William Ponsonby, 2nd Earl Of Bessborough

William Ponsonby, 2nd Earl of Bessborough, was born in 1704 and died on 11 March 1793. He was an Anglo-Irish peer and politician who held various offices in both Ireland and the United Kingdom. His titles included being a member of the Irish and English peerages, and he served in the House of Lords, initially styled as Hon. William Ponsonby from 1723 to 1739 and then as Viscount Duncannon from 1739 to 1758.

Education:

William Ponsonby received his education at Trinity College Dublin.

Family Background:

He was the son of Brabazon Ponsonby, 1st Earl of Bessborough, and Sarah Margetson. His brother was John Ponsonby. On 5 July 1739, he married Lady Caroline Cavendish, the eldest daughter of William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire. Lady Caroline died in 1760 at the age of 40. William and Caroline had three surviving children: Lady Catherine Ponsonby (born in 1742), who married Aubrey Beauclerk, 5th Duke of St Albans; Lady Charlotte Ponsonby (born in 1747), who married William Fitzwilliam, 4th Earl Fitzwilliam; and Frederick Ponsonby, who later became the 3rd Earl of Bessborough (1758–1844).

Political Career:

Ponsonby was elected to the Irish House of Commons in 1725, representing Newtownards, and in 1727, he was elected for County Kilkenny. He held these seats until 1758, when he succeeded to his father's titles after his father's death in July of that year. In 1741, he became Chief Secretary for Ireland, serving under his father-in-law, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, a position he held until 1745.

He was appointed a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty on 27 June 1746, a role he maintained until 1756. Subsequently, he became a Lord Commissioner of the Treasury. In the British Parliament, he represented Derby from 1742 to 1754, Saltash from 1754 to 1756, and Harwich from 1756 to 1758.

Peerages and Titles:

Upon the death of his father on 4 July 1758, Ponsonby inherited the title of Baron Ponsonby of Sysonby on 23 November 1758 and became the 2nd Earl of Bessborough.

Government Offices:

On 2 June 1759, Ponsonby was appointed Postmaster General of Great Britain, sharing the position initially with Robert Hampden-Trevor, 1st Viscount Hampden. He resigned this office when William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, was dismissed as Lord Chamberlain in October 1762. He was reappointed Postmaster General in July 1765, jointly with Thomas Robinson, 1st Baron Grantham, and was sworn into the Privy Council. He resigned from this role in 1766.

Later Life and Death:

William Ponsonby continued to hold his titles until his death on 11 March 1793. His son, Frederick Ponsonby, succeeded him as the 3rd Earl of Bessborough.

Property:

Parkstead House, located in Roehampton and built in 1750 for William Ponsonby, is now part of Roehampton University.

References:

Details of William Ponsonby's life and career can be found in various historical records and the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.