His Lordship's grandfather, the Right Hon. JOHN Ponsonby, second son of Brabazon, the first Earl of Besborough, in Ireland, and Baron Ponsonby, of Sysonby, in England; was born in March 1713; was SPEAKER of the House of Commons, and six times one of the Lords Justices of Ireland. He married, September 22d, 1743, Lady Elizabeth Cavendish, second daughter of William, third Duke of Devonshire, Knight of the Garter, and died December 12th, 1789, leaving issue,

First, William-Brabazon, Lord Ponsonby, of Imokilly.

Second, John, born December 24th, 1748, died August 9th, 1761.

Third, The Right Hon. George, born March 5th, 1755; appointed LORD HIGH CHANCELLOR OF IRELAND, March 25th, 1806; which office he resigned in 1807; now M. P. for Tavistock; married, May 18th, 1781, Lady Mary Butler, eldest daughter of Brinsley, the second Earl of Lanesborough (by Jane Rochefort, only daughter of Robert, Earl of Belvidere.)

Fourth, Richard, born July 17th, 1758; died young.

Fifth, Frederick, born March 18th, 1763; died July 28th, 1769.

Sixth, Catharine, born April 29th, 1747; married, December 15th, 1763, Richard Boyle, late Earl of Shannon, Knight of St. Patrick, and has issue,

Henry, present Earl, &c.

Seventh, Frances, born February 18th, 1757; married, December 13th, 1774, Cornelius O'Callaghan, Viscount Lis

more

Eighth, Caroline, born December 28th, 1759; died in 1768.

Ninth, Charlotte, born December 22d, 1761; married, July 10th, 1780, Dennis-Bowes Daly, of Dalystown, in Galway, Esq. M. P. for Galway, and died at Paris, August 27th, 1781.

Tenth, Henrietta, born March 12th, 1765.

WILLIAM BRABAZON, the eldest son, was M. P. in the first Imperial Parliament for the county of Kilkenny, and was created a Peer of Great Britain, by patent, March 13th, 1806, by the title of BARON PONSONBY, OF Imokilly.

He was born September 15th, 1744; and in 1784, elected M.P. for the county of Kilkenny, in the Irish Parliament, and the same year appointed Joint-Post Master General of Ireland. And married, December 25th, 1796, the Hon. Louisa Molesworth, fourth daughter of Richard, third Viscount Molesworth, and had issue,

First, John, the present Lord.

Second, Richard, in Holy Orders; married Frances, second daughter of the Right Hon. John Staples (grandson of Sir Robert Staples, Bart.) by Henrietta, eldest daughter of Richard, third

Viscount Molesworth.

Third, George, Knight of the shire for Cork; married, April 7th, 1807, the eldest daughter of John-Jacob Gledstanes, of Annsgift, in Tipperary, Esq.

Fourth, William, a Lieutenant-colonel in the army, and a Lieutenant-colonel of the fifth dragoon guards; married, January 20th, 1807, the Hon. Miss Fitzroy, sister to George, Lord Southampton.

Fifth, Mary-Elizabeth, married, November 10th, 1794, Charles, Earl Grey, and has issue.

His Lordship deceasing November 5th, 1806, was succeeded by his eldest son, John, the present Lord.

JOHN PONSONBY, SECOND BARON PONSONBY, OF IMOKILLY, in the county of Cork, in the Peerage of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

His Lordship married, January 13th, 1803, Lady ElizabethFrances Villiers, fifth daughter of George, fourth Earl of Jersey, and sister to the present Earl.

Title. John Ponsonby, Lord Ponsonby, of Imokilly, in the county of Cork.

Creation. By patent, March 13th, 1806.

Arms.

Crest.
Supporters.
Motto.

The same as the Earl of Besborough.

See title Ponsonly of Lysonly, in Vol. VII.

Seats. Bishop's-Court, Kilkennyshire; and Inchiquin Castle, Cork.

THE progenitors of this noble and illustrious family were considerable proprietors, and had large possessions in the west of Scotland (particularly Carrick) before surnames were much used in this country.

That a family of rank and figure in Carrick, were the undoubted ancestors of the KENNEDIES of Cassilis, and that they assumed their surname from their being head or chief of that family, is sufficiently instructed by the following connexion of authentic documents and charters from father to son; so that those historians, who allege that the first of this family came from Ireland, must have been in a mistake.

I. DUNCANUS DE CARRICK flourished in the reign of Malcolm IV. who succeeded to the crown of Scotland, anno 1153. Being possessed of a considerable estate in Carrick, he and his posterity were for some time designed by that name. He left issue a son and successor.

II. NICHOLAUS de Carrick, who made a donation to the nuns of North-Berwick, of the patronage of the church of St. Cuthbert at May bole, in the reign of King William the Lion, who succeeded to the crown in 1165, and died anno 1214.

In this donation he is designed Nicholaus de Carrick filius Duncani, &c."

He was succeeded by his son,

III. ROLANDUS de Carrick, who in the reign of Alexander II. btained a charter from Nigellus, Earl of Carrick, of the bailiary

a Append. to Nisbet, Vol. II. p. 39, et chart. in pub. archiv.

of Carrick, to be caput totius prosapiæ suæ (or chief of his kindred), and to have the command of all the men in Carrick under the said Earl, and his successors, &c. to him and his heirs for ever; which is afterwards confirmed by King Alexander III. the 27th year of his reign, anno 1276, in which he is designed Rolandus de Carrich, filius de Nicolai, filii Duncani, &c. All which is fully narrated and confirmed by King Robert II. anno regni secundo.

This family being evidently possessed of a large estate, and head of a considerable tribe or clan, began to be called Kennadies, from the Galic or Celtic word, Kean-na-ty, which signifies head of the house, or chief of the clan; and in that country the word Kennady is called Kennaty to this day.

There are several charters in the records, wherein the same persons were designed Carrick in the body, and Kennady on the margin, in the reign of King Robert II. by which it is certain that Carrick and Kennady were promiscuously used by the heads of this family for a considerable time, though their cadets generally took the name of Kennady.

Roland was succeeded by his son,

IV. Sir GILBERT de Carrick, who in several authentic writ ings is designed son of Roland, particularly in the submission of a difference betwixt him and the nuns of North-Berwick; in which Robert Bruce, Earl of Carrick, father of King Robert Bruce, and Robert, Bishop of Glasgow, were arbiters. He is therein designed Gilbertus de Carrick, miles, filius Rolandi, &c; and his seal, which is thereto appended, hath the very same shield of arms which the family of Cassilis carries at this day; which shows, that they had the double tressure floree, and contrafloree, with flower-de-lisses to their arms, long before they matched with the royal-family.

This Sir Gilbert was often designed Kennady, and had lands in his possession of the same designation, which appears by the following charter of confirmation from the Earl of Lennox to his

son,

V. Sir GILBERT de Carrick, or Kennady, who succeeded him. There is a charter of Malcolm, Earl of Lennox, &c. Facta Gilberto de Carrick, filio et hærædi domini Gilberti de Carrick, militis, de terris de Buchmonyn, Kennady, Cromicarne, Blairfode,

c Ibidem.

Ibid. et chart. in pub. archiv.

d Nisbet's Append. et cart. in pub. archiv.