Naturally as part of Ireland’s ancient East Waterford is unsurprisingly a county steeped in history. Families here can go back centuries with familial tales that are intertwined with the history of the landscape itself. One such family whose history has over the passage of centuries been ingrained in the very lands which surround them are the La Poer - Beresford Family, whose current descendants still hold the title of the Marquis of Waterford to this day. Their homestead is the famous Curraghmore Estate located near Portlaw. Their family and lands are the basis for many a local folk tale. But for this tale we must go back to before the La Poer and Beresford families united, to a time before the title of Marquess of Waterford existed- before its creation in 1789.
Our story starts with two children, John La Poer and Nicola Sophia Hamilton. At a young age both found themselves parentless. Nicola’s parents had both passed away, while John’s mother had also passed leaving just his father- who was imprisoned in England on allegations of treason. Both were taken in by a relative who became their guardian and raised them. Growing up together with so much in common they developed an almost sibling like bond. Their guardian was a deist and raised them as such believing that religion could be rationalised and did not involve miracles and revelations. However as they grew they began to have many questions regarding faith. They developed a curiosity surrounding the existence of an afterlife. As teens they decided to make a pact; if there was in fact an afterlife whomever of them should be the first to die would visit the other after death and reveal the truth of what was awaiting on the other side.
Over the years the children grew up and life led them down separate paths. Nicola who had been the daughter of the Lord Hugh Hamilton the 1st Viscount of Glenawly (Fermanagh) went on to marry Tristram Beresford the 3rd Baronet of Coleraine (Derry). They had a happy marriage and began a family together. On the other hand John had been married to his 12 year old cousin Catherine Fitzgerald of Dromana (Waterford) when he was just 7 years of age by his father Richard La Poer in an effort to strengthen their land and status. However within three years and after his father had fled the country, his cousin succeeded in having the marriage voided before he turned 10; and so following this John La Poer had remained a bachelor and upon the death of his father in the Tower of London John inherited his titles as the 7th Baronet of Curraghmore and 2nd Earl of Tyrone. Despite their different paths in life the two remained close friends who would regularly visit and write to each other.
In 1693 in early October Nicola- who now went by the name of Lady Beresford, and her husband Tristram went to visit her sister Arabella. Arabella had married a Sir John Magill and resided with him in Dromore, Co. Down where they lived in their large estate Gill Hall. After a wonderful evening of dining together, playing cards and parlour games Lady Beresford decided to call it a night and went to her bed chamber, unaware that what would take place that very night would forever stay with her.
In the middle of the night Lady Beresford awoke to find her close friend and confidant John La Poer standing over her bed. Shocked and confused to see her young friend in her sister’s house she asked him what he was doing here and when did he arrive. It was then he told her the unfortunate news that at just 28 years of age he had died. Thinking that this must be some sort of twisted joke on John’s part she didn’t believe him at first. John placed his hand on an armoire leaving a ghostly imprint upon the furniture. Still in disbelief that this wasn’t just a cruel joke Lady Beresford explained it away as a clever trick. This is when John took Lady Beresford by the wrist. It was upon his touch that she felt a coldness around her wrist that was not of this earth, while there was no pain his touch caused her to feel a chill that seemed to freeze through her bones. Lady Beresford was still in shock but finally understood he was indeed being truthful and her beloved friend was no longer on this mortal coil. Before she could become emotional in response to the news, John told her to listen carefully and began to speak.
He explained that he was there to deliver on their childhood pact and to let her know there was indeed an afterlife and to say his goodbyes to her one last time. Denial began to hit Lady Beresford and she started to argue that while this seemed real she must be dreaming. John explained to her that she wasn’t and to prove it he would tell her what events lay in her future. It was during this ghostly visit that the late 2nd Earl of Tyrone revealed several predictions to the Lady Beresford.
John informed her once again that as he was in fact dead and with no children of his own, his title of Earl of Tyrone would pass to his brother James La Poer but that he would also die without an heir leaving the title to go extinct.
He also revealed that despite her being unaware the Lady Beresford was already pregnant with a son and her husband’s heir. He also revealed that this would be the first and last son she would birth with the Beresford name. He also predicted that this son would marry a daughter of his own blood.
With great sadness he also told her she would be widowed before a decade had passed, that although she may initially resist it, it was inevitable that she would remarry and despite having more children it would not be a happy marriage one where she would be greatly mistreated by her husband.
The last and final prediction he gave her was that of her own death. He told her that she would die on her 47th birthday.
With that final prediction and without answering anymore questions he said his goodbyes and as tears began to roll down the Lady Beresford’s cheeks he promised her he would be waiting to greet her when her time finally came. Then he faded into nothing and the Lady Beresford felt herself being pulled back to sleep.
The next morning Lady Beresford awoke with the clearest memory of the strange dream she had experienced that night before, just as she was trying to shake the dream out of her mind she looked down and was horrified at what she saw. Her wrist, in the exact placement of where the ghostly apparition had caught her to prove the visit was real was now shrivelled and grey as if it had aged, withered and died. Undeniably shaken Lady Beresford found a length of black ribbon and wrapped it around her wrist covering the supernatural reminder of her nocturnal guest. She pulled herself together as best she could and went down to the dining room for breakfast.
