Vere Ponsonby, 9th Earl of Bessborough

Vere Brabazon Ponsonby, 9th Earl of Bessborough GCMG, PC ( born 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, the third child and first son of Edward Ponsonby and his wife Blanche. He attended Harrow School and then studied at Trinity College, University of Cambridge jurisprudence. He then worked as a barrister.

1906 inherited his father's title of Earl of Bessborough; as heir Ponsonby received by 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.

As early as 1907 Ponsonby had been elected to the London County Council. In 1910 he was for a few months as a Conservative member of the House of Commons for the electoral district of Cheltenham. Three years later he was re-elected, now for Dover. In addition, Ponsonby was a successful businessman. Among other things, he led the São Paulo Railway, a private British railway line in São Paulo, which operated the railway funicular Paranapiacaba, and was deputy chairman of De Beers Consolidated Mines.

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

Governor General of Canada

Early 1931 Ponsonby was appointed by King George V on the recommendation of the Canadian Prime Minister Richard Bedford Bennett to the Governor General of Canada. The appointment came as a surprise, since Ponsonby had no management experience; he was the only businessman who has ever been appointed governor-general of the Commonwealth Realms.

During his tenure, the effects of the global economic crisis, which severely hit Canada fell. Already at the end of the first year of his term Canada received by the Statute of Westminster the status of a sibling Dominions. The Governor-General was now the representative of the Canadian monarch, who was head of state in personal union of the United Kingdom.

Special interest areas of Ponsonby were the modern communication technologies of his time, especially telephone and radio. Among others, he initiated the establishment of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in 1936. He also relied to a considerable extent the theater. The increasing importance and independence of Canada was also apparent that Ponsonby official host of various international conferences and was a number of foreign dignitaries received, so among other things the Siamese King Prajadhipok

Later life

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

Ponsonby died in 1956 on the land acquired by him Stansted House seat. its title were transferred to his only surviving son, Frederick.