The Ponsonby Bessborough Monuments in Derby Cathedral.
A brief look at the monuments to act as an aide memoire.
William Ponsonby, 2nd Earl of Bessborough PC PC (Ire) (1704 – 11 March 1793) was an Anglo-Irish politician.
He was an Irish and English peer and member of the House of Lords (styled Hon. William Ponsonby from 1723 to 1739 and Viscount Duncannon from 1739 to 1758).
He served in both the Irish and the British House of Commons, before entering the House of Lords, and held office as a Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty, Lord Commissioner of the Treasury, and as Postmaster General of the United Kingdom.
He was also a Privy
Counsellor, Chief Secretary for Ireland and Earl of Bessborough.
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Here we find the use of what I have designated the "late Roubilic type socle".
Many of the busts created by Roubiliac in the latter part of his career use variations on this type of socle.
I have discovered at least 18 instances of his use of this type of socle.
I can only find two instances of the use of this form of socle by Joseph Wilton.
Here we have the use of this type of socle on the busts on two monuments in Derby Cathedral
The Monument to the Countess of Bessborough by Michael Rysbrack of post 1760 and the monument to her husband William Ponsonby 2nd Earl of Bessborough by Joseph Nollekens of post 1793.
Neither Rysbrack or Nollekens used this type of socle on their portrait busts as far as I am aware.
This is dangerous territory but I wonder whether these busts had been made as a pair and added to the monuments by Rysbrack and Nollekens.
This is not impossible - the Bathurst monument in Cirencester church by Nollekens utilises a pair of earlier busts.
Caroline Countess of Bessborough.
Born 22, May 1719 - Death: January 20, 1760 aged 40
Derby, Derbyshire, England
Daughter of William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire and
Catherine Hoskins, Duchess of Devonshire
Wife of William Ponsonby, 2nd Earl of Bessborough - married 5 Jul 1739 aged 20.
Mother of Catharine Beauclerk, Duchess of St. Albans
(Ponsonby); Charlotte FitzWilliam and Frederick Ponsonby, 3rd Earl of
Bessborough
Sister of William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, Prime
Minister; Lord George Augustus Cavendish; Lady Elizabeth Ponsonby; Rachel
Walpole, Countess of Orford; Lord Frederick Cavendish (British Army officer)
and 1 other.
She had 8 children.
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William Ponsonby.
By Jeremiah Davidson.
https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/william-ponsonby-17041793-2nd-earl-of-bessborough-172335