Upon arrival her husband Tristram could tell something was gravely wrong with his wife and enquired as to what was the matter. Visibly distraught Lady Beresford informed him that her lifelong friend had passed away and visited her in the night. Lady Beresford shared with her husband that she had also been told she was already pregnant with an heir but decided not to share the additional predictions or the physical evidence that remained on her wrist. As you would expect her husband felt she must’ve just experienced an extremely vivid dream and told her not to worry. Keeping her thoughts to herself she continued on with the day as normal so as not to attract any attention or whisperings of madness. However in the afternoon later on that very day a messenger arrived to the house with a letter to inform the Lady Beresford that her dear childhood friend had indeed passed away the previous evening. Her husband was taken aback by the news while any hope of doubt the lady had about her spectral visit melted away as she began to mourn her friend. Never removing the black ribbon on her wrist people began to think she wore it as a tribute to the memory of her dear childhood friend.
As the years passed sure enough the predictions made to her by the 2nd Earl of Tyrone came true one by one. After the Earl’s death his title passed to his brother James now the 3rd Earl of Tyrone. Furthermore soon after the visit Lady Beresford found out she was indeed pregnant and gave birth to the only son and heir of Tristram Beresford several months later, followed by another daughter the following year.
In 1701 her husband died and their son Marcus Beresford at the age of 5 inherited his father’s title of 4th Baronet of Coleraine. Lady Beresford did indeed go on to remarry and despite birthing two more children for her new husband the marriage was an extremely unhappy one. Her new husband Lt. Gen. Richard Gorges treated her so poorly that she eventually petitioned for separation.
In 1704 John’s brother the 3rd Earl of Tyrone had also passed away leaving behind only a daughter and no heir, his cousin and only eligible relative for the title was a known Jacobite and so was refused the right to inherit the title and so the Earl of Tyrone became extinct.
As the years went on the predictions came true one by one, and so Lady Beresford solemnly awaited the final prediction of her death to unfold. Her 47th birthday came and went without incident but still Lady Beresford was wary for her entire 47th year. However as her 48th birthday soon approached she began to relax. Perhaps her old friend was mistaken on this prediction as he had been about his daughter marrying her son Marcus. Afterall John had no children legitimate or even illegitimate that made themselves known in all the years that had passed since his death.
As her birthday drew nearer she began to feel a sense of relief that she had outlived her predicted death and decided to throw a huge party to celebrate. She invited all her friends and people from the local community including an old family friend who was a clergyman from her local parish.
The party was a lavish one full of all of Lady Beresford’s family and friends from throughout the years. She laughed as she spoke with all her guests reminiscing about times gone by. Finally she came to speak with the reverend who was an old family friend. While in conversation with the aged clergyman he wished her a happy birthday and expressed how it felt like it was only yesterday he had baptised her and his disbelief that it had been 47 years ago. Lady Beresford stopped laughing and smiling and instantly became serious, she informed him that he must be mistaken as she was 48 today and not 47. To which the clergyman explained that she was the one who was mistaken as he had only come across her baptismal records that week while in the records room and with the upcoming party he had made a mental note of the year. He informed Lady Beresford that she was born on the 23rd of February 1666 not 1665 as she had thought. Upon hearing this Lady Beresford’s complexion turned white as her entire demeanour changed, her eyes filled with tears. Turning to leave she told the clergyman that he had just signed her death warrant and with that she left the festivities and withdrew to her chamber.
In the privacy of her chamber she requested the presence of her older children and a close female friend. It was only then that she finally told them of the Earl of Tyrone’s spectral visit, her withered wrist and his predictions that had come to pass. She told them that tonight would be her final night on earth and she said her goodbyes. After her sceptical children had said their goodbyes and reassured her they would see her in the morning they left their mother to get some sleep. Her friend remained to comfort her and was still with her when Lady Beresford did indeed suddenly but peacefully pass away. After her death her children shocked to discover their mother was correct in predicting her own death, decided to remove the black ribbon their mother had worn as long as they could remember. They hardly believed their own eyes when the removal of the ribbon revealed the withered and grey skin in the imprint of a hand wrapped around their mother’s wrist.
Five years after Lady Beresford’s passing the final prediction came true. In 1717 Lady Beresford’s son Marcus Beresford married Catherine La Poer, the daughter of the 3rd Earl of Tyrone James La Poer- niece to John La Poer, a daughter of his bloodline. While Catherine had not inherited her father’s titles she had inherited his lands at Curraghmore and in this union the Beresford and La Poer bloodlines were finally united. Through his wife Marcus Beresford was given the title of 1st Viscount of Tyrone in 1720 and eventually also awarded the title of 1st Earl of Tyrone in its new creation since its extinction with the death of Catherine’s father.
Lord Marcus and Lady Catherine moved into her ancestral home of Curraghmore House in Portlaw Co. Waterford. Here they made a home and raised their family. Their eldest surviving son George De La Poer Beresford 2nd Earl of Tyrone became the 1st Marquess of Waterford in 1789. A title still held to this day by their direct ancestors who still reside in the beautiful Curraghmore House.
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