Ponsonby Tottenham facts for kids
Ponsonby Tottenham (born in 1746, died on December 13, 1818) was an important Anglo-Irish politician. This means he was from Ireland but had strong connections to England, and he worked in government.
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Ponsonby Tottenham's Life in Politics
Ponsonby Tottenham spent many years working in politics. He was a Member of Parliament, often called an MP. An MP is a person chosen by voters to represent them in a country's parliament. A parliament is like a big meeting place where laws are made.
Serving in the Irish Parliament
Before 1801, Ireland had its own parliament called the Irish House of Commons. Ponsonby Tottenham was an MP there for several areas.
- He represented Fethard from 1779 to 1790.
- Then, he represented Bannow from 1790 to 1797.
- Finally, he represented Clonmines from 1797.
His time representing Clonmines ended because of the Acts of Union 1800. These were laws that joined Ireland and Great Britain together. After these laws, the Irish Parliament no longer existed. Some areas, like Clonmines, lost their right to have an MP. This is called "disfranchisement."
A Role in the Ordnance Department
In 1800, Ponsonby Tottenham got a special job. He was appointed the Clerk of the Ordnance in the Irish Board of Ordnance. The Board of Ordnance was a government department. It was in charge of things like weapons, ammunition, and military supplies. As Clerk, he likely helped manage the records and supplies for the army in Ireland.
After Ireland and Great Britain joined, this job was ended. Because he lost his position, Ponsonby Tottenham received money as "compensation." This was like a payment for losing his job, amounting to £487 2s. 6d each year.
Joining the UK Parliament
After the Acts of Union, Irish MPs began to sit in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in London. Ponsonby Tottenham continued his political career there.
- He was the MP for Wexford Borough from 1801 to 1802.
- Later, he represented New Ross from 1805 to 1806.
Ponsonby Tottenham's career shows how politicians worked during a time of big changes between Ireland and Great Britain. He served in both the Irish and the United Kingdom parliaments.
