Background

Author: Nev. Ramsden

Ponsonby family of Whitehaven & Haile

See the Ponsonby & Gale family connections in the Whitehaven Gale family file

Also see the Ponsonby & Senhouse family connections in the Whitehaven Senhouse family file

The Ponsonby merchant family(s) of Whitehaven were descendants of the Ponsonby family of Haile Hall. There were two Ponsonbys categorised as merchants but coming from different branches of the family.

Merchant One

The only real Whitehaven merchant was John Ponsonby the second son of the Revd. William & Esther Ponsonby the Rector of Dean He was born at Dean in 1722 and married Ann Milham of Whitehaven in 1752 and had six children all born in Whitehaven. Ann Milham [b:1720] was herself a daughter of James Milham, an important Whitehaven merchant. Two other Ponsonby daughters both married into the Whitehaven Gale trading families.

In 1743 John Ponsonby was in a merchant partnership as - James Spedding & John Ponsonby; and in 1757 he is registered as a ship owner as - Messrs John Gale and John Ponsonby of Whitehaven, merchants.

In 1762 he is associated with the founding of the Seaton Iron Works.

The Seaton Iron Works were set up in 1762 by the firm of Hicks Spedding & Co., on land leased from Sir James Lowther for ninety-nine years. The expansive premises were planned and built under the direction of Richard Spedding, a noted local engineer and built in 1863, the son of Carlisle Spedding who sank the Saltom Coal Mine that was sited south of Whitehaven Harbour. From a two blast furnaces, bar and wrought iron was produced, and in an adjoining foundry were manufactured ships' cannon, steam engines and other ironware.

The partners at Seaton Iron Works who signed the indentures were William Hicks, Robert Watters, John Ponsonby, William Skyrin and Richard Dearman. James Spedding was linked but didn't sign.

John Ponsonby of Seaton Iron works, Cumberland, merchant – was declared bankrupt

See: the European Magazine and London Review, Volume 7, March 1785 – page 12

Whitehaven RO Reference DBH/24/45/36 Date: 1786

Title John Ponsonby, gentleman of Cleator, Cumberland. Bargain and sale of - a pew in St Nicholas Chapel, Whitehaven by John Ponsonby of Cleator, gentleman to Henry Lutwidge of Whitehaven, Cumberland for a consideration of £10 10s.

After this date John Ponsonby apparently disappears from the public record.

Merchant Two

There was one other Ponsonby merchant, he was Anthony [b:1716 Haile Hall] the son of John & Isabella [Patrickson] Ponsonby; he was listed as a Wine Merchant but it seems that he was involved in other business matters - as shown below.

“ . . . . . all those indebted to the bankrupt's estate should make immediate payment to the assignees at the office of Messrs Anthony Ponsonby & Co. in Lowther-street, Whitehaven, "in order that a Dividend may be made as soon as possible." - dated 22 Sep.1778

Ref.:- THE CUMBERLAND CHRONICLE AND WHITEHAVEN PUBLIC ADVERTISER dated 3 Sep 1778:

and finally - it would appear that he died in 1786 - still a single man.

A surfeit of William Ponsonbys

“ ……… William Ponsonby, who married Catherine, daughter and heiress of John Senhouse, by whom he had a daughter and heiress, Isabella Senhouse, who married Major Humphrey Senhouse, all of Whitehaven - showing how very intimately the Senhouse family was connected with the town.”

There are three possible Williams who could have married the heiress Catherine Senhouse:

1. William of William & Esther – born at Dean in 1720

2. William of John & Isabell – born at Haile in 1720

3. William of John of Starmire – born at St.Bees in 1722