Biography of William Ponsonby 2nd Earl Bessborough 1704-1793

Before 1704 [his father] Brabazon Ponsonby 1st Earl Bessborough [aged 24] and [his mother] Sarah Margetson [aged 25] were married. They were second cousins.

In 1704 William Ponsonby 2nd Earl Bessborough was born to Brabazon Ponsonby 1st Earl Bessborough [aged 25] and Sarah Margetson [aged 25].

On 17th November 1724 [his grandfather] William Ponsonby 1st Viscount Duncannon [aged 65] died. His son [his father] Brabazon [aged 45] succeeded 2nd Viscount Duncannon of Duncannon in Wexford, 2nd Baron Bessborough of Bessborough in Kilkenny.

In May 1733 [his mother] Sarah Margetson [aged 55] died.

In 1739 [his father] Brabazon Ponsonby 1st Earl Bessborough [aged 60] was created 1st Earl Bessborough.

On 5th July 1739 William Ponsonby 2nd Earl Bessborough [aged 35] and Caroline Cavendish Countess Bessborough [aged 20] were married. His younger brother John Ponsonby [aged 26] would marry her younger sister Elizabeth Cavendish [aged 13] four years later. She the daughter of William Cavendish 3rd Duke Devonshire [aged 40] and Catherine Hoskins Duchess Devonshire [aged 40]. He the son of Brabazon Ponsonby 1st Earl Bessborough [aged 60] and Sarah Margetson.

On 14th October 1742 [his daughter] Catherine Ponsonby Duchess St Albans was born to William Ponsonby 2nd Earl Bessborough [aged 38] and [his wife] Caroline Cavendish Countess Bessborough [aged 23]. She married 4th May 1763 Aubrey Beauclerk 5th Duke St Albans, son of Vere Beauclerk 1st Baron de Vere and Mary Chambers Baroness Spencer, and had issue.

In 1743 John Ponsonby [aged 29] and Elizabeth Cavendish [aged 17] were married. His elder brother William Ponsonby 2nd Earl Bessborough [aged 39] had married her elder sister Caroline Cavendish Countess Bessborough [aged 23] four years before. She the daughter of William Cavendish 3rd Duke Devonshire [aged 44] and Catherine Hoskins Duchess Devonshire [aged 44]. He the son of Brabazon Ponsonby 1st Earl Bessborough [aged 64] and Sarah Margetson.

Around 1745. Attributed to Jeremiah Davison [aged 50]. Portrait of William Ponsonby 2nd Earl Bessborough [aged 41].

In 1747 Bishop Richard Terrick [aged 37] was elected Bishop of Peterborough through the influence of [his brother-in-law] William Cavendish 4th Duke Devonshire [aged 26] the Prime Minister.

Before 1748 [his brother-in-law] William Cavendish 4th Duke Devonshire [aged 27] and Charlotte Elizabeth Boyle Marchioness Hartington [aged 16] were married. She the daughter of Richard Boyle 3rd Earl Burlington [aged 53] and Dorothy Savile Countess Burlington [aged 48]. He the son of [his father-in-law] William Cavendish 3rd Duke Devonshire [aged 49] and [his mother-in-law] Catherine Hoskins Duchess Devonshire [aged 49]. They were fourth cousin once removed.

On 5th December 1755 [his father-in-law] William Cavendish 3rd Duke Devonshire [aged 57] died. His son [his brother-in-law] William [aged 35] succeeded 4th Duke Devonshire, 7th Earl Devonshire, 7th Baron Cavendish Hardwick.

On 24th January 1758 [his son] Frederick Ponsonby 3rd Earl Bessborough was born to William Ponsonby 2nd Earl Bessborough [aged 54] and [his wife] Caroline Cavendish Countess Bessborough [aged 38]. He married 27th November 1780 his fifth cousin Henrietta Frances Spencer Countess Bessborough, daughter of John Spencer 1st Earl Spencer and Margaret Georgiana Poyntz Countess Spencer, and had issue.

