Vere Ponsonby, 9th Earl of Bessborough

Vere Ponsonby, 9th Earl of Bessborough

Vere Brabazon Ponsonby, 9th Earl of Bessborough GCMG , PC ( October 27, 1880 - March 10, 1956 ) was a British businessman and politician. From 1931 to 1935 he was Governor General of Canada .

Life

Ponsonby was born in London as the third child and first son of Edward Ponsonby and his wife Blanche. He attended Harrow School and then studied at Trinity College of the University of Cambridge Law . He then worked as a barrister .

In 1906 his father inherited the title of Earl of Bessborough ; as the title heir, Ponsonby received the courtesy title Viscount Duncannon . Six years later he married Roberte de Neuflize , with whom he had three sons and a daughter. Two of the sons died before their father.

Ponsonby was elected to London County Council as early as 1907 . In 1910 he was a Conservative member of the House of Commons for the Cheltenham constituency for several months . He was re-elected three years later, now for Dover . Ponsonby was also a successful businessman. Among other things, he ran the São Paulo Railway , a private British railway line in São Paulo that operated the Paranapiacaba cable car , and was vice chairman of De Beers Consolidated Mines .

With the death of his father in 1920 he inherited his earliest dignity, which belonged to the Peerage of Ireland , and thus also the seat in the House of Lords associated with the subordinate baronies .

Governor General of Canada

In early 1931, Ponsonby was appointed Governor General of Canada by King George V on the recommendation of Prime Minister Richard Bedford Bennett . The appointment came as a surprise since Ponsonby had no administrative experience; he was the only businessman ever to be named governor general of a Commonwealth Realm .

During his term of office, the consequences of the Great Depression fell , which hit Canada hard. At the end of the first year of his tenure, Canada was given the status of an equal Dominion by the statute of Westminster . The governor general was now the representative of the Canadian monarch , who was head of state of the United Kingdom in personal union.

Ponsonby was particularly interested in the modern communication technologies of his time, particularly telephone and radio . Among other things, he initiated the founding of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in 1936. He also supported the theater to a considerable extent . The increasing importance and independence of Canada was also shown by the fact that Ponsonby was the official host of various international conferences and received a number of foreign dignitaries, including the Siamese King Prajadhipok .

Next life

Stansted House

After the end of his tenure, Ponsonby resumed his activities as a businessman. In 1937 he was again awarded the title of Earl of Bessborough , but now in the Peerage of the United Kingdom . During the Second World War he worked for the Foreign Office in the context of the care of refugees.

Ponsonby died in 1956 on the Stansted House estate he had acquired . his titles passed to his only surviving son, Frederick .

Web links

• Entry on the website of the Governor General of Canada (English)
• Vere Ponsonby, 9th Earl of Bessborough ( English, French ) In: The Canadian Encyclopedia . Retrieved August 22, 2016.

predecessor	Office	successor
Edward Ponsonby	Earl of Bessborough (Peerage of Ireland) 1920–1956	Frederick Ponsonby
New title created	Earl of Bessborough (Peerage of the United Kingdom) 1937-1956	Frederick Ponsonby