George Ponsonby

For the Hon. George Ponsonby (1773–1863), Junior Lord of the Treasury, see George Ponsonby (politician).

The Right Honourable George Ponsonby
George Ponsonby.
Lord Chancellor of Ireland
In office 1806–1807
Monarch	George III
Prime Minister	The Lord Grenville
Preceded by	The Lord Redesdale
Succeeded by	The Lord Manners
Personal details
Born	5 March 1755
Died	8 July 1817
Nationality	British
Political party	Whig
Alma mater	Trinity College, Cambridge

George Ponsonby PC (5 March 1755 – 8 July 1817), was a British lawyer and Whig politician. He served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland from 1806 to 1807 in the Ministry of All the Talents.

Background and education

Ponsonby was the second surviving son of the Honourable John Ponsonby, speaker of the Irish House of Commons (1756–71), and his wife, Lady Elizabeth Cavendish (1723–1796), daughter of William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire. He was educated at Kilkenny College and at Trinity College, Cambridge.

Legal and political career

A barrister, Ponsonby became a member of the Irish Parliament in 1776. He sat for Wicklow Borough between 1778 and 1783 and subsequently for Inistioge between 1783 and 1797. From 1798 until the Act of Union in 1801, he represented Galway Borough. Ponsonby was chancellor of the Irish exchequer in 1782, afterwards taking a prominent part in the debates on the question of Roman Catholic relief, and leading the opposition to the union of the parliaments.

After 1801 Ponsonby represented Wicklow and then Tavistock in the Parliament of the United Kingdom; in 1806 to 1807 he was Lord Chancellor of Ireland, and from 1808 to 1817 he was the recognised leader of the opposition in the British House of Commons.

Ponsonby had been selected as the first recognised leader of the opposition, rather than leader of an opposition, when the two leading Whig peers Lord Grenville and Earl Grey, proposed him to Whig MPs. Ponsonby was described by Foorde as "a little known mediocrity who was related to Lady Grey". He proved to be a weak leader, but was unwilling to resign and so retained the leadership of the party in the House of Commons until his death. He was succeeded as party leader by George Tierney.

Personal life

In Dublin, he was a member of Daly's Club.

He married Mary Butler, the daughter of the Earl of Lanesborough. He left an only daughter when he died in London on 8 July 1817, who went on to marry Francis Aldborough Prittie, MP.

References

• Parliamentary Election Results in Ireland, 1801–1922, edited by B. M. Walker (Royal Irish Academy 1978)
• His Majesty's Opposition 1714–1830, by Archibald S. Foorde (Oxford University Press 1964)
•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: 

External links

• Hansard 1803–2005: contributions in Parliament by George Ponsonby

Parliament of Ireland
Preceded by Hon. Robert Ward Sir William Fownes, Bt	Member of Parliament for Wicklow Borough 1778–1783 With: Hon. Robert Ward	Succeeded by John Lloyd Edward Tighe
Preceded by John Flood Sir John Parnell, Bt	Member of Parliament for Inistioge 1783–1797 With: John Ussher 1783–1790 John Lloyd 1790–1797	Succeeded by Henry Tighe John Lloyd
Preceded by Peter Daly Sir Skeffington Smyth, Bt	Member of Parliament for Galway Borough 1798 – 1801 With: St George Daly	Succeeded by Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by William Hoare Hume Vacant	Member of Parliament for Wicklow 1801 – 1806 With: William Hoare Hume	Succeeded by William Hoare Hume William Tighe
Preceded by Lord William Russell Viscount Howick	Member of Parliament for Tavistock 1808 – 1812 With: Lord William Russell	Succeeded by Lord William Russell Hon. Richard FitzPatrick
Preceded by William Elliot Marquess of Tavistock	Member of Parliament for Peterborough 1812–1816 With: William Elliot	Succeeded by William Elliot) Hon. William Lamb
Preceded by William Tighe Hon. Granville Proby	Member of Parliament for Wicklow 1816–1817 With: Hon. Granville Proby	Succeeded by Hon. Granville Proby William Hayes Parnell
Political offices
Preceded by The Lord Redesdale	Lord Chancellor of Ireland 1806–1807	Succeeded by The Lord Manners
Preceded by new office	Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons 1808–1817	Succeeded by George Tierney
Party political offices
Preceded by new office	Leader of the Whig Party in the House of Commons 1808–1817	Succeeded by George Tierney