John William Ponsonby, 4th Earl of Bessborough (1781-1847), Statesman

Sitter associated with 33 portraits
Ponsonby entered Parliament as Baron Duncannon in 1834. He served in several senior government posts including Home Secretary and Lord Privy Seal. He was also briefly Lord Lieutenant of Ireland under Lord John Russell. The Ponsonby family formed an integral part of the Whig political and social network and Duncannon was related to many of the leading figures who supported the Whig cause.