Sir Richard Hill, 2nd Baronet
Encyclopedia
Sir Richard Hill, 2nd Baronet of Hawkstone, was a prominent religious revivalist and Tory
member of Parliament
for Shropshire
1780-1806.
He was the eldest son of Sir Rowland Hill, 1st baronet
, who was also a first cousin of Thomas Hill, of Tern, (today Attingham Park
). His mother was Jane, dau. of Sir Brian Broughton, 3rd Baronet
, of Broughton, by ELizabeth Delves
. The Hills of Hawkstone owed their status and fortune to the 'Great Hill', the Hon. Richard Hill
(1655-1727), diplomatist and statesman, great-uncle of Sir Richard Hill. His nephew, Rowland, was a distinguished soldier, created first Viscount Hill
of Hawkstone (d. 1842), and his brother was the Evangelical
preacher, Rowland Hill
.
Richard Hill was educated at Shrewsbury grammar school, Westminster School
and Magdalen College, Oxford
. Sir Richard Hill was a writer of religious tracts, a patron of Methodists and tolerant of Dissenters, who supported George Whitfield against John Wesley
. In Parliament he was a supporter of William Pitt the Younger
. Nathaniel Wraxall writes that he was ‘one of the most upright, honest and disinterested men who ever sat in Parliament… but his religious cast of character laid him open to … ridicule. His manners were quaint and puritanical, his address shy and embarrassed. He possessed, however, a most benevolent disposition, together with a great estate, which enabled him to gratify his generous and philanthropic feelings.’
He developed the landscape garden
at Hawkstone as one of the most notable and visited of the day, with its features of follies and grottos, and column surmounted by a statue of his ancestor, Sir Rowland Hill (MP)
, the first Protestant Lord Mayor of London
. He created a garden of epiphany, a landscape that would display God's majesty in the natural grandeur of Shropshire's rugged hills: "the smooth lawns gave it beauty; the lake and the ruin made it picturesque; and the craggy hills singled it out as one of the very few sublime gardens in the country." It had a 10-mile circuit of novel features, including scenes representing Switzerland and Tahiti. Its excited visitor was left perched on a ‘Raven’s Shelf’, below which cliffs dropped hundreds of feet.
Sir Richard Hill's estate was large even by the standards of the day, but not without difficulties in its administration. In 1790 his steward, George Downward, was found negligent, but Hill did not discharge him. Extravagance continued: in 1796 Hill did not flinch from a very expensive parliamentary contest with his Attingham kinsmen, John Hill, and in 1816 the Hawkstone estate was hit hard by the failure of Thomas Eyton, receiver general of Shropshire.
Tory
Toryism is a traditionalist and conservative political philosophy which grew out of the Cavalier faction in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. It is a prominent ideology in the politics of the United Kingdom, but also features in parts of The Commonwealth, particularly in Canada...
member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
1780-1806.
He was the eldest son of Sir Rowland Hill, 1st baronet
Baronet
A baronet or the rare female equivalent, a baronetess , is the holder of a hereditary baronetcy awarded by the British Crown...
, who was also a first cousin of Thomas Hill, of Tern, (today Attingham Park
Attingham Park
Attingham Park is a country house in Shropshire, England, which is owned by the National Trust. It is a Grade I listed building.- Location :It is located near to the village of Atcham, on the B4380 Shrewsbury to Wellington road.- History :...
). His mother was Jane, dau. of Sir Brian Broughton, 3rd Baronet
Broughton Baronets
The Broughton, later Broughton-Delves, later Broughton Baronetcy, of Broughton in the County of Stafford, is a title in the Baronetage of England...
, of Broughton, by ELizabeth Delves
Delves Baronets
There has been one creation of baronets with the surname Delves.The Delves family originated in Staffordshire and the Baronets were descended from Sir John Delves, Knight of the Shire for Staffordshire and three times High Sheriff of Staffordshire, and Sir John Delves, twice High Sheriff who was...
. The Hills of Hawkstone owed their status and fortune to the 'Great Hill', the Hon. Richard Hill
Richard Hill of Hawkstone
The Rev. the Hon. Sir Richard Hill of Hawkstone Hall, Shropshire, was baptised at Hodnet, Shropshire, 23 March 1655 and died unmarried at Richmond, Surrey, 11 June 1727, aged 73...
