Edward Ponsonby, 8th Earl of Bessborough
Encyclopedia
Edward Ponsonby, 8th Earl of Bessborough, KP, CB
, CVO
(1 March 1851 – 1 December 1920) was a British
peer
.
and his wife, Louisa, the daughter of Edward Eliot, 3rd Earl of St Germans
. He qualified as a barrister
in 1879 and was secretary to Lord Robert Grosvenor (a younger son of Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster
) at HM Treasury
from 1880–84 and to Arthur Peel, Speaker of the House of Commons
from 1884-95. After Peel's retirement in 1895, Ponsonby was appointed a CB
that year and also took the courtesy title of Viscount Duncannon following his father's accession to the earldom of Bessborough
, also in that year. In 1898, he was High Sheriff of Carlow
, appointed a CVO
in 1902 and a KP in 1914. He was also involved in business and became a director of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
in March 1895, and served as its Chairman from February 1908 until his death.
Ponsonby inherited the earldom from his father in 1906 and on his death in 1920, his titles passed to his eldest son, Vere. His death procurred an erroneous obituary of Lord Desborough
being published after The Times
confused the two peers.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, CVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(1 March 1851 – 1 December 1920) was a British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
peer
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
.
Biography
Ponsonby was the eldest son of Rev. Walter PonsonbyWalter Ponsonby, 7th Earl of Bessborough
Walter William Brabazon Ponsonby, 7th Earl of Bessborough was a British peer and member of the House of Lords. He was the fifth son of John Ponsonby, 4th Earl of Bessborough and his wife Lady Maria Fane...
and his wife, Louisa, the daughter of Edward Eliot, 3rd Earl of St Germans
Edward Eliot, 3rd Earl of St Germans
Edward Granville Eliot, 3rd Earl of St Germans GCB , DL, LL.D, PC , styled Lord Elliot from 1823 to 1845, was a British politician and diplomat.-Background and education:...
. He qualified as a barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
in 1879 and was secretary to Lord Robert Grosvenor (a younger son of Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster
Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster
Hugh Lupus Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster KG, PC, JP , styled Viscount Belgrave between 1831 and 1845 and Earl Grosvenor between 1845 and 1869 and known as the 3rd Marquess of Westminster between 1869 and 1874, was an English landowner, politician and racehorse owner.He inherited the estate of...
) at HM Treasury
HM Treasury
HM Treasury, in full Her Majesty's Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the British government's public finance policy and economic policy...
from 1880–84 and to Arthur Peel, Speaker of the House of Commons
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
from 1884-95. After Peel's retirement in 1895, Ponsonby was appointed a CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
that year and also took the courtesy title of Viscount Duncannon following his father's accession to the earldom of Bessborough
Earl of Bessborough
Earl of Bessborough is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1739 for Brabazon Ponsonby, 2nd Viscount Duncannon, who had previously represented Newtownards and County Kildare in the Irish House of Commons...
, also in that year. In 1898, he was High Sheriff of Carlow
High Sheriff of Carlow
The High Sheriff of Carlow was the British Crown’s judicial representative in County Carlow, Ireland from the 16th century until 1922, when the office was abolished in the new Free State and replaced by the office of Carlow County Sheriff. The sheriff had judicial, electoral, ceremonial and...
, appointed a CVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
in 1902 and a KP in 1914. He was also involved in business and became a director of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey...
in March 1895, and served as its Chairman from February 1908 until his death.
Family
On 22 April 1875, Ponsonby married Blanche Guest (the sister of Ivor Guest, 1st Baron Wimborne) and they had six children:- Lady Olwen Verene (1876–1927), married Geoffrey Browne, 3rd Baron Oranmore and BrowneGeoffrey Browne, 3rd Baron Oranmore and BrowneGeoffrey Henry Browne, 3rd Baron Oranmore and Browne, 1st Baron Mereworth KP PC , born Geoffrey Henry Browne-Guthrie, was an Irish politician....
. - Lady Helen Blanche Irene (1878–1962), married John Congreve.
- Vere Brabazon, later styled Viscount Duncannon, later 9th Earl of BessboroughVere Ponsonby, 9th Earl of BessboroughCaptain Vere Brabazon Ponsonby, 9th Earl of Bessborough was a British businessman and politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the 14th since Canadian Confederation....
(1880–1956), Governor-General of Canada. - Hon. (Cyril) Myles Brabazon (1881–1915), soldier and father of the 11th Earl of BessboroughArthur Ponsonby, 11th Earl of BessboroughArthur Mountifort Longfield Ponsonby, 11th Earl of Bessborough , was a British peer.He was the son of Maj. Hon. Cyril Myles Brabazon Ponsonby, second son of Edward Ponsonby, 8th Earl of Bessborough, and his wife Rita Narcissa Longfield, daughter of Lt. Col. Mountifort John Courtenay Longfield...
. - Hon. Bertie Brabazon (1885–1967), barrister and soldier.
- Lady Gweneth Frida (1888–1984), married (1) Hon. Windham Baring, (2) Ralph Cavendish.
Ponsonby inherited the earldom from his father in 1906 and on his death in 1920, his titles passed to his eldest son, Vere. His death procurred an erroneous obituary of Lord Desborough
William Grenfell, 1st Baron Desborough
William Henry Grenfell, 1st Baron Desborough, KG, GCVO, was an athlete, sportsman, public servant and politician. He sat in the House of Commons firstly for the Liberal Party and then for the Conservatives between 1880 and 1905 when he was raised to the peerage...
being published after The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
confused the two peers.
Source
- Burke's PeerageBurke's PeerageBurke's Peerage publishes authoritative, in-depth historical guides to the royal and titled families of the United Kingdom, such as Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, and of many other countries. Founded in 1826 by British genealogist John Burke Esq., and continued by his son, Sir John...
, 107th edition.