On 4th July 1758 [his father] Brabazon Ponsonby 1st Earl Bessborough [aged 79] died. His son William [aged 54] succeeded 2nd Earl Bessborough, 3rd Viscount Duncannon of Duncannon in Wexford, 3rd Baron Bessborough of Bessborough in Kilkenny. [his wife] Caroline Cavendish Countess Bessborough [aged 39] by marriage Countess Bessborough.

On 20th January 1760 [his wife] Caroline Cavendish Countess Bessborough [aged 40] died. Monument in Derby Cathedral [Map] sculpted by John Michael Rysbrack [aged 65].

Caroline Cavendish Countess Bessborough: In May 1719 she was born to William Cavendish 3rd Duke Devonshire and Catherine Hoskins Duchess Devonshire. On 5th July 1739 William Ponsonby 2nd Earl Bessborough and she were married. His younger brother John Ponsonby would marry her younger sister Elizabeth Cavendish four years later. She the daughter of William Cavendish 3rd Duke Devonshire and Catherine Hoskins Duchess Devonshire. He the son of Brabazon Ponsonby 1st Earl Bessborough and Sarah Margetson. In 1743 John Ponsonby and Elizabeth Cavendish were married. His elder brother William Ponsonby 2nd Earl Bessborough had married her elder sister Caroline Cavendish Countess Bessborough four years before. She the daughter of William Cavendish 3rd Duke Devonshire and Catherine Hoskins Duchess Devonshire. He the son of Brabazon Ponsonby 1st Earl Bessborough and Sarah Margetson. On 4th July 1758 Brabazon Ponsonby 1st Earl Bessborough died. His son William succeeded 2nd Earl Bessborough, 3rd Viscount Duncannon of Duncannon in Wexford, 3rd Baron Bessborough of Bessborough in Kilkenny. She by marriage Countess Bessborough.

On 4th May 1763 [his son-in-law] Aubrey Beauclerk 5th Duke St Albans [aged 22] and Catherine Ponsonby Duchess St Albans [aged 20] were married. She the daughter of William Ponsonby 2nd Earl Bessborough [aged 59] and Caroline Cavendish Countess Bessborough.

In 1770 [his son-in-law] William Fitzwilliam 4th and 2nd Earl Fitzwilliam [aged 21] and Charlotte Ponsonby Countess Fitzwilliam were married. She the daughter of William Ponsonby 2nd Earl Bessborough [aged 66] and Caroline Cavendish Countess Bessborough. He the son of William Fitzwilliam 1st and 3rd Earl Fitzwilliam and Anne Watson Wentworth Countess Fitzwilliam.

On 27th November 1780 Frederick Ponsonby 3rd Earl Bessborough [aged 22] and Henrietta Frances Spencer Countess Bessborough [aged 19] were married. She by marriage Countess Bessborough. She the daughter of John Spencer 1st Earl Spencer [aged 45] and Margaret Georgiana Poyntz Countess Spencer [aged 43]. He the son of William Ponsonby 2nd Earl Bessborough [aged 76] and Caroline Cavendish Countess Bessborough. They were fifth cousins.

On 4th September 1789 [his daughter] Catherine Ponsonby Duchess St Albans [aged 46] died.

On 11th March 1793 William Ponsonby 2nd Earl Bessborough [aged 89] died. His son Frederick [aged 35] succeeded 3rd Earl Bessborough, 4th Viscount Duncannon of Duncannon in Wexford, 4th Baron Bessborough of Bessborough in Kilkenny.

[his daughter] Charlotte Ponsonby Countess Fitzwilliam was born to William Ponsonby 2nd Earl Bessborough and Caroline Cavendish Countess Bessborough. She married 1770 William Fitzwilliam 4th and 2nd Earl Fitzwilliam, son of William Fitzwilliam 1st and 3rd Earl Fitzwilliam and Anne Watson Wentworth Countess Fitzwilliam, and had issue.