick Castle Warwick Castle
Chatsworth House Chatsworth House

Chatsworth House, Derbyshire

Family Home of the Dukes of Devonshire.
Chatsworth House Chatsworth House
Coventry Cathedral Altar Coventry Cathedral Altar

Coventry Cathedral

Built after the historic cathedral was destroyed in the blitz.
Coventry Cathedral Window Coventry Cathedral Window
Hardwick Hall Hardwick Hall

Hardwick Hall

Hardwick Hall, in Derbyshire: an architecturally significant Elizabethan country house built by Bess of Hardwick, Countess of Shrewsbury.
Hardwick Hall Interior Hardwick Hall Interior

Historic Dockyard at Portsmouth

HMS Victory, HMS Warrior, The Mary Rose and the Royal Naval Museum.
HMS Victory HMS Victory
Two Trams Two Trams

National Tramway Museum at Crich.

A large collection of vintage trams beautifully restored.
Highcliffe Castle Highcliffe Castle

Highcliffe Castle, Bournemouth, Dorset.

Home of Louisa, Marchioness of Waterford.
Highcliffe castle Window Highcliffe castle Window
Tissington Hall from Terrace Tissington Hall from Terrace

Tissington Hall, near Ashbourne, Derbyshire.

Family home of the FitzHerbert family.
Tissington Hall Tissington Hall
Wrest Park Wrest Park

Wrest Park, Bedfordshire

A magnificent house of the 1830s with landscaped gardens (English Heritage).

The National Memorial Arboretum

150 acres landscaped with over 15,000 trees and containing 300 impressive memorials.
National Meorial Arboretum National Meorial Arboretum
Bletchley Park Bletchley Park

Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire

The secret code-breaking centre during WWII.

Wedgewood Museum at Stoke on Trent

…with so many wonderful examples of fine craftsmanship throughout the company’s rich history.
Beresford Pottery Beresford Pottery
Woburn Abbey Woburn Abbey

Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire

The seat of the Duke of Bedford, set in a beautiful deer park, landscaped by Repton.
The Lake The Lake

Buxton, Derbyshire

The famous spa town of Buxton in the Peak District National Park.
Poole's Cavern Poole's Cavern
Hampton Court Castle Hampton Court Castle

Hampton Court Castle in Herefordshire

... with its outstanding collection of suits or armour, swords, pikes and other mediaeval weapons.
Inside Hampton Court Castle Inside Hampton Court Castle
Haddon Hall Haddon Hall

Bakewell & Haddon Hall, Derbyshire

The beautiful market town of Bakewell and the 12th century Haddon Hall. One of the finest fortified mediaeval manor houses in the country.
Bedgebury Hall Bedgebury Hall

Bedgebury Park, Kent

The impressive home of Field Marshal Viscount Beresford at Bedgebury, Kent, where we held our AGM and Annual Dinner, and later visited Kilndown Church.
Viscount Beresford Viscount Beresford
Kedleston Hall Kedleston Hall

Kedleston Hall, nr. Derby

A spectacular Neo-classical mansion framed by extensive historic parkland. The remarkable interior was designed by the famous architect John Adam as his first commission. (N.T.)
Kedleston Hall Kedleston Hall
Sudbury Hall Sudbury Hall

Sudbury Hall , Derbyshire

This 17th Century Hall has an imposing staircase and a highly decorated Long Gallery. It is also the home of the National Trust’s Museum of Childhood. (N.T.)
Long Gallery Long Gallery
Black Country Museum Black Country Museum

Black County Living Museum

We spent the whole day visiting this extensive live museum covering 26 acres. It recreates the world of the Black Country, its housing and village streets, its pubs, chapels, shops, canals, coal mines and the first developed steam engine to provide industrial power……. and much more.
Middleton Hall Middleton Hall

Middleton Hall

This site covers 750 years of history, with outstanding conservation work having taken place on the Tudor buildings and the Georgian mansion with its elegant double staircase. A fine venue for our AGM.
Middleton Hall Staircase Middleton Hall Staircase
St. Edmunds Church St. Edmunds Church

St. Edmunds, Fenney Bentley, Derbyshire

... containing the Beresford chapel, the shrouded tomb of Thomas (d.1473) and Agnes Beresford, who had 21 children. The church contains family stained glass and memorial panels depicting their descendants and coats of arms.
Tomb of Thomas and Agnes Tomb of Thomas and Agnes
Blenheim Palace Blenheim Palace

Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire

A World Heritage Site visited by the Society It was a gift by a grateful nation to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough after his victory at the Battle of Blenheim. Set in 2100 acres of beautiful parkland, it is the home of the 11th Duke of Marlborough and was the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. Lord William Beresford married the widow of the 8th Duke of Marlborough.

