Mary Elizabeth Grey, Countess Grey (née Ponsonby; 4 March 1776 – 26 November 1861) was a British aristocrat and political hostess. She is notable for being the wife of the prime minister in the 1830s through her marriage to

Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey (13 March 1764 – 17 July 1845), known as Viscount Howick between 1806 and 1807, was a British Whig politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1830 to 1834. He was a member of the nob ...

Biography

Mary Elizabeth Ponsonby was born on 4 March 1776 in

Whitehaven Whitehaven is a town and port on the English north west coast and near to the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. Historically in Cumberland, it lies by road south-west of Carlisle and to the north of Barrow-in-Furness. It is th ...

. She was the only daughter of William Ponsonby (1744–1806), the future 1st Baron Ponsonby and his wife, the Honourable Louisa Molesworth (1749–1824), daughter of

Richard Molesworth, 3rd Viscount Molesworth Field Marshal Richard Molesworth, 3rd Viscount Molesworth, PC (Ire) FRS (1680 – 12 October 1758), styled The Honourable Richard Molesworth from 1716 to 1726, was an Anglo-Irish military officer, politician and nobleman. He served with his r ...

Personal life

She married on 18 November 1794 Charles Grey MP (1764–1845), the future 2nd Earl Grey and

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

of the

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was a sovereign state in the British Isles that existed between 1801 and 1922, when it included all of Ireland. It was established by the Acts of Union 1800, which merged the Kingdom of Great B ...

. He was the son of Charles Grey (1729–1807), later 1st Baron Grey and 1st Earl Grey, and his wife Elizabeth Grey ''née'' Grey (1743–1822). They had ten sons and six daughters: *a stillborn daughter (1796) * Lady Louisa Elizabeth Grey (7 April 1797 – 26 November 1841); married

John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, (12 April 1792 – 28 July 1840), also known as "Radical Jack" and commonly referred to in Canadian history texts simply as Lord Durham, was a British Whig statesman, colonial administrator, Governor G ...

(known for the

Durham report The ''Report on the Affairs of British North America'', (1839) commonly known as the ''Durham Report'' or ''Lord Durham's Report'', is an important document in the history of Quebec, Ontario, Canada and the British Empire. The notable British ...

) *Lady Elizabeth Grey (10 July 1798 – 8 November 1880); married

John Crocker Bulteel John Crocker Bulteel (1793–1843) of Fleet, Holbeton, in South Devon, was a Whig MP for South Devon 1832-4 and was Sheriff of Devon in 1841. He was Master of the Dartmoor Foxhounds and bred the finest pack of hounds in England. Origins He ...

(d. 10 September 1843). *Lady Caroline Grey (30 August 1799 – 28 April 1875); married Capt. The Hon.

George Barrington George Barrington (14 May 1755 – 27 December 1804) (real name Walden) was an Irish-born pickpocket, popular London socialite, Australian pioneer (following his transportation to Botany Bay), and author. His escapades, arrests, and trials we ...

*Lady Georgiana Grey (17 February 1801 – 1900); never married *

Henry George Grey, 3rd Earl Grey Henry George Grey, 3rd Earl Grey (28 December 18029 October 1894), known as Viscount Howick from 1807 until 1845, was an English statesman. Background Grey was the eldest son of Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, who served as Prime Minister in the ...

(28 December 1802 – 9 October 1894), eldest son, who became a politician like his father * General Sir Charles Grey (15 March 1804 – 31 March 1870), father of

Albert Grey, 4th Earl Grey Albert Henry George Grey, 4th Earl Grey, (28 November 185129 August 1917) was a British peer and politician who served as Governor General of Canada 1904–1911, the ninth since Canadian Confederation. He was a radical Liberal aristocrat and a ...

* Admiral Sir Frederick William Grey (23 August 1805 – 2 May 1878) * Lady Mary Grey (2 May 1807 – 6 July 1884); married

Charles Wood, 1st Viscount Halifax Charles Wood, 1st Viscount Halifax (20 December 1800 – 8 August 1885), known as Sir Charles Wood, 3rd Baronet, between 1846 and 1866, was a British Whig politician and Member of the British Parliament. He served as Chancellor of the Exche ...

*Hon. William Grey (13 May 1808 – 11 February 1815) * Admiral The Hon. George Grey (16 May 1809 – 3 October 1891) married Jane Frances, daughter of Gen Hon Sir Patrick Stuart *Hon. Thomas Grey (29 December 1810 – 8 July 1826) *Rev. Hon. John Grey MA, DD (2 March 1812 – 11 November 1895) Canon and Rector of Durham * Rev.

Francis Richard Grey Francis may refer to: People *Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State and Bishop of Rome *Francis (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters *Francis (surname) Places *Rural Mu ...

(31 March 1813 – 22 March 1890) married Lady Elizabeth Howard (1816–1891), daughter of

George Howard, 6th Earl of Carlisle George Howard, 6th Earl of Carlisle of Castle Howard, (17 September 17737 October 1848), styled Viscount Morpeth until 1825, was a British statesman. He served as Lord Privy Seal between 1827 and 1828 and in 1834 and was a member of Lord Grey ...

, and Lady Georgiana Cavendish (daughter of

Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire (née Spencer; ; 7 June 1757 – 30 March 1806), was an English aristocrat, socialite, political organiser, author, and activist. Born into the Spencer family, married into the Cavendish family, she wa ...

and

William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire, (14 December 1748 – 29 July 1811), was a British nobleman, aristocrat, and politician. He was the eldest son of William Cavendish, 4th Duke of Devonshire, by his wife, the heiress Lady Charlotte B ...

). *Hon. Henry Cavendish Grey (16 October 1814 – 5 September 1880) Army Captain *Hon. William George Grey (15 February 1819 – 19 December 1865) married Theresa Catherine, only daughter of Maj-Gen Count Stedink, Insp-Gen of Cavalry, Sweden.''Burke's Peerage'', (1999), pp.1225–6

Later life and death

, was

of the

from 22 November 1830 to 16 July 1834. Mary Grey, Countess Grey, was widowed on 17 July 1845. She lived until 26 November 1861, when she died aged 85 in

Eaton Square Eaton Square is a rectangular, residential garden square in London's Belgravia district. It is the largest square in London. It is one of the three squares built by the landowning Grosvenor family when they developed the main part of Belgravia ...

, London.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grey, Mary, Countess Grey 1776 births 1861 deaths 18th-century British women 19th-century British women Spouses of prime ministers of the United Kingdom British countesses Daughters of barons

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...