John Ponsonby, 4th Earl of Bessborough

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John William Ponsonby, 4th Earl of Bessborough PC (31 August 1781 - 16 May 1847) was an English politician, known as Viscount Duncannon before 1844. He hailed from the prominent Ponsonby family of Cumberland. Lady Caroline Lamb was his younger sister. He was First Commissioner of Works under Lord Melbourne (1831 - 1834), briefly Home Secretary (1834), and Lord Privy Seal (1835 - 1839). Later, he was briefly Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from 1846 to 1847 under Lord John Russell. He was made a Privy Counsellor in 1831.

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by William Cavendish and Lord John Townshend	Member for Knaresborough with Lord John Townshend 1793–1818 1805–1806	Succeeded by Viscount Ossulston and Lord John Townshend
Preceded by William Windham	Member for Higham Ferrers 1810–1812	Succeeded by William Plumer
Preceded by Sir Robert Dundas and Bryan Cooke	Member for Malton with John Ramsden 1812–31 1812–1826	Succeeded by John Ramsden and Viscount Normanby
Preceded by Hon. Frederick Ponsonby and Charles Clarke	Member for Kilkenny County with Charles Clarke 1820–30 and Earl of Ossory 1830–32 1826–1832	Succeeded by Pierce Butler and William Finn
Preceded by {{{before}}}	Member for Nottingham 1832–1834	Succeeded by {{{after}}}
Political offices
Preceded by George James Welbore Agar Ellis	First Commissioner of Woods and Forests 1831–1834	Succeeded by Sir John Cam Hobhouse
Preceded by The Viscount Melbourne	Home Secretary 1834	Succeeded by Henry Goulburn
Preceded by The Lord Wharncliffe	Lord Privy Seal 1835–1840	Succeeded by The Earl of Clarendon
Preceded by The Lord Granville Somerset	First Commissioner of Woods and Forests 1835–1841	Succeeded by Earl of Lincoln
Preceded by The Lord Heytesbury	Lord Lieutenant of Ireland 1846–1847	Succeeded by The Earl of Clarendon
Peerage of Ireland
Preceded by Frederick Ponsonby	Earl of Bessborough 1844–1847	Succeeded by John Ponsonby
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by New Creation	Baron Duncannon 1834–1847	Succeeded by John Ponsonby