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.
Hills 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 enobled 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.
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Ancestors
- Sir Moyses Hill, knight (died February 1630) came to Ireland as a soldier under the Earl of Essex.
- Arthur Hill (died April 1663) a colonel under Charles I and appointed Constable of Hillsborough Castle 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 II and James II and Member of the Irish Parliament for Ballyshannon from 1661 until 1692.
- Michael Hill (c.1662–1699) was a Privy Councillor, and an English Member of Parliament for Saltash. He married Ann, daughter and eventual heir of Sir John Trevor, Master of the Rolls and Speaker of the House of Commons.
Viscounts Hillsborough (1717)
- Trevor Hill, 1st Viscount Hillsborough (1693–1742)
- Wills Hill, 2nd Viscount Hillsborough (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 Downshire (1718–1793)
- Arthur Hill, 2nd Marquess of Downshire (1753–1801)
- Arthur Blundell Sandys Trumbull Hill, 3rd Marquess of Downshire (1788–1845)
- Arthur Wills Blundell Sandys Trumbull Windsor Hill, 4th Marquess of Downshire (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 Downshire (1929–2003)
- Arthur Francis Nicholas Wills Hill, 9th Marquess of Downshire (b. 1959)
Heir apparent: Edmund Robin Arthur Hill, Earl of Hillsborough (b. 1996)
External references
- Collection of Downshire estate papers held in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
- Article on the life of the 8th Marquess
References
Burkes Peerage (1939 edition), s.v. Downshire.
See also
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