Marquess of Downshire
Encyclopedia
Marquess of Downshire is a title in the Peerage of Ireland
. It was created in 1789 for Wills Hill
, 1st Earl of Hillsborough, a former Secretary of State
.
Hill had already been created Earl of Hillsborough and Viscount Kilwarlin of County Down
in the Peerage of Ireland
in 1751 with remainder, in default of male issue of his own, to his uncle Arthur Hill, 1st Viscount Dungannon
. He was further created Lord Harwich, Baron of Harwich, in the County of Essex, in the Peerage of Great Britain
in 1756 with a seat in the House of Lords
. In 1772 he was further ennobled as Earl of Hillsborough and Viscount Fairford in the County of Gloucester in the Peerage of Great Britain
.
Downshire was the eldest son of Trevor Hill, who had been created Viscount Hillsborough and Baron Hill of Kilwarlin of County Down, in the Peerage of Ireland
in 1717, with remainder, in default of male issue of his own, to the male issue of his father, Michael Hill. Trevor Hill was the brother of the aforementioned Arthur Hill, 1st Viscount Dungannon
.
Among many other estates, the Marquess owned Hillsborough Castle
, the Blessington
Estate in Co. Wicklow and Easthampstead Park
near Bracknell
. The Marquesses are also Hereditary Constables of Hillsborough Fort.
Prior to the passage of the House of Lords Act 1999
the Marquesses sat in the House of Lords
as the Earls of Hillsborough.
Heir apparent: Edmund Robin Arthur Hill, Earl of Hillsborough (b. 1996)
2nd Heir: Marcus Robert Francis Hill (B. 1994)
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
. It was created in 1789 for Wills Hill
Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire
Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire PC , known as the Viscount Hillsborough from 1742 to 1751 and as the Earl of Hillsborough from 1751 to 1789, was a British politician of the Georgian era...
, 1st Earl of Hillsborough, a former Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
.
Hill had already been created Earl of Hillsborough and Viscount Kilwarlin of County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
in the Peerage of Ireland
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
in 1751 with remainder, in default of male issue of his own, to his uncle Arthur Hill, 1st Viscount Dungannon
Viscount Dungannon
Viscount Dungannon is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Ireland. The first creation came in 1662 when Marcus Trevor was made Baron Trevor, of Rostrevor in the County of Down, and Viscount Dungannon...
. He was further created Lord Harwich, Baron of Harwich, in the County of Essex, in the Peerage of Great Britain
Peerage of Great Britain
The Peerage of Great Britain comprises all extant peerages created in the Kingdom of Great Britain after the Act of Union 1707 but before the Act of Union 1800...
in 1756 with a seat in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. In 1772 he was further ennobled as Earl of Hillsborough and Viscount Fairford in the County of Gloucester in the Peerage of Great Britain
Peerage of Great Britain
The Peerage of Great Britain comprises all extant peerages created in the Kingdom of Great Britain after the Act of Union 1707 but before the Act of Union 1800...
.
Downshire was the eldest son of Trevor Hill, who had been created Viscount Hillsborough and Baron Hill of Kilwarlin of County Down, in the Peerage of Ireland
Peerage of Ireland
The Peerage of Ireland is the term used for those titles of nobility created by the English and later British monarchs of Ireland in their capacity as Lord or King of Ireland. The creation of such titles came to an end in the 19th century. The ranks of the Irish peerage are Duke, Marquess, Earl,...
in 1717, with remainder, in default of male issue of his own, to the male issue of his father, Michael Hill. Trevor Hill was the brother of the aforementioned Arthur Hill, 1st Viscount Dungannon
Viscount Dungannon
Viscount Dungannon is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Ireland. The first creation came in 1662 when Marcus Trevor was made Baron Trevor, of Rostrevor in the County of Down, and Viscount Dungannon...
.
Among many other estates, the Marquess owned Hillsborough Castle
Hillsborough Castle
Hillsborough Castle is an official government residence in Northern Ireland. It is the residence of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and the official residence in Northern Ireland of HM Queen Elizabeth II The Secretary of State combines two roles...
, the Blessington
Blessington
Blessington, historically known as Ballycomeen , is a town in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is located on the N81 road, which connects Dublin to Tullow.- History :...
Estate in Co. Wicklow and Easthampstead Park
Easthampstead Park
Easthampstead Park is a Victorian mansion in the civil parish of Bracknell in the English county of Berkshire. It is currently a conference centre.-Location:...
near Bracknell
Bracknell
Bracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London...
. The Marquesses are also Hereditary Constables of Hillsborough Fort.
Prior to the passage of the House of Lords Act 1999
House of Lords Act 1999
The House of Lords Act 1999 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999. The Act reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament. For centuries, the House of Lords had included several hundred members who inherited their seats;...
the Marquesses sat in the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
as the Earls of Hillsborough.
Ancestors
- Sir Moyses Hill, knight (died February 1630) came to Ireland as a soldier under the Earl of EssexRobert Devereux, 2nd Earl of EssexRobert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, KG was an English nobleman and a favourite of Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, and a committed general, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during the Nine Years' War in 1599...
