The Donoughmores and the Craft
by Dudley Wright
There has been a long, intimate and honourable connexion between the Craft of Freemasonry and the Donoughmore family, now for more than one hundred and fifty years.
Richard Hely-Hutchinson, the 2nd Baron Donoughmore and the first Earl of Donoughmore, was Grand Master of Ireland from 1789 to 1813. He was born in Ireland on January 29, 1756, the son of that eminent lawyer and statesman, John Hely-Hutchinson, LL.D. who was Secretary of State for the kingdom of Ireland, Privy Councillor, Provost of Trinity College, Dublin; his mother being Prudence, the daughter of Matthias Earbury, the famous nonjuror. His wife, Christina, the daughter of Abraham Nickson, of Co. Wicklow, was raised to the peerage as Baroness Donoughmore of Knocklofty, Co. Tipperary. Richard was educated at Eton, Oxford and Trinity College, Dublin; and, though he entered the army at an early age, he distinguished himself as a senator, rather than as a soldier. He was admitted to the Irish Bar and, having obtained a seat in the Irish House of Commons, as member for Taghmon, he began his career as a Parliamentary orator in 1778 by speaking with much force in support of the Bill for removing the prohibition which existed then, preventing Catholics from taking land leases. In 1781 he was appointed a Commissioner of Customs and, three years later, was appointed Joint Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer of the Court of Exchequer. He succeeded to the Barony of Donoughmore in 1788. In 1794 he raised, with amazing rapidity, two regiments of foot - the 9th and the 12th - and, of the latter, he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel, subsequently rising to the rank of Lieutenant-General. In 1797 he was created Viscount Suirdale and, on the breaking out of the Rebellion, was appointed to the command of the Cork Legion. He was raised to the Earldom of Donoughmore in 1800 and, shortly afterwards, elected one of the representative Irish peers. In 1806 he was made a Privy Councillor and joint Postmaster-General for Ireland and, in 1821, he was created a Peer of the United Kingdom by the title of Viscount Hutchinson. He died on August 25, 1825, deeply regretted by the Irish Catholics who had, for a very long period, regarded him as their most zealous and eloquent advocate in the House of Lords.
He was succeeded in the estates and the title by his brother Major-General John Hely-Hutchinson, born on May 15, 17s7, who was Senior Grand Warden of Ireland from 1791 to 1823. He was educated at Eton and at Trinity College, Dublin, and in May 1774, he was appointed Cornet in the old 18th Light Dragoons, afterwards the Drogheda Light Horse. He obtained his company in the 67th Foot in October 1776 and, five years later, was appointed Major. In 1783, he became Lieutenant-Colonel in the 77th Atholl Highlanders, raised on the Athole Estates, which served in Ireland for many years and mutinied at Portsmouth in 1783, when ordered to embark for India. It was shortly afterwards disbanded at Berwick-upon-Tweed. For the next eleven years, Hutchinson, on half-pay, studied tactics at Strasburg and gained access to the French revolutionary armies’ camps when they took the field, witnessing the flight of Lafayette in 1791. Two years later he became Colonel of the 94th regiment which his brother had raised and, in 1796, was appointed to the Irish staff. In 1801 he succeeded to the command of Sir Ralph Abercromby's army in Egypt and, in December of that year, was raised to the peerage for his military services as Baron Hutchinson of Alexandria and Knocklofty, Co. Tipperary, a pension of £2,000 a year being attached to the Barony. He was a personal friend of George IV, when Prince of Wales, and, as a member of his Council, was entrusted with a mission to Queen Caroline, though his mission was unsuccessful. He died unmarried in 1852, when his own immediate Barony expired; his other titles passing to his nephew, John Hely-Hutchinson, who became third Earl of Donoughmore.
Richard John, Viscount Suirdale, son of the last-named, who became the fourth Earl of Donoughmore in 1851, was Senior Grand Warden of Ireland from 1846 to 1865. He was an officer in the 9th Foot and was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the South Tipperary Militia in 1849; Vice-President of the Board of Trade in 1858 and its President in 1859.
His son, John Luke George, the fifth Earl, who succeeded to the title in 1866, was a graduate of the University of Oxford, J.P. and D.L. for Co. Tipperary, also J.P. for Co. Waterford. He was Assistant Commissioner in the European Commission for the Organization of Eastern Roumelia from 1878 to 1879. He was created K.C.M.G. In 1876 he was appointed Senior Grand Warden of England.
Richard Walter Hely-Hutchinson, the sixth and present Earl, who succeeded his father, the fifth Earl, in 1900, has been Grand Master of Ireland since 1913. He was appointed Senior Grand Warden of England in 1902; Grand Scribe N. of the Supreme Grand Chapter in 1906; was Deputy Grand Mark Master of England from 190J to 1909; is Past Great Constable and Knight Grand Cross of the Knights Templar; and Grand Commander of the Ancient and Accepted Rite for England, Wales, the Dominions and Dependencies. He was born on and March, 1875, is a graduate of the University of Oxford from New College and was formerly Captain of the 3rd Battalion Royal Irish Regiment; and, in 1916 and 1917, was General of the Red Cross Society in France, being twice mentioned in despatches. He is a Knight of St. Patrick, a Knight of Justice of St. John of Jerusalem, was formerly a member of the London School Board; private Secretary to Sir Henry A. Blake, when Governor of Hong Kong, who was also District Grand Master for Jamaica from 1807 to 1901 and for Ceylon from 1907 to 1918; Under Secretary of State for War from 1903 to 1905; Chairman of Committees and Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords for many years. He was sworn of the Privy Council of Great Britain in June 1918.