Tissington Hall, Derbyshire (near Fenny Bentley)

The Jacobean house of the FitzHerbert family, which the Society has visited twice. Two of the children of Humphrey Beresford, the 6th son of Thomas and Agnes, married FitzHerberts
Tissington Hall Tissington Hall
Sulgrave Manor Sulgrave Manor

Sulgrave Manor, Oxfordshire

An interesting visit was made to the ancestral home of the Washingtons in Britain. John Washington c 1635/6 sailed from here to Virginia in 1656. His son, Lawrence, had a son Augustine who married Mary Ball on 6 March 1730. Their first-born son was George Washington 22 Feb 1732.

The Palace of Westminster, London

The Society enjoyed a tour of the Houses of Parliament and held a Gala Dinner on two occasions. Over the years a number of Beresfords have been elected as Members of Parliament, right up to today.
Palace of Westminster Palace of Westminster
Chatsworth House Chatsworth House

Chatsworth House, Derbyshire

Visited in 2007. Its 1000 acre park was landscaped by 'Capability' Brown. The Duke of Devonshire has Beresford connections through Charles Cotton.

Westminster Abbey, London

Built around 1045-1065 by King Edward the Confessor who is buried here. King Harold and later William the Conqueror were crowned in 1066, and the Abbey has seen the coronation of nearly every King and Queen of England since then. We included a tour during the London section of our last International Gathering.
Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey
Curraghmore House Curraghmore House

Curraghmore House, Portlaw, Waterford, Ireland

The magnificent home of our President, the Marquis of Waterford and his ancestors since 1170. The House, with its 2,500 acres estate and gardens, was visited by the Society at all three International Gatherings.
Curraghmore House Curraghmore House
London Eye London Eye

The London Eye, Westminster

One of the world’s largest observation wheels, with its magnificent views over London, enjoyed by members during the 3rd Beresford International Gathering.

Crich Church, Derbyshire

Dates from around 1135 during the Norman era, We visited the table top tomb of Godfrey Beresford showing his incised effigy in plate armour. Godfrey, who died in 1513, was the son of Aden Beresford, the eldest of the sixteen sons of Thomas and Agnes at Fenny Bentley.
Crich Church Crich Church
Greenwich College Greenwich College

Greenwich, London

The Old Royal Navy College, with the Queens House in the centre, the Royal Greenwich Observatory (the Greenwich Meridian) on the distant hill and the National Maritime Museum all form the impressive World Heritage Site, which we visited during our 3rd International Gathering.

All Saints Church, Hoby, Leicestershire

One of our AGM weekends was held at Melton Mowbray Leicestershire. During the weekend had a tour of the village of Hoby and its church, which has many Beresford connections, illustrated in the decorative panels and stained glass. There were Beresford rectors here continuously for 250 years.
All Saints Hoby All Saints Hoby
Saint Pauls Saint Pauls

St Pauls Cathederal, London

Designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1675 and 1710 on the site of the original cathedral, which was built in 604 AD and destroyed in the Great Fire of London 1666.. We also visited the crypt to see the memorial to Admiral Lord Charles Beresford, close to Nelson’s tomb.
Thames Cruise Thames Cruise

River Thames Cruise, London

Returning from Greenwich to Westminster by boat on the River Thames and passing the Tower of London during the 2007 International Gathering.

Nether Winchendon House, Buckinghamshire

A Medieval and Tudor manor house, with a 12th Century Great Hall. We held our AGM in its high vaulted barn before being taken on a conducted tour of this historic house, once owned by Jane Beresford.
Nether Winchendon House Nether Winchendon House
Stotford Mill Stotford Mill

Ashwell & Stotford Mill, Hertfordshire

Our tour of the picturesque village of Ashwell, its Museum and the14th Century church of St Mary’s was followed by an AGM held in the award-winning Stotfold Mill in an idyllic setting on the river Ivel.

Shugborough Hall, Staffordshire

The historic home of the Earls of Lichfield. The Estate includes the only remaining example of a complete historic estate with its working farm and powerful waterwheel driving the heavy millsones (N.T.).
Shugborough Hall Shugborough Hall
Chester Cathedral Chester Cathedral

The City of Chester

A weekend was spent in the historic city of Chester, including walking round the original Roman Walls, and exploring its medieval streets, the River Dee and its magnificent cathedral.