George Ponsonby, was a British lawyer and Whig politician.
11 Facts About George Ponsonby
2.
George Ponsonby served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland from 1806 to 1807 in the Ministry of All the Talents.
3.
George Ponsonby was educated at Kilkenny College and at Trinity College, Cambridge.
4.
George Ponsonby sat for Wicklow between 1778 and 1783 and subsequently for Inistioge between 1783 and 1797.
5.
George Ponsonby was Chancellor of the Irish Exchequer in 1782, afterwards taking a prominent part in the debates on the question of Roman Catholic relief, and leading the opposition to the union of the parliaments.
6.
George Ponsonby had been selected as the first recognised leader of the opposition, rather than leader of an opposition, when the two leading Whig peers Lord Grenville and Earl Grey, proposed him to Whig MPs.
7.
George Ponsonby was described by Foorde as "a little-known mediocrity who was related to Lady Grey".
8.
George Ponsonby proved to be a weak leader, but was unwilling to resign and so retained the leadership of the party in the House of Commons until his death.
9.
George Ponsonby was succeeded as party leader by George Tierney.
10.
George Ponsonby married Lady Mary Butler, the daughter of Brinsley Butler, 2nd Earl of Lanesborough and his wife Lady Jane Rochfort.
11.
George Ponsonby left an only daughter, Elizabeth, when he died in London on 8 July 1817, who went on to marry Francis Aldborough Prittie, MP, by whom she had six children.