Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire
The Marquess of Downshire | |
|---|---|
| First Lord of Trade | |
| In office 9 September 1763 – 20 July 1765 | |
| Monarch | George III |
| Prime Minister | George Grenville |
| Preceded by | The Earl of Shelburne |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Dartmouth |
| In office 16 August – December 1766 | |
| Monarch | George III |
| Prime Minister | The Earl of Chatham |
| Preceded by | The Earl of Dartmouth |
| Succeeded by | The Viscount Clare |
| In office 20 January 1768 – 31 August 1772 | |
| Monarch | George III |
| Prime Minister | The Earl of Chatham The Duke of Grafton Lord North |
| Preceded by | The Viscount Clare |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Dartmouth |
| Secretary of State for the Colonies | |
| In office 27 February 1768 – 27 August 1772 | |
| Monarch | George III |
| Prime Minister | The Earl of Chatham The Duke of Grafton Lord North |
| Preceded by | New office |
| Succeeded by | The Earl of Dartmouth |
| Secretary of State for the Southern Department | |
| In office 24 November 1779 – 27 March 1782 | |
| Monarch | George III |
| Prime Minister | Lord North |
| Preceded by | The Viscount Weymouth |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 May 1718 Fairford, Gloucestershire |
| Died | 7 October 1793 (aged 75) |
| Nationality | British |
| Spouse(s) | (1) Lady Margaretta FitzGerald (d. 1766) (2) Mary Stawell (1726–1780) |
Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire, PC (30 May 1718 – 7 October 1793), known as the 2nd Viscount Hillsborough from 1742 to 1751 and as the 1st Earl of Hillsborough from 1751 to 1789, was a British politician of the Georgian era.
Best known in North America as the Earl of Hillsborough, he served as Secretary of State for the Colonies from 1768 to 1772, a critical period leading toward the American War of Independence.