Brabazon Ponsonby, 1st Earl of Bessborough

The Earl of Bessborough

Spouse(s)	1. Sarah Colvill (née Margetson) 2. Elizabeth Moore (née Sankey)
Father	William Ponsonby, 1st Viscount Dungannon
Mother	Mary Moore
Born	1679
Died	4 July 1758 (age 79)

Brabazon Ponsonby, 1st Earl of Bessborough (1679 – 4 July 1758) was a British politician and peer. He was the son of William Ponsonby, 1st Viscount Duncannon and Mary Moore. He was an active politician from 1705 to 1757 in Great Britain and Ireland. He represented Newtownards and County Kildare in the Irish House of Commons. He is buried in Fiddown, County Kilkenny, Ireland.

Ponsonby married an heiress who owned Bishopscourt, County Kildare, and his family remained there until the 1830s.

Ranks and Offices Held

Member of Parliament for Newtonards, County Down between 1705 to 1714.
Captain, 27th Regiment; Enniskillen - 1707
Sheriff and Governor of County Kilkenny - 1713
Sheriff and Governor of County Kildare - 1714
Member of Parliament : County of Kildare - 1715 to 1724
Privy Counsellor (invested) - May 10, 1727.
Commissioner of the Revenue - 1739 to 1744.
Marshal of the Admiralty in Ireland - 1751 to 1752.
Lord Justice in Ireland - 1754 to 1755.
Vice-Admiral of Munster - 1755.
Lord Justice in Ireland - 1756 to 1757.

Titles & Styles

2nd Viscount Duncannon, of the Fort of Duncannon, county of Wexford (succeeded) - Nov. 17, 1724.
2nd Baron Bessborough, of Bessborough, county of Kilkenny (succeeded) - Nov. 17, 1724.
1st Earl of Bessborough, Ireland (created) - October 6, 1739.
1st Baron Ponsonby of Sysonby, county of Leicester, Great Britain (created) - June 12, 1749.

Marriages

Sarah Margetson (d. May 21, 1773), daughter of John Margetson and Alice Caulfeild, in 1704. Sarah was married before to Hugh Colvill. Sarah's children by Brabazon Ponsonby:

Name	Birth	Death	Notes
Lady Sarah Ponsonby	?	Jan 19, 1736 or 1737	married:1727, Edward Moore, 5th Earl of Drogheda; had issue
William Ponsonby	1704	March 11, 1793	married: July 5, 1739, Lady Caroline Cavendish; had issue
John Ponsonby	March 29, 1713	Aug 16, 1787	married: September 22, 1743, Lady Elizabeth Cavendish; had issue
Lady Letitia Ponsonby	circa 1720	Feb 9, 1754	married: November 3, 1742, Hervey Morres, 1st Viscount Mountmorres; had issue

Elizabeth Sankey: (circa 1680 - July 17, 1738), daughter of John Sankey and Eleanor Morgan, on November 28, 1733.

Peerage of Ireland
Preceded by New Creation	Earl of Bessborough 1739–1758	Succeeded by William Ponsonby

Persondata
Name	Bessborough, Brabazon Ponsonby, 1st Earl Of
Alternative names
Short description	Member Irish House of Commons
Date of birth	1679
Place of birth
Date of death	July 4, 1758
Place of death