Julius Beresford (Wiszniewski) (18 July 1868 – 29 September 1959), also known as Berry or The Old Berry, was a British rower and coach. Beresford competed at the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden.[1]
Life
Beresford was the son of Julius Bernard Wiszniewski, an emigrant from Danzig and his wife Stella Louisa Davey.[2] In 1871, the family were living in Tottenham.[3] Julius Beresford dropped his father's surname "Wiszniewski" in 1914. Outside rowing, he was a partner in a furniture making business, Beresford & Hicks.[4]
Beresford served as captain of Thames Rowing Club in 1914 and again in 1926. In 1922 he was appointed as vice president of the club. 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.[9]
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.[citation needed]
Beresford's son Jack Beresford was also a rower and won medals at five successive Olympics.[10] His grandson Michael Beresford also became an Olympic rower.[11]