. - Arthur Hill (died April 1663) a colonel under Charles ICharles I of EnglandCharles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
and appointed Constable of Hillsborough CastleHillsborough CastleHillsborough Castle is an official government residence in Northern Ireland. It is the residence of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and the official residence in Northern Ireland of HM Queen Elizabeth II The Secretary of State combines two roles...
in 1660. - William Hill (died 1693) succeeded to the Hillsborough estates on the death of his elder half-brother Moyses Hill, and was a Privy Councillor under Charles IICharles II of EnglandCharles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
and James IIJames II of EnglandJames II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
and Member of the Irish Parliament for Ballyshannon from 1661 until 1666. - Michael Hill (c.1662–1699) was a Privy Councillor, and an English Member of ParliamentMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for SaltashSaltash (UK Parliament constituency)Saltash, sometimes called Essa, was a "rotten borough" in Cornwall which returned two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons in the English and later British Parliament from 1552 to 1832, when it was abolished by the Great Reform Act.-History:...
. He married Ann, daughter and eventual heir of Sir John TrevorJohn Trevor (speaker)Sir John Trevor was a Welsh lawyer and politician. He was Speaker of the English House of Commons from 1685 to 1687 and from 1689 to 1695. Trevor also served as Master of the Rolls from 1685 to 1689 and from 1693 to 1717...
, Master of the RollsMaster of the RollsThe Keeper or Master of the Rolls and Records of the Chancery of England, known as the Master of the Rolls, is the second most senior judge in England and Wales, after the Lord Chief Justice. The Master of the Rolls is the presiding officer of the Civil Division of the Court of Appeal...
and Speaker of the House of CommonsSpeaker of the British House of CommonsThe Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
.
Viscounts Hillsborough (1717)
- Trevor Hill, 1st Viscount HillsboroughTrevor Hill, 1st Viscount HillsboroughTrevor Hill, 1st Viscount Hillsborough was an Anglo-Irish landowner and politician.The son of Michael Hill and Anne Trevor, Hill was the member of an influential landowning family of County Down, Ireland. He sat in the British House of Commons as a representative for Aylesbury from 1715 to 1722...
(1693–1742) - Wills Hill, 2nd Viscount HillsboroughWills Hill, 1st Marquess of DownshireWills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire PC , known as the Viscount Hillsborough from 1742 to 1751 and as the Earl of Hillsborough from 1751 to 1789, was a British politician of the Georgian era...
(1718–1793) (created Marquess of Downshire in 1789)
Marquesses of Downshire (1789)
- Subsidiary titles: Earl of Hillsborough (created 1751 in the Peerage of Ireland and 1772 in the Peerage of Great Britain); Viscount Hillsborough (1717, Ireland); Viscount Kilwarlin (1751, Ireland); Viscount Fairford (1772, Great Britain); Baron Hill of Kilwarlin (1717, Ireland); Baron Harwich (1756, Ireland)
- Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of DownshireWills Hill, 1st Marquess of DownshireWills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire PC , known as the Viscount Hillsborough from 1742 to 1751 and as the Earl of Hillsborough from 1751 to 1789, was a British politician of the Georgian era...
(1718–1793) - Arthur Hill, 2nd Marquess of DownshireArthur Hill, 2nd Marquess of DownshireArthur Hill, 2nd Marquess of Downshire PC, FRS , styled Viscount Kilwarlin until 1789 and Earl of Hillsborough from 1789 to 1793, was a British peer and MP.-Life:...
(1753–1801) - Arthur Blundell Sandys Trumbull Hill, 3rd Marquess of DownshireArthur Hill, 3rd Marquess of DownshireArthur Blundell Sandys Trumbull Hill, 3rd Marquess of Downshire KP was an Irish peer, styled Viscount Fairford from 1789 until 1793 and Earl of Hillsborough from 1793 to 1801....
(1788–1845) - Arthur Wills Blundell Sandys Trumbull Windsor Hill, 4th Marquess of DownshireArthur Hill, 4th Marquess of DownshireArthur Wills Blundell Sandys Trumbull Windsor Hill, 4th Marquess of Downshire KP was an Irish peer, styled Earl of Hillsborough until 1845....
(1812–1868) - Arthur Wills Blundell Trumbull Sandys Roden Hill, 5th Marquess of Downshire (1844–1874)
- Arthur Wills John Wellington Trumbull Blundell Hill, 6th Marquess of Downshire (1871–1918)
- Arthur Wills Percy Wellington Blundell Trumbull Hill, 7th Marquess of Downshire (1894–1989)
- Arthur Robin Ian Hill, 8th Marquess of DownshireArthur Hill, 8th Marquess of DownshireArthur Robin Ian Hill, 8th Marquess of Downshire , known as Robin Hill, was an Irish peer and the Hereditary Constable of Hillsborough Fort. He was the only son of Lord Arthur Francis Hill...
(1929–2003) - Arthur Francis Nicholas Wills Hill, 9th Marquess of Downshire (b. 1959)
- Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire
Heir apparent: Edmund Robin Arthur Hill, Earl of Hillsborough (b. 1996)
2nd Heir: Marcus Robert Francis Hill (B. 1994)