William Ponsonby (British Army officer)
Lord George Thomas Beresford | |
|---|---|
| Succeeded by | George Robert Dawson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 October 1772 Ireland |
| Died | 18 June 1815 (aged 42) Waterloo, Belgium |
| Cause of death | Killed in action |
| Spouse | Georgiana FitzRoy |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch/service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1794–1815 |
| Rank | Major-General |
| Unit | 5th Dragoon Guards |
| Commands | 2nd Union Cavalry Brigade |
| Battles/wars | |
Anglo-Irish politician and British Army officer who served in the Peninsular War and was killed at the Battle of Waterloo
.
Early life and education
He was the second son of
William Ponsonby, who was created Baron Ponsonby of Imokilly in 1806, and Hon. Louisa Molesworth. He was the grandson of politician Hon. John Ponsonby and great-grandson of the 3rd Duke of Devonshire and the 1st Earl of Bessborough. Educated at Kilkenny and Eton, he married Hon. Georgiana FitzRoy, youngest daughter of Charles FitzRoy, 1st Baron Southampton.[1]
Together they had five children:
- Hon. Anne Louisa (d. 23 Jan 1863), who married William Tighe Hamilton and together had at least one son, Frederick FitzRoy Hamilton.
- Hon. Charlotte Georgiana (d. 7 Sep 1883), who married firstly Lt.-Col. John Horace Thomas Stapleton, son of Lt.-Gen. William Stapleton and Anna Maria Keppel (daughter of the Bishop of Exeter, Frederick Keppel), and had no issue. Secondly Rear-Adm. Sir Charles Talbot, son of Rev. Charles Talbot. They had seven children.
- Mary Elizabeth (d. 14 Sep 1838), who married Rev. Henry George Talbot, brother of her sister's husband, Charles. They had one son, Maj. Henry Charles Talbot.
- Frances Isabella (d. 1845), who married Rev. Hyde Wyndham Beadon, son of Rt. Rev. Richard Beadon and Annabella à Court, daughter of Sir William à Court, 1st Baronet. They had five children.
- Lord William (6 Feb 1816 – 2 Oct 1861), married Maria Theresa Duerbeck but died without issue.
Political career
Between 1796 and 1798, Ponsonby sat as a
British House of Commons in 1812, sitting for Londonderry until his death. In 1815, he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath
(KCB).
Peninsular War
When Ponsonby's command, the
Lord Charles Manners exercised command.[5]
Battle of Waterloo
Ponsonby's part in the Battle of Waterloo is remembered because it highlights some pertinent points about
Polish lancers of the Guard.[8] Following Ponsonby's death, command of the Union Brigade devolved upon Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Clifton of the 1st Royal Dragoons.[9]
| Unit | Commander | Rank & File | Casualties | Officer Losses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd Union Cavalry Brigade | Maj-Gen William Ponsonby † | 1186 | 582 | 35 |
| 1st (Royal) Dragoons | Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Clifton
|
394 | 182 | 14 |
| 2nd (Royal North British) Dragoons | Lieutenant-Colonel James Inglis Hamilton † | 396 | 185 | 14 |
| 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons | Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Muter | 396 | 215 | 7 |
Memorials
Ponsonby has a large marble monument at the west end of the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral in London.[11] It was designed by Edward Hodges Baily in 1815.[12]
Other
In the 1970 film Michael Wilding.
Notes
- ^ "William Ponsonby at the Battle of Waterloo".
- ^ Oman 1913, p. 352 bottom: "By October 1, 5th Dragoon Guards had been added to this brigade."
- ^ Glover 1974, p. 203.
- ^ Oman 1913, p. 360: "W. Ponsonby, of the 5th Dragoon guards, succeeded to Le Marchant's brigade ..."
- ^ Oman 1913, p. 372: "From January 25, W. Ponsonby was absent, Lord C. Manners of 3rd dragoons commanding his brigade."
- ^ Romberg 1820, p. 256.
- ^ Barbero 2005, p. 163.
- ^ BTL staff 2008.
- ^ Dalton 1904, p. 56.
- ^ Haythornthwaite 1974, p. 105.
- Sinclair, W.p. 458: London; Chapman & Hall, Ltd; 1909
- ^ Dictionary of British Sculptors 1660-1851 by Rupert Gunnis
References
- Barbero, Alessandro (2005), The Battle: a New History of Waterloo, Walker
- BTL staff (2008), Charge of the Union Brigade, Waterloo Battlefield Tours Ltd, archived from the original on 9 February 2012
- Dalton, Charles (1904). The Waterloo roll call. With biographical notes and anecdotes. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode.
- Glover, Michael (1974), The Peninsular War 1807-1814, Penguin
- Haythornthwaite, Philip (1974), Uniforms of Waterloo in color, Hippocrene
- Oman, Charles (1913), Wellington's Army, 1809-1814, New York: Longmans, Green, and Co.
- Romberg, J. B. (1820), New picture of Brussels, p. 228
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
