Frederick Cavendish Ponsonby

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The Honourable

Sir Frederick Ponsonby
Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath

KCH (6 July 1783 – 11 January 1837) was an Anglo-Irish
military officer.

Early life and education

Ponsonby was the second of three sons of Frederick Ponsonby, Viscount Dungannon (who succeeded as the 3rd Earl of Bessborough in 1793), and Henrietta Ponsonby, Countess of Bessborough. He was the brother of John Ponsonby, 4th Earl of Bessborough, and William Ponsonby, 1st Baron de Mauley, and his sister was the "notorious" Lady Caroline Lamb, who married the Prime Minister Viscount Melbourne.[1]

He was educated at Harrow.[2]

Early career

Ponsonby joined the army as a

23rd Light Dragoons on 6 August 1809 and went with them to serve in the Peninsular War.[2]

He fought well at

12th Light Dragoons on 11 June 1811.[3]

After the

Charles Lallemand, he successfully delayed them until reinforcements could arrive to flank the French and pursue them into Llerena.[3]

He led the 12th Light Dragoons to disperse some of the broken French infantry after the

Napoleon as Emperor of the French, he rode through the night to bring the news to Wellington, who famously, at an inn after defeating the French at the Battle of Toulouse, snapped his fingers and turned on his heel "in a triumphal pastiche of a flamenco dance."[4][5]

Waterloo Campaign

During the

16th Light Dragoons were told to charge down the slope, but no further, to support the withdrawal of the Union Brigade of heavy cavalry. But, like the Union Brigade (led by his second cousin, William Ponsonby), the light horse charged (as he later admitted) too far.[6]

Ponsonby was wounded in both arms, and knocked off his horse by another sabre cut. A French lancer saw him move where he lay and stabbed him in the back with his lance, exclaiming "Tu n'es pas mort, coquin" (You're not dead, you rascal).

40th Foot, who stood guard over him for hours until a cart became available to transport him back to Brussels.[8] Despite the quixotic nursing ideas of his sister,[further explanation needed] the notorious Lady Caroline Lamb,[9][10] and despite being further bled of 120 imperial fluid ounces (3.4 L) over two days, he managed to survive against the odds from his seven major wounds.[11][7] [6][11]

Later career

Plinth of Ponsonby's Column, a monumental column erected in Valletta in 1838. The column was destroyed by lightning in 1864, and only the plinth survives today.

Ponsonby went on half-pay on 26 August 1820, and was appointed "inspecting field officer" in the

Royal Dragoons on 31 March 1836. During this period, he maintained a high degree of interest in the handling of cavalry, and corresponded with Wellington.[12] He died suddenly at an inn, The Wellesley Arms at Murrell Green near Basingstoke, on 11 January 1837 and was buried in the crypt of St Nicholas' Church, Hatherop, Gloucestershire.[13]

In 1838, Ponsonby's Column was erected in Valletta in honour of the governor. It was destroyed by lightning in 1864.[14]

Family

On 16 March 1825, Ponsonby married Lady Emily Charlotte Bathurst (died 1877), the youngest daughter of Henry Bathurst, 3rd Earl Bathurst. They had three sons and three daughters:[15][16]

  • Sir Henry Frederick Ponsonby (1825–1895), married Mary Elizabeth Bulteel on 30 April 1861
  • Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Edward Valette (3 December 1827 – 16 June 1868), married Catina Dahl
  • Georgina Melita Maria Ponsonby (16 February 1829 – 18 February 1895), unmarried
  • Harriet Julia Frances Ponsonby (27 October 1830 – 30 June 1906)
  • Selina Barbara Wilhelmina Ponsonby (20 January 1835 – 22 July 1919), married William Windham Baring on 2 January 1862, without issue
  • Frederick John Ponsonby (21 March 1837 – 3 February 1894), took holy orders and died unmarried

Notes

  1. ISBN 0-9711966-2-1
    .
  2. ^ a b Lloyd & Falkner 2004, ¶ 1.
  3. ^ a b Lloyd & Falkner 2004, ¶ 2.
  4. ^ Lloyd & Falkner 2004, ¶ 3.
  5. ^ Andrew Roberts (2001). Napoleon and Wellington (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), pp. 136–7.
  6. ^ a b Lloyd & Falkner 2004, ¶ 4.
  7. ^ a b Dalton 1904, p. 76.
  8. ^ Paul Douglas (2004). Lady Caroline Lamb (Macmillan), p. 171.
  9. ^ Paul Douglas (2004). Lady Caroline Lamb (Macmillan), pp. 171–2.
  10. ^ Alice Marie Crossland (2016). Wellington's Dearest Georgy (Universe Press), p. 88.
  11. ^ a b Creasy 1877, Chapter XV. Battle of Waterloo, A.D. 1815.
  12. ^ a b Lloyd & Falkner 2004, ¶ 6.
  13. ^ Bromley & Bromley 2015, p. 1825.
  14. ^ Simpson, Donald H. (1958). "Some public monuments of Valletta 1800–1955" (PDF). Melita Historica. 2 (3): 156–157. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 March 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  15. ^ Lloyd & Falkner 2004, ¶ 5.
  16. ^ Burke's Peerage, Hon. Frederick Cavendish Ponsonby (p. 126)

References

Further reading

External links

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for County Kilkenny
1806–1826
With: Hon. James Butler 1801–1820
Charles Clarke 1820–1830 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Higham Ferrers
1826–1830 		Succeeded by
Military offices
Preceded by
Governor of Malta

1827–1836 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Colonel of the 86th (Royal County Down) Regiment of Foot
1835–1836 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Lord Edward Somerset
 Colonel of 1st (Royal) Regiment of Dragoons
1836–1837 		Succeeded by
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