French Revolutionary &
Napoleonic Wars Historian
Marcus de la Poer Beresford
A Love of History
Hello and welcome to my online portfolio. Here you’ll find an overview of my 18th & 19th century research interests as well as a varied selection of historical blog musings. My primary area of expertise lies in the long 18th century and the French Revolutionary & Napoleonic Wars; with particular attention devoted to the involvement of Irishmen in those campaigns, reflecting the struggle between Great Britain and France for global supremacy. Send me an email or let’s connect on social media if you’re interested in learning more, exchanging ideas, or arranging a lecture.
Author’s Bio: Marcus de la Poer Beresford read history at Trinity College Dublin (M.Litt) before qualifying as a lawyer. After retiring from legal practice in 2010, he returned to his first love, history. His earlier research and postgraduate thesis focused on Ireland in the eighteenth century, and the Irish diaspora in Europe. Marcus is a distant relative of Marshal William Carr Beresford who married Louisa de la Poer Beresford, the sister of his great-great-grandfather.
Published Articles: ‘Francois Thurot and the French attack at Carrickfergus, 1759-60’, The Irish Sword, X (41),255-74. ‘Ireland in French Strategy during the American War of Independence, 1776-83’, The Irish Sword, XII (49), 285-97 and XIII (50), 20-29. ‘William Carr Beresford and the capture of the Cape Colony and the expedition to the River Plate 1805-1806’, The Irish Sword XXIX (117), 240 – 262. ‘Francois Thurot, the Irish connection’, Journal of the Cork Historical & Archaeological Society, LXXVIII (1973),143-50. ‘On a lonely city wall, a memorial to a young officer of the Connaught Rangers – John Theophilus Beresford 1792-1812’, The New Ranger, (January 2016), 12-21. ‘Why, Where & When; the early years of the Connaught Rangers, 1793-1807’, The New Ranger, XIV (2022),6-11. ‘The Early Years of the Connaught Rangers Part II; The defence of Portugal 1808-1810; The New Ranger, XV (2023),6-11. ‘The Early Years of the Connaught Rangers Part III; The Peninsular War, The Allies in Spain and France 1811-1814; The New Ranger, XVI, 34-43.’ ‘The Peninsular Romance of Lieutenant Waldron Kelly and Ana Ludovina de Aguilar’, The Irish Sword, Vol.XXXII (2020) (129), 299-315. ‘Marshal William Carr Beresford and the return to Portugal of the Portuguese royal family, 1814-1830’, Revista de Estudos Anglo-Portugueses, REAP N.º 29 (2020), pp 67-87.
Member: Irish Military History Society, British Military History Commission, The Society for Army Historical Research (SAHR), Trustee of the British Cemetery Elvas (ex Chairman), Friends of the Lines of Torres Vedras, Waterford Historical Society, Connaught Rangers Association.
Published Books: My latest book, co-authored with Kasia Krenz appeared in English and Polish in December 2023. From Napoleon to the Nazis, the mysterious story of Marshal Beresford’s silver tells the dramatic tale of how this collection of silver came to be in Poland from whence it was stolen in World War Two, together with its partial recovery.
Marshal William Carr Beresford ‘the ablest man I have yet seen with the army’ (Irish Academic Press). Portuguese edition O Marechal William Carr Beresford (Tribuna da Historia)
Peninsular and Waterloo General; Sir Denis Pack and the war against Napoleon (Pen & Sword).
Works in Progress: I’m currently working on a history of the early years of the Connaught Rangers (88th regiment), an outstanding Irish regiment in the British army, and a number of other projects.
Radio & TV Appearances: Newstalk ‘Talking History’ with Patrick Geoghegan, Today FM ‘The Last Word’ with Matt Cooper and BBC 4’s ‘Billion Dollar Art Theft’ with John Wilson. For links to my various podcast appearances please see the Despatches Blog.
Art & Architecture: The Alfred Beit Foundation (1999-2014), The Apollo Foundation (2002-), The Irish Architectural Archive (2018-).
