The Earl of Bessborough | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Home Secretary | |
| In office 19 July 1834 – 15 November 1834 | |
| Monarch | William IV |
| Prime Minister | The Viscount Melbourne |
| Preceded by | The Viscount Melbourne |
| Succeeded by | The Duke of Wellington |
| Lord Lieutenant of Ireland | |
| In office 8 July 1846 – 16 May 1847 | |
| Monarch | Victoria |
| Prime Minister | Lord John Russell |
| Preceded by | The Lord Heytesbury |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Clarendon |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John William Ponsonby 31 August 1781 |
| Died | 16 May 1847 (aged 65) Dublin |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Whig |
| Spouse(s) | Lady Maria Fane (1787–1834) |
| Children | 14, including John, Frederick, Emily, Walter, and Spencer |
| Parent(s) | Frederick Ponsonby, 3rd Earl of Bessborough Lady Henrietta Spencer |
| Alma mater | Christ Church, Oxford |
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.