Heraldry at Hillsborough Hill Rich - Hill! Richhill

A visit to Hillsborough in Co Down is interesting from a heraldic point of view. The quartered arms of Hill feature around the town. 

The quartered arms feature Hill, Trevor, Rowe and Rowe representing various marriages as outlined below. It is interesting to note that the arms of Trevor and Mostyn are the same and eventhough the armory and heraldic sources don't mention this, Sir John Trevor married Jane Mostyn. Was it just a coincidence or were the Mostyne arms adopted by the Trevor Family. 

In the church are the quartered arms are on the monument to Arthur Hill 5th Marquess Downshire that impale the arms of his wife Georgina Balfour.

Arms of Hill:

Quarterly:  

1st, Sable on a Fess Argent between three Leopards passant guardant Or spotted of the field as many Escallops Gules (Hill);  

2nd, Party per bend sinister Ermine and Ermines a Lion rampant Or (Trevor);  

3rd, Gules a Cinquefoil Or (Rowe);  

4th, Argent a Chevron Azure between three Trefoils slipped per pale Gules and Vert (Rowe)

The arms of Balfour are:

Argent on a chevron engrailed between three mullets sable, a seal's head erased of the first.

Crest:

A Reindeer's Head couped Gules attired and plain collared Or

Supporters:

Dexter:  a Leopard Or spotted Sable ducally gorged and chained Gules;  

Sinister:  a Reindeer Gules attired unguled and plain collared Or

Motto:

Per Deum Et Ferrum Obtinui (By God and my sword I have obtained)

The quartered arms of Hill impale those of Balfour on the monument of Arthur 5th Marquis Downshire (1844-74) at the church in Hillsborough.

Rt Hon Michael Hill who was born c. 1672  married Anne Trevor, daughter of Sir John Trevor and Jane Mostyn, in 1690. He died in 1699. He was M.P. for Hillsborough [Ireland].

Their son was Trevor Hill, 1st Viscount Hillsborough was born in 1693 who married Mary Rowe, daughter of Anthony Rowe. He died on 3 May 1742. He was created 1st Viscount Hillsborough, co. Down on 21 August 1717, with a special remainder to heirs of his father.He  was created 1st Baron Hill of Kilwarlin, co. Down  on 21 August 1717, with a special remainder to heirs of his father.

The arms of Hill (1774) on the Church tower.

The present building stands on or near the site of a Church which was erected by Peter Hill in 1636 and destroyed by fire in the Rebellion of 1641. In 1662 Arthur Hill built again, under the guidance of Bishop Jeremy Taylor, who was a close personal friend. This structure was enlarged and beautified at enormous cost by Wills Hill, Earl of Hillsborough and First Marquis of Downshire, in whose lifetime the family reached the zenith of its wealth and greatness. The opening service was held on 22nd August, 1773. The old dedication to St. Malachi was retained.

The Hill arms dated 1636 and 1774 on the tower.

The tall monument is to the 3rd Marquis of Downshire.

The third marquis of Downshire.

Formerly known as "The Castle," the building was begun by Wills Hill, First Marquis of Downshire, and completed according to his plan in 1796, four years after his death. The architect was Brettingham. Later additions were made, notably by the Third Marquis, in 1843. Originally the present drawing-room portico was the main entrance, and opened unto the Moira Road, which then ran close to the house. The present Moira Road was laid down in 1826, and the intervening parcel of ground enclosed in 1841. This explains the presence of an old QUAKER BURIAL GROUND within the precincts to-day. The Castle has been the official residence of the Governor of Northern Ireland since 1922.

The gates and arms at Hillsborough came from Richhill and the quartered arms of Richardson and Sacheverell are on the gates.

Richhill Castle is a Grade A listed building, built by Major Edward Richardson, who also founded Richhill in 1665. The ornate gates were erected by his son William in 1745 and wrought by two brothers from Cornwall. They were seized in 1939 amid efforts to find metal for the war effort but were installed at Hillsborough Castle, where they still remain.

Richardson arms:
Sacheverall arms : Argent on a saltire azure five water bougets or, a chief or.

Richardson Crest: An armed arm holding a sword with a bush of thorns at the end all proper, pommel and hilt sable.

In 1610, as part of the Plantation of Ulster, the land was granted to Englishman Francis Sacherevall. His granddaughter Ann married Edward Richardson, who was an English officer, Member of Parliament for County Armagh from 1655 to 1696, and High Sheriff of Armagh in 1665. The original gates to the manor house were wrought by two brothers named Thornberry from Falmouth, Cornwall and were erected in 1745. In 1936 they were moved to the entrance of Hillsborough Castle

See an earlier post

http://irishheraldry.blogspot.ie/2011/06/heraldry-at-hillsborough.html