John Ponsonby, PC (Ire) (29 March 1713 – 16 August 1787) was an

Anglo-Irish Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the State rel ...

politician. He was

Speaker of the Irish House of Commons The Speaker of the Irish House of Commons was the presiding officer of the Irish House of Commons until its disestablishment in 1800. In the absence of a government chosen from and answerable to the Commons, the Speaker was the dominant politic ...

between 1756 and 1771, a period in which the

legislative A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the legal authority to make laws for a political entity such as a country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with the executive and judicial powers ...

independence of the

Kingdom of Ireland The Kingdom of Ireland (; , ) was a dependent territory of Kingdom of England, England and then of Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain from 1542 to the end of 1800. It was ruled by the monarchs of England and then List of British monarchs ...

was increasingly asserted and tested.

Early life

Ponsonby was the second son of Brabazon Ponsonby, who was created the

Earl 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 ...

in 1739, and his first wife, Sarah Margetson Colvill. He was the grandson of

William Ponsonby, 1st Viscount Duncannon William Ponsonby, 1st Viscount Duncannon (1659 – 17 November 1724), was an Anglo-Irish peer. Background He was born in 1659, the third son of John Ponsonby (colonel), Sir John Ponsonby (c. 1608/9 – 1678) of Bessborough in County Kilkenny, a ...

. He was admitted to

Trinity College Dublin Trinity College Dublin (), officially titled The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, and legally incorporated as Trinity College, the University of Dublin (TCD), is the sole constituent college of the Unive ...

on 6 April 1730, but there is no evidence that he ever graduated.

Parliamentary career

In 1739, Ponsonby entered the

Irish House of Commons The Irish House of Commons was the lower house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from 1297 until the end of 1800. The upper house was the Irish House of Lords, House of Lords. The membership of the House of Commons was directly elected, ...

for

Newtownards Newtownards (; ) is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies at the most northern tip of Strangford Lough, 10 miles (16 km) east of Belfast, on the Ards Peninsula. It is in the Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish of Newtow ...

and was soon aligned to his father's faction, which sought to reduce the influence of Henry Boyle. When Boyle resigned as

speaker Speaker most commonly refers to: * Speaker, a person who produces speech * Loudspeaker, a device that produces sound ** Computer speakers Speaker, Speakers, or The Speaker may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * "Speaker" (song), by David ...

in 1756, Ponsonby was the only credible alternative and he was elected speaker unopposed. He was re-elected to the chair in 1761 and 1769. He also served as First Commissioner of the Revenue and he became a member of the

Privy Council of Ireland His or Her Majesty's Privy Council in Ireland, commonly called the Privy Council of Ireland, Irish Privy Council, or in earlier centuries the Irish Council, was the institution within the Dublin Castle administration which exercised formal executi ...

in 1746. In 1761, Ponsonby was elected for

County Kilkenny County Kilkenny () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is named after the City status in Ir ...

and

Armagh Armagh ( ; , , " Macha's height") is a city and the county town of County Armagh, in Northern Ireland, as well as a civil parish. It is the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland – the seat of the Archbishops of Armagh, the Primates of All ...

, and sitting for the former. In 1768, he stood also for

Gowran Gowran (; ) is a town on the eastern side of County Kilkenny, Ireland. The historic St. Mary's Collegiate Church is in the centre of Gowran, close to Gowran Castle. Gowran Park race course and Golf Course are one kilometre from the centre of ...

and Newtownards, and in 1776 for

Carlow Carlow ( ; ) is the county town of County Carlow, in the south-east of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, from Dublin. At the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census, it had a population of 27,351, the List of urban areas in the Republic of Ireland, ...

, but chose each time County Kilkenny, which he represented until 1783. Subsequently, Ponsonby was again returned for Newtownards and sat for this constituency until his death in 1787. 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. Ponsonby ensured that he, as speaker, had direct input into the business of government. He employed patronage in the Commons to ensure that his supporters remained loyal and used his office to give credence to the growing Irish Patriot sentiment of the 1760s. He retained the chief authority until

George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend Field marshal (United Kingdom), Field Marshal George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend, Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, PC (28 February 172414 September 1807), known as The Viscount Townshend from 1764 to 1787, was a Great Britain, ...

