Viscount Dungannon (2nd Creation)

This family and the noble house of HILL, Marquesses of Downshire, had a common progenitor in

THE RT HON MICHAEL HILL MP (1672-99), of Hillsborough, County Down, MP for Hillsborough, 1695-9, Privy Counsellor to WILLIAM III, and a member of both the English and Irish parliaments, who wedded, in 1690, Anne, only daughter of Sir John Trevor, Knight, of Brynkinalt, Denbighshire, Speaker of the House of Commons, and subsequently first Lord Commissioner of the Great Seal, by whom he had two sons, Trevor, created Viscount Hillsborough, founder of the house of DOWNSHIRE; and

THE RT HON ARTHUR HILL (1694-1771), of Belvoir Park, Newtownbreda, County Down, MP for Hillsborough, 1715-27, County Down, 1727-66, who inherited the estates of his maternal grandfather, Sir John Trevor, in 1762; upon which occasion he assumed the additional surname of TREVOR, and was created, in 1766, Baron Hill and VISCOUNT DUNGANNON.

His lordship espoused firstly, Anne, third daughter and co-heir of the Rt Hon Joseph Deane, Chief Baron of the Irish Exchequer, by whom he had no issue.

He wedded secondly, in 1737, Anne, daughter and heir of Edmund Francis Stafford, of Brownstown, County Meath, and had issue,

Arthur, MP (1738-70), predeceased his father;

Anne, m 1st Earl of Mornington;

Prudence, m Charles Powell Leslie.

His lordship was succeeded by his grandson, 

ARTHUR, 2nd Viscount (1763-1837), who married, in 1795, Charlotte, eldest surviving daughter of Charles, Baron Southampton, and had issue,

ARTHUR, his successor;
Charles Henry (1801-23).

His lordship was succeeded by his elder son, 

ARTHUR, 3rd Viscount (1798-1862), who wedded, in 1821, Sophia, fourth daughter of George D'Arcy Irvine, of Castle Irvine, County Fermanagh, though the marriage was without issue.

The titles expired on the death of the 3rd Viscount in 1862.

The Dungannon estates, including Brynkinalt, passed to the latter's kinsman, Lord Edwin Hill, third son of the 3rd Marquess of Downshire, who assumed the additional surname of TREVOR and was created Baron Trevor, of Brynkinallt, Denbighshire, in 1890.

Of particular interest is the fact that Lord and Lady Dungannon had one son and two daughters, one of whom, the Hon Anne Hill-Trevor, married Garrett, 1st Earl of Mornington, by whom she had issue Richard, 1st Marquess Wellesley; and Arthur, 1st Duke of Wellington.

Of course this makes Lord Dungannon the grandfather of "The Great Duke" of Wellington; and it can be supposed that the Great Duke would have been familiar with the Belvoir demesne and spent time there during his childhood.

Below is the 1st Viscount's memorial:-


First published in February, 2010.  Dungannon arms (2nd Creation) courtesy of European Heraldry.