(1655-1727), diplomatist and statesman, great-uncle of Sir Richard Hill. His nephew, Rowland, was a distinguished soldier, created first Viscount Hill
Viscount Hill
Viscount Hill, of Hawkstone and of Hardwicke in the County of Salop, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1842 for the soldier Rowland Hill, 1st Baron Hill, with remainder to the heirs male of his elder brother John Hill...
of Hawkstone (d. 1842), and his brother was the Evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
preacher, Rowland Hill
Rowland Hill (preacher)
Rowland Hill A.M. , was a popular English preacher, enthusiastic evangelical and an influential advocate of small-pox vaccination. He was founder and resident pastor of a wholly independent chapel, the Surrey Chapel, London; chairman of the Religious Tract Society; and a keen supporter of the...
.
Richard Hill was educated at Shrewsbury grammar school, Westminster School
Westminster School
The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster, almost always known as Westminster School, is one of Britain's leading independent schools, with the highest Oxford and Cambridge acceptance rate of any secondary school or college in Britain...
and Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
. Sir Richard Hill was a writer of religious tracts, a patron of Methodists and tolerant of Dissenters, who supported George Whitfield against John Wesley
John Wesley
John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield...
. In Parliament he was a supporter of William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
. Nathaniel Wraxall writes that he was ‘one of the most upright, honest and disinterested men who ever sat in Parliament… but his religious cast of character laid him open to … ridicule. His manners were quaint and puritanical, his address shy and embarrassed. He possessed, however, a most benevolent disposition, together with a great estate, which enabled him to gratify his generous and philanthropic feelings.’
He developed the landscape garden
Landscape garden
The term landscape garden is often used to describe the English garden design style characteristic of the eighteenth century, that swept the Continent replacing the formal Renaissance garden and Garden à la française models. The work of Lancelot 'Capability' Brown is particularly influential.The...
at Hawkstone as one of the most notable and visited of the day, with its features of follies and grottos, and column surmounted by a statue of his ancestor, Sir Rowland Hill (MP)
Rowland Hill (MP)
Sir Rowland Hill, of Soulton was the first Protestant Lord Mayor of London. He was a merchant, statesman and philanthropist.-Early Life:...
, the first Protestant Lord Mayor of London
Lord Mayor of London
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London is the legal title for the Mayor of the City of London Corporation. The Lord Mayor of London is to be distinguished from the Mayor of London; the former is an officer only of the City of London, while the Mayor of London is the Mayor of Greater London and...
. He created a garden of epiphany, a landscape that would display God's majesty in the natural grandeur of Shropshire's rugged hills: "the smooth lawns gave it beauty; the lake and the ruin made it picturesque; and the craggy hills singled it out as one of the very few sublime gardens in the country." It had a 10-mile circuit of novel features, including scenes representing Switzerland and Tahiti. Its excited visitor was left perched on a ‘Raven’s Shelf’, below which cliffs dropped hundreds of feet.
Sir Richard Hill's estate was large even by the standards of the day, but not without difficulties in its administration. In 1790 his steward, George Downward, was found negligent, but Hill did not discharge him. Extravagance continued: in 1796 Hill did not flinch from a very expensive parliamentary contest with his Attingham kinsmen, John Hill, and in 1816 the Hawkstone estate was hit hard by the failure of Thomas Eyton, receiver general of Shropshire.
See also
- Richard Hill of HawkstoneRichard Hill of HawkstoneThe Rev. the Hon. Sir Richard Hill of Hawkstone Hall, Shropshire, was baptised at Hodnet, Shropshire, 23 March 1655 and died unmarried at Richmond, Surrey, 11 June 1727, aged 73...
- Viscount HillViscount HillViscount Hill, of Hawkstone and of Hardwicke in the County of Salop, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1842 for the soldier Rowland Hill, 1st Baron Hill, with remainder to the heirs male of his elder brother John Hill...
- Hawkstone ParkHawkstone ParkHawkstone Park is an historic landscape park with pleasure grounds and gardens formerly belonging to Hawkstone Hall, near to Market Drayton, in Shropshire, England, UK, one mile east of the A49 road....
- Attingham ParkAttingham ParkAttingham Park is a country house in Shropshire, England, which is owned by the National Trust. It is a Grade I listed building.- Location :It is located near to the village of Atcham, on the B4380 Shrewsbury to Wellington road.- History :...
- Rowland HillRowland HillRowland Hill may refer to:* Rowland Hill , English Member of Parliament for the City of London* Sir Rowland Hill, 1st Baronet Hill of Hawkstone , built Hawkstone Park follies...
- Baron BerwickBaron BerwickBaron Berwick, of Attingham in the County of Shropshire, was a title in the Peerage of Great Britain. It was created in 1784 Noel Hill, who had earlier represented Shrewsbury and Shropshire in Parliament. He was the son of Thomas Hill , son of Thomas Harwood, a draper, of Shrewsbury, Shropshire...