, became lord-lieutenant in 1767. Then followed a struggle for supremacy between the Ponsonby faction and the

Dublin Castle administration Dublin Castle was the centre of the government of Ireland under English and later British rule. "Dublin Castle" is used metonymically to describe British rule in Ireland. The Castle held only the executive branch of government and the Privy Cou ...

party dependent on Townshend, which sought to implement a more assertive Irish executive aligned with London's interests. In November 1769, Ponsonby voted in favour of a patriot motion rejecting a privy council money bill, prompting Townshend to dismiss him his role in the revenue. In 1770 he failed to respond to a proposal by Lord Charlemont to coordinate the opposition to Townshend. After Irish MPs voted to express their approval of the king's decision in 1771 to retain Townshend in office, Ponsonby impulsively resigned the speakership. Henrietta Street - Dublin 2800071378

Many of Ponsonby's former allies in the Commons chose to make their peace with the Irish administration, but Ponsonby himself remained in opposition. In 1776 he again stood for election as speaker, but was defeated by the popular incumbent,

Edmund Sexton Pery Edmund Sexton Pery, 1st Viscount Pery (8 April 1719 – 24 February 1806) was an Anglo-Irish politician who served as the penultimate Speaker of the Irish House of Commons between 1771 and 1785. He was one of the most powerful and prominent polit ...

. Ponsonby died, while still a member of parliament, on 16 August 1787.

Marriage and issue

He married in 1743 Lady Elizabeth Cavendish, daughter of the 3rd Duke of Devonshire, a connection which was of great importance to the Ponsonbys. His older brother,

William Ponsonby, 2nd Earl of Bessborough William Ponsonby, 2nd Earl of Bessborough (1704 – 11 March 1793) was a British politician and public servant. He was an Irish people, Irish and English people, English peerage, peer and member of the House of Lords (styled Hon. William Ponsonb ...

, had married the Duke's eldest daughter in 1739. Ponsonby's sons,

William Ponsonby, 1st Baron Ponsonby of Imokilly William Brabazon Ponsonby, 1st Baron Ponsonby (of Imokilly), (15 September 17445 November 1806) was a leading Irish Whig politician, being a member of the Irish House of Commons, and, after 1800, of the United Kingdom parliament. Ponsonby was ...

, and

George Ponsonby George Ponsonby (5 March 17558 July 1817), was a British lawyer and Whig politician. He was 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 ...

, were also politicians of distinction. His daughter Catherine married

Richard Boyle, 2nd Earl of Shannon Richard Boyle, 2nd Earl of Shannon KP, PC (Ire) (30 January 1727 – 20 May 1807), was an Irish peer and Member of Parliament. He represented Dungarvan and County Cork, and succeeded his father as Earl of Shannon.Henry Boyle, 3rd Earl of Shannon Henry Boyle, 3rd Earl of Shannon, KP, PC (Ire) (8 August 1771 – 22 April 1842), styled Viscount Boyle from 1764 until 1807, was an Anglo-Irish politician and peer who was one of the last surviving members of the Parliament of Ireland. He rep ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ponsonby, John 1713 births 1787 deaths 18th-century Anglo-Irish people Irish MPs 1727–1760 Irish MPs 1761–1768 Irish MPs 1769–1776 Irish MPs 1776–1783 Irish MPs 1783–1790

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

Members of the Privy Council of Ireland

John Ponsonby (politician) John Ponsonby, Privy Council of Ireland, PC (Ire) (29 March 1713 – 16 August 1787) was an Anglo-Irish politician. He was Speaker of the Irish House of Commons between 1756 and 1771, a period in which the legislative independence of the Kingdom ...

Speakers of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) Younger sons of earls Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Donegal constituencies Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Kilkenny constituencies Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Armagh constituencies Members of the Parliament of Ireland (pre-1801) for County Carlow constituencies