Lady Clodagh de la Poer Beresford (6 August 1879 – 17 April 1957), was an Anglo-Irish philanthropist, writer and aristocrat.

Life

She was born Clodagh de la Poer Beresford to

John Henry de la Poer Beresford, 5th Marquess of Waterford John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second Ep ...

and Lady Blanche Elizabeth Adelaide Somerset on 6 August 1879. Her parents died before she was adult and she was put into the care of various family who ensured she was properly presented at court. She married Claud Anson, son of

Thomas Anson, 2nd Earl of Lichfield Thomas George Anson, 2nd Earl of Lichfield (15 August 1825 – 7 January 1892), known as Viscount Anson from 1831 to 1854, was a British politician from the Anson family. Early life Lichfield was the eldest of four sons and four daughters born ...

, on 27 February 1901. They had three children. When Beresford married she moved to

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

where her husband had a ranch. But she stayed in close contact with Ireland and Britain, returning home often. She returned to Ireland after her eldest daughter was born and left her in

Curraghmore Curraghmore near Portlaw, County Waterford, Ireland, is a historic house and estate and the seat of the Marquess of Waterford. The estate was part of the grant of land made to Sir Roger le Puher (la Poer) by Henry II in 1177 after the Anglo-Nor ...

for some months. The family soon moved to Ireland where they lived mostly at Ballysaggartmore House until the

Irish War of Independence The Irish War of Independence (), also known as the Anglo-Irish War, was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and Unite ...

. Beresford moved to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

until 1942. In 1931 Beresford published a book of memoirs which went to multiple printings. The purpose of the book was to raise money and awareness of the issue of homelessness. The book gives an insight into the last days of the Anglo-Irish aristocracy in Ireland. Her second book was for the slums of London where she set up and ran a shelter. She called them ''Book'' and ''Another Book''. In 1942 Beresford returned to live in Ireland. She died on 17 April 1957 at age 77. Beresford has an epitaph at Ardmore which reads ''She never failed to help those in trouble''.

Bibliography

* Book: Discreet Memoirs (1931) * Another Book (1937) * Victorian Days (1957)

References and sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beresford, Clodagh 1879 births 1957 deaths Daughters of British marquesses 19th-century women writers Anglo-Irish writers Clodagh People from County Waterford