Ashley Ponsonby

The Honorable Ashley George John Ponsonby was born on 24 June 1831 and died on 12 January 1898. He was a British politician affiliated with the Liberal Party.

Ponsonby's family background places him as a younger son of William Ponsonby, 1st Baron de Mauley. His paternal grandfather was Frederick Ponsonby, the 3rd Earl of Bessborough. His mother was Lady Barbara Ashley-Cooper, the daughter of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, the 5th Earl of Shaftesbury.

In terms of education and early career, Ponsonby served as a captain in the Grenadier Guards. His public service career included being a Member of Parliament (MP) for Cirencester. He represented the constituency from 1852 to 1857, and then again from 1859 to 1865. In addition to his parliamentary role, he served as a Justice of the Peace and a Deputy Lieutenant of Gloucestershire.

Ponsonby's personal life included his marriage to Louisa Frances Charlotte Gordon in 1857. She was the daughter of Lord Henry Gordon. The couple had three children: two sons and one daughter.

He resided at Prince's Gardens in London and at Heatherfield in Ascot, Berkshire—an area now known as Heatherwood Hospital.

Ashley Ponsonby died in January 1898 at the age of 66. His wife, Louisa Frances Charlotte Gordon, passed away in February 1910.

References for his parliamentary service include Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs. Records of his contributions in Parliament can be found in the Hansard archives covering the years 1803 to 2005.