EARLS OF

BESSBOROUGH  . The Ponsonby family, who have contributed many conspicuous men to Irish and English public life, trace their descent to Sir John Ponsonby (d . 1678), of Cumberland, a Commonwealth soldier who obtained land grants in Ireland . His son William (1657-1724) was created Baron Bessborough (1721) and Viscount Duncannon (1723), and the latter's son Brabazon was raised to the earldom of Bessborough in 1739 . He was the father not only of the 2nd earl (1704-1793), but of John Ponsonby (q.v.), speaker of the Irish House of Commons . The 2nd earl was a well-known Whig politician, who held various offices of state; and his son the 3rd earl (1758-1844) was father of the 4th earl (1781-1847), first commissioner of works in 1831-1834, lord privy seal from 1835 to 1839 and lord-lieutenant of Ireland in 1846 . He was succeeded by his three sons, the 5th earl (d. r88o), 6th earl (1815-1895), a famous cricketer and chairman of the Bessborough commission (1881) to inquire into the Irish land system, and 7th earl (d.i906), and the last named by his son the 8th earl . BESSE'GES, a town of south-eastern France, in the department of Gard, on the Ceze, 20 m. north of Alais by rail . Pop . (1906) 7662 . The town is important for its coal-mines, blast-furnaces and iron-works .