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Hon. Elizabeth Ponsonby (28 December 190031 July 1940) was an English aristocrat who was a prominent member of the
Bright Young Things __NOTOC__ The Bright Young Things, or Bright Young People, was a group of Bohemian young aristocrats and socialites in London during the Roaring Twenties. The name was given to them by the tabloid press. They threw flamboyant fancy dress part ...
, well-connected socialites who featured heavily in the contemporary tabloid press for what were perceived to be their hedonistic antics.


Biography

The daughter of
Arthur Ponsonby Arthur Augustus William Harry Ponsonby, 1st Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede (16 February 1871 – 23 March 1946), was a British politician, writer, and social activist. He was the son of Sir Henry Ponsonby, Private Secretary to Queen Victoria, an ...
, diplomat and Foreign Office minister, later created
Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede, of Shulbrede in the County of Sussex, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1930 for the politician Arthur Ponsonby. Ponsonby was the third son of General Sir Henry Ponsonby and the grea ...
, Elizabeth was born at 9
Victoria Square, London Victoria Square is a small, rectangular garden square in Westminster, Greater London, beginning some 50 metres south of the remaining stables of the Royal Mews (on the large green block taken up by Buckingham Palace) and 150 metres nor ...
. She descended from the Ponsonby
Earls 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. In 1749, he was given t ...
. Her mother, Dolly (1876–1963), was daughter of the composer
Hubert Parry Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, 1st Baronet (27 February 1848 – 7 October 1918), was an English composer, teacher and historian of music. Born in Richmond Hill, Bournemouth, Parry's first major works appeared in 1880. As a composer he is ...
.
David Plunket Greene David Plunket Greene (19 November 1904 – 24 February 1941), together with his brother Richard and sister Olivia, was part of the Bright Young Things who inspired the novel ''Vile Bodies'' to Evelyn Waugh, a family friend. Biography David Plu ...
was her cousin. Alongside
Babe Plunket-Greene Babe Plunket Greene (27 October 1907The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Court for Divorce and Matrimonial Causes, later Supreme Court of Judicature: Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Files; Class: J 77; Piece: 916; Item: 7811 � ...
, Brian Howard and Edward Gathorne-Hardy, Ponsonby was considered to be one of the leaders of the group.''Arthur Ponsonby: The Politics of Life'', Raymond A. Jones, 1989, Helm, pg 159 Her father was displeased by her notoriety, commenting "I think she is made for better things" and regretting that she was "famous for her extravagant pranks". Her 1929 marriage to (John) Denis Cavendish Pelly,''Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage'', 1985, Debrett's Peerage Ltd, pg 682 an assistant in a Bond Street gramophone shop later employed by the
Gas Light and Coke Company The Gas Light and Coke Company (also known as the Westminster Gas Light and Coke Company, and the Chartered Gas Light and Coke Company), was a company that made and supplied coal gas and Coke (fuel), coke. The headquarters of the company were l ...
, son of Major William Francis Henry Pelly of the
Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers The Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers was an Ireland, Irish line infantry regiment of the British Army in existence from 1881 until 1968. The regiment was formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot and the 108th (Ma ...
and descendant of Sir John Pelly, 1st Baronet, was dissolved in 1933, and Ponsonby later entered a relationship with garage proprietor John Ludovic ('Ludy') Ford. She died in 1940, according to her brother,
Matthew Matthew may refer to: * Matthew (given name) * Matthew (surname) * ''Matthew'' (album), a 2000 album by rapper Kool Keith * Matthew (elm cultivar), a cultivar of the Chinese Elm ''Ulmus parvifolia'' Christianity * Matthew the Apostle, one of ...
, of alcoholism. Ponsonby was a model for Agatha Runcible in
Evelyn Waugh Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires ''Decli ...
's novel ''
Vile Bodies ''Vile Bodies'' is the second novel by Evelyn Waugh, published in 1930. It satirises the bright young things, the rich young people partying in London after World War I, and the press which fed on their doings. The original title ''Bright You ...
''.''Dictionary of Real People'', M. C. Rintoul, 1993, Routledge, pg 746


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ponsonby, Elizabeth 1900 births 1940 deaths 20th-century English women 20th-century English people Alcohol-related deaths in England English socialites Daughters of barons
Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Empress Elisabeth (disambiguation), lists various empresses named ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth'' * Princess Elizabeth ...
People from Westminster