John Ponsonby, 4th Earl of Bessborough

The Earl of Bessborough
Home Secretary
In office
19 July 1834 – 15 November 1834
MonarchWilliam IV
Prime MinisterThe Viscount Melbourne
Preceded byThe Viscount Melbourne
Succeeded byThe Duke of Wellington
Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
In office
8 July 1846 – 16 May 1847
MonarchVictoria
Prime MinisterLord John Russell
Preceded byThe Lord Heytesbury
Succeeded byThe Earl of Clarendon
Personal details
BornJohn William Ponsonby
31 August 1781 (1781-08-31)
Died16 May 1847(1847-05-16) (aged 65)
PartyWhig
Spouse(s)Lady Maria Fane
(1787–1834)
Children14, including John, Frederick, Emily, Walter, and Spencer
Parent(s)Frederick Ponsonby, 3rd Earl of Bessborough
Lady Henrietta Spencer
Alma materChrist Church, Oxford
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with deprecated parameter "honorific-suffix". Replace with "honorific_suffix".
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with deprecated parameter "honorific-prefix". Replace with "honorific_prefix".
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with deprecated parameter "primeminister1". Replace with "prime_minister1".
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with deprecated parameter "primeminister2". Replace with "prime_minister2".
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox officeholder with deprecated parameter "nationality". It should be removed.

John William Ponsonby, 4th Earl of Bessborough, PC (31 August 1781 – 16 May 1847), known as Viscount Duncannon from 1793 to 1844, was a British Whig politician. He was notably Home Secretary in 1834 and served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland between 1846 and 1847, the first years of the Great Famine.