Arthur Trumbull Hill, 3rd Marquess of Downshire ('A view of Hill near Downshire'), 1817.
Arthur Blundell Sandys Trumbull Hill, 3rd Marquess of DownshireKP (8 October 1788 – 12 September 1845) was an Anglo-Irish peer, styled Viscount Fairford from 1789 until 1793 and Earl of Hillsborough from 1793 to 1801.
During his early political career, Downshire was identified with the Whigs and supported the reform of Parliament. After the Grey Ministry came to power, he received a succession of appointments, becoming Colonel of the South Down Militia on 25 March 1831 and carrying the second sword at the coronation of William IV on 8 September. He was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Berkshire on 20 September, Lord Lieutenant of Down on 17 October (a new office replacing the Governor of Down), and finally a Knight of the Order of St Patrick on 24 November 1831. He received an honorary LL.D from Cambridge on 6 July 1835.[2]
Hill was a very strong supporter of the Irish language, and was president of the Ulster Gaelic Society (est. 1830). In this capacity he played an important role in helping preserve records of the language, poetry, folk and song collections and much else.[3][4]
Hill was disliked by Elizabeth Smith, diarist at Baltyboys House, County Wicklow who felt snubbed by him when she and her husband first moved into the area.[5] Writing of him after his death she recalled "The late Lord never called upon me when I first came here although the Colonel waited upon him. The Colonel never went near him again".
