Frederick Ponsonby, 6th Earl of Bessborough

Ponsonby was born in Marylebone, the third son of John Ponsonby, 4th Earl of Bessborough, and his wife Lady Maria Fane. He was educated at Harrow and Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1837 he was admitted to Lincoln's Inn, and was called to the Bar in 1840.{{acad|id= PNSY834FG|name=Ponsonby, the Hon. Frederick George Brabazon}} He inherited the earldom on 28 January 1880 when his elder brother died without a male heir.

Throughout his cricket career, Bessborough was known as the Hon. Frederic Ponsonby. He played at both Harrow and Cambridge University, batting right-handed. He was an active player until about 1845, after which, due to an arm injury, he could only play sporadically.{{cite book |title=Wisden Cricketers' Almanack |date=1896 |chapter-url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/227098.html |via=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=13 September 2024 |chapter=Obituaries in 1895}} Ponsonby was a founder of Surrey County Cricket Club and was elected its first vice-president. He was also a founder of I Zingari, and of the Old Stagers amateur theatre company.

He chaired the Bessborough commission on the working of the 1870 Irish Land Act, set up by the second Gladstone administration in June 1880.{{London Gazette|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/24869/page/4210|issue=24869|page=4210-4211|date=30 July 1880}} The commission made radical proposals for increasing the rights of tenants in Ireland.

Lord Bessborough died at Westminster on 11 March 1895. He never married, and was succeeded in the earldom by his younger brother, Walter.

He owned 35,000 acres, mostly in Kilkenny and Carlow.[https://archive.org/details/greatlandownerso00bateuoft/page/40/mode/1up The great landowners of Great Britain and Ireland]

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• {{Hansard-contribs | mr-frederick-ponsonby-4 | the Earl of Bessborough }}
• [http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/18989.html Frederick Ponsonby at ESPNcricinfo]

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Category:1815 births

Category:1895 deaths

Ponsonby, Frederick

Ponsonby, Frederick

Ponsonby, Frederick

Ponsonby, Frederick

Ponsonby, Frederick

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Frederick Ponsonby, 06th Earl of Bessborough

Category:Directors of the Great Western Railway

Category:Gentlemen cricketers

Category:Gentlemen of England cricketers

Category:People educated at Harrow School

Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge

Frederick 06

Category:Younger sons of earls

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