Family and Education

b. 10 Jan. 1792, 2nd s. of Arthur Hill^†, 2nd Mq. of Downshire [I], by Mary, da. and h. of the Hon. Martyn Sandys, 2nd s. of Samuel, 1st Baron Sandys (she was cr. Baroness Sandys 19 June 1802). educ. Eton 1802-4. unm. suc. mother as 2nd Baron Sandys 1 Aug. 1836.

Offices Held

Cornet 10 Hussars 1809, lt. 1810, capt. 1813; capt. 21 Drag. 1814, maj. (half-pay) 1815; a.d.c. to Duke of Wellington 1815; capt. 2 Drag. 1816, brevet lt.-col. 1819; maj. 2 Drag. 1825, lt.-col. 1832, col. 1837-53, 1858-d., maj-gen. 1846; col. 7 Drag. 1853-8.

Register, Chancery [I] 1794-1800.

Biography

Lord Arthur Hill served in the Peninsular war, taking part in the battles of Vittoria and Pampeluna. He received a Waterloo medal. His future pretensions to the representation of county Down on the family interest were made known by his mother after the election of 1812 and he was duly returned on a vacancy in 1817. He shared his mother’s opposition politics and voted steadily with them on all major issues, signing the requisition to Tierney to act as their leader. For instance, he voted for the Catholic claims, 9 May 1817 and 3 May 1819, against the Irish window tax, 5 May, and for parliamentary reform 6 May 1819. On 13 Dec., after voting at every opportunity against the seditious meetings bill, he also voted against its extension to Ireland. He further voted against the newspaper stamp bill and the blasphemous libel bill a week later. No speech by him is known. He retained the county representation and his political consistency until he succeeded to his mother’s barony in 1836. He died 16 July 1860.

Fortescue mss, Lady Downshire to Grenville, 1 Nov. 1812.

Ref Volumes: 1790-1820

Author: P. J. Jupp

Notes