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.

Biography

Mary Elizabeth Ponsonby was born on 4 March 1776 in

Whitehaven Whitehaven is a town and civil parish in the Cumberland (unitary authority), Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. It is a port on the north-west coast, and lies outside the Lake District National parks of England and Wales, National Park. ...

. 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.

Personal life

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

Prime Minister A prime minister 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. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

of the

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the union of the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland into one sovereign state, established by the Acts of Union 1800, Acts of Union in 1801. It continued in this form until ...

. 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 as Lord Durham, was a British Whigs (British political party), Whig statesman, colonial ...

(known for the Durham report) *Lady Elizabeth Grey (10 July 1798 – 8 November 1880); married John Crocker Bulteel (d. 10 September 1843) *Lady Caroline Grey (30 August 1799 – 28 April 1875); married Capt. The Hon. George Barrington *Lady Georgiana Grey (17 February 1801 – 13 September 1900); never married * Henry George Grey, 3rd Earl Grey (28 December 1802 – 9 October 1894), eldest son, who became a politician like his father * General Charles Grey (15 March 1804 – 31 March 1870), father of Albert Grey, 4th Earl Grey * 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 Whigs (British political party), Whig politician and Member of the Parliament. He was Chancel ...

*Hon. William Grey (13 May 1808 – 11 February 1815) * Admiral 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); married Lady Georgiana Hervey (daughter of

Frederick William Hervey, 1st Marquess of Bristol Frederick William Hervey, 1st Marquess of Bristol (2 October 1769 – 15 February 1859), styled Lord Hervey between 1796 and 1803 and known as The Earl of Bristol between 1803 and 1826, was a British peer. Biography Early life Frederick Willia ...

). Remarried Helen Spalding (maternal granddaughter of John Henry Upton, 1st Viscount Templetown) *Rev. Hon. Francis Richard Grey MA (31 March 1813 – 22 March 1890); married Lady Elizabeth Howard (1816–1891), daughter of George Howard, 6th Earl of Carlisle, and Lady Georgiana Cavendish (daughter of Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire and William Cavendish, 5th Duke of Devonshire) *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

Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey, 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 Squares in London, square in London. It is one of the three squares built by the landowning Grosvenor family when they developed the main ...

, 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 Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey