PONSONBY, English family. PONSONBY, JOHN (1713 1789), Irish politician, was born on March 29, 1713. In 1739 he entered the Irish parliament, where he became first commis sioner of the revenue (1744), a privy councillor (1746), and in 1756 Speaker. Belonging to one of the great families which at this time monopolized the government of Ireland, Ponsonby was one of the principal "undertakers," men who controlled the whole of the king's business in Ireland, and he retained the chief author ity until the marquess Townshend became lord-lieutenant in 1767. A struggle for supremacy between the Ponsonby faction and the party dependent on Townshend followed, which caused Ponsonby to resign the speakership in 1771. He died on Dec. 12, 1789. His wife was Elizabeth, daughter of William Cavendish, 3rd duke of Devonshire, a connection of advantage to the Ponsonbys.
Ponsonby's third son, GEORGE PONSONBY (1755-1817), lord chancellor of Ireland, was born on March 5, 1755, and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge. A barrister, he became a mem
ber of the Irish parliament in 1776 and was chancellor of the Irish exchequer in 1782, afterwards taking part in the debates on the question of Roman Catholic relief, and leading the opposi tion to the union of the parliaments. Ponsonby represented Wicklow and then Tavistock in the united parliament; in 1806 he was lord chancellor of Ireland, and from 1808 to 1817 he was the official leader of the opposition in the House of Commons He left an only daughter when he died in London on July 8, 1817.
George Ponsonby's elder brother, WILLIAM BRABAZON P0N SONBY, ist Baron Ponsonby (1744-1806), was also a leading Whig 'politician, being a member of the Irish, and after 1800, of the British parliament. In 1806 shortly before his death he was created Baron Ponsonby of Imokilly. On the death of his grandson, WILLIAM BRABAZON PON SONBY (1807-1866), the barony became extinct.