Colonel Lord Arthur William Hill PC, DL, JP (28 July 1846 – 13 January 1931), was an Anglo-Irish soldier and Conservative politician. He served three times as Comptroller of the Household between 1885 and 1898 in the Conservative administrations headed by Lord Salisbury.

Lord Arthur Hill
"Orangeman". Caricature of Lord Arthur Hill by Spy published in Vanity Fair in 1886.
Comptroller of the Household
In office
27 June 1885 – 28 January 1886
MonarchVictoria
Prime MinisterThe Marquess of Salisbury
Preceded byThe Lord Kensington
Succeeded byEdward Marjoribanks
In office
5 August 1886 – 11 August 1892
MonarchVictoria
Prime MinisterThe Marquess of Salisbury
Preceded byEdward Marjoribanks
Succeeded byGeorge Leveson-Gower
In office
10 July 1895 – 19 October 1898
MonarchVictoria
Prime MinisterThe Marquess of Salisbury
Preceded byGeorge Leveson-Gower
Succeeded byThe Viscount Valentia
Personal details
Born28 July 1846
Died13 January 1931 (1931-01-14) (aged 84)
NationalityBritish
Political partyConservative
Spouse(s)(1) Annie Cookes
(d. 1874)
(2) Annie Harrison
(d. 1944)

Background

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Hill was a younger son of Arthur Hill, 4th Marquess of Downshire, by his wife the Honourable Caroline Frances Stapleton-Cotton, daughter of Field Marshal Stapleton Stapleton-Cotton, 1st Viscount Combermere. Arthur Hill, 5th Marquess of Downshire, was his elder brother.[1]

Military career

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Hill served as a lieutenant in the 2nd Life Guards. He was later a lieutenant-colonel in the part-time 2nd Middlesex Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers), and was appointed an honorary colonel of the 5th (Militia) Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles on 5 April 1902.[2][1]

Political career

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Hill sat as Member of Parliament for Down and subsequently for West Down from 1880 (succeeding his uncle Lord Edwin Hill-Trevor) until 1898, when he resigned from Parliament in June by becoming Steward of the Manor of Northstead.[1][3] He served under Lord Salisbury as Comptroller of the Household from 1885[4] to 1886,[5] from 1886[6] to 1892[7] and from 1895[8] to 1898.[9] In 1885 he was sworn of the Privy Council.[10] He again held the Down West seat briefly from 1907 to 1908.[1][3] Apart from his political career he was also a Deputy Lieutenant of County Down and a Justice of the Peace for County Down and Berkshire.[1]

Family

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Hill was twice married. He married firstly Annie Nisida Denham Cookes, daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel George Denham Cookes, in 1873. They had one son, Arthur Hill, who succeeded his father as MP for West Down in 1898. Lady Arthur Hill died in January 1874, shortly after the birth of her only child. Hill married as his second wife Annie Harrison, daughter of James Fortescue Harrison, MP for Kilmarnock, in 1877. They had one daughter. Hill died in January 1931, aged 84. Lady Arthur Hill died in February 1944.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f thepeerage.com Colonel Lord Arthur William Hill
  2. ^ "No. 27425". The London Gazette. 15 April 1902. p. 2509.
  3. ^ a b Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "D" (part 3)
  4. ^ "No. 25485". The London Gazette. 30 June 1885. p. 3000.
  5. ^ "No. 25558". The London Gazette. 12 February 1886. p. 682.
  6. ^ "No. 25615". The London Gazette. 10 August 1886. p. 3853.
  7. ^ "No. 26320". The London Gazette. 26 August 1892. p. 4889.
  8. ^ "No. 26643". The London Gazette. 12 July 1895. p. 3945.
  9. ^ "No. 27016". The London Gazette. 21 October 1898. p. 6140.
  10. ^ "No. 25485". The London Gazette. 30 June 1885. p. 2987.
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Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Down
18801885
With: Viscount Castlereagh 1880–1884
Richard Ker 1884–1885
Constituency abolished
New constituency Member of Parliament for West Down
1885 – 1898
Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of Parliament for West Down
19071908
Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Comptroller of the Household
1885–1886
Succeeded by
Preceded by Comptroller of the Household
1886–1892
Succeeded by
Preceded by Comptroller of the Household
1895–1898
Succeeded by