Richard Hely-Hutchinson, the 2nd Baron Donoughmore and the first Earl of Donoughmore, was Grand Master of Ireland from 1789 to 1813. He was born in Ireland on January 29, 1756, the son of that eminent lawyer and statesman, John Hely-Hutchinson, LL.D. who was Secretary of State for the kingdom of Ireland, Privy Councillor, Provost of Trinity College, Dublin; his mother being Prudence, the daughter of Matthias Earbury, the famous nonjuror. His wife, Christina, the daughter of Abraham Nickson, of Co. Wicklow, was raised to the peerage as Baroness Donoughmore of Knocklofty, Co. Tipperary. Richard was educated at Eton, Oxford and Trinity College, Dublin; and, though he entered the army at an early age, he distinguished himself as a senator, rather than as a soldier. He was admitted to the Irish Bar and, having obtained a seat in the Irish House of Commons, as member for Taghmon, he began his career as a Parliamentary orator in 1778 by speaking with much force in support of the Bill for removing the prohibition which existed then, preventing Catholics from taking land leases. In 1781 he was appointed a Commissioner of Customs and, three years later, was appointed Joint Lord Treasurer's Remembrancer of the Court of Exchequer. He succeeded to the Barony of Donoughmore in 1788. In 1794 he raised, with amazing rapidity, two regiments of foot - the 9th and the 12th - and, of the latter, he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel, subsequently rising to the rank of Lieutenant-General. In 1797 he was created Viscount Suirdale and, on the breaking out of the Rebellion, was appointed to the command of the Cork Legion. He was raised to the Earldom of Donoughmore in 1800 and, shortly afterwards, elected one of the representative Irish peers. In 1806 he was made a Privy Councillor and joint Postmaster-General for Ireland and, in 1821, he was created a Peer of the United Kingdom by the title of Viscount Hutchinson. He died on August 25, 1825, deeply regretted by the Irish Catholics who had, for a very long period, regarded him as their most zealous and eloquent advocate in the House of Lords.
He was succeeded in the estates and the title by his brother Major-General John Hely-Hutchinson, born on May 15, 17s7, who was Senior Grand Warden of Ireland from 1791 to 1823. He was educated at Eton and at Trinity College, Dublin, and in May 1774, he was appointed Cornet in the old 18th Light Dragoons, afterwards the Drogheda Light Horse. He obtained his company in the 67th Foot in October 1776 and, five years later, was appointed Major. In 1783, he became Lieutenant-Colonel in the 77th Atholl Highlanders, raised on the Athole Estates, which served in Ireland for many years and mutinied at Portsmouth in 1783, when ordered to embark for India. It was shortly afterwards disbanded at Berwick-upon-Tweed. For the next eleven years, Hutchinson, on half-pay, studied tactics at Strasburg and gained access to the French revolutionary armies’ camps when they took the field, witnessing the flight of Lafayette in 1791. Two years later he became Colonel of the 94th regiment which his brother had raised and, in 1796, was appointed to the Irish staff. In 1801 he succeeded to the command of Sir Ralph Abercromby's army in Egypt and, in December of that year, was raised to the peerage for his military services as Baron Hutchinson of Alexandria and Knocklofty, Co. Tipperary, a pension of £2,000 a year being attached to the Barony. He was a personal friend of George IV, when Prince of Wales, and, as a member of his Council, was entrusted with a mission to Queen Caroline, though his mission was unsuccessful. He died unmarried in 1852, when his own immediate Barony expired; his other titles passing to his nephew, John Hely-Hutchinson, who became third Earl of Donoughmore.
Richard John, Viscount Suirdale, son of the last-named, who became the fourth Earl of Donoughmore in 1851, was Senior Grand Warden of Ireland from 1846 to 1865. He was an officer in the 9th Foot and was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the South Tipperary Militia in 1849; Vice-President of the Board of Trade in 1858 and its President in 1859.
His son, John Luke George, the fifth Earl, who succeeded to the title in 1866, was a graduate of the University of Oxford, J.P. and D.L. for Co. Tipperary, also J.P. for Co. Waterford. He was Assistant Commissioner in the European Commission for the Organization of Eastern Roumelia from 1878 to 1879. He was created K.C.M.G. In 1876 he was appointed Senior Grand Warden of England.
Richard Walter Hely-Hutchinson, the sixth and present Earl, who succeeded his father, the fifth Earl, in 1900, has been Grand Master of Ireland since 1913. He was appointed Senior Grand Warden of England in 1902; Grand Scribe N. of the Supreme Grand Chapter in 1906; was Deputy Grand Mark Master of England from 190J to 1909; is Past Great Constable and Knight Grand Cross of the Knights Templar; and Grand Commander of the Ancient and Accepted Rite for England, Wales, the Dominions and Dependencies. He was born on and March, 1875, is a graduate of the University of Oxford from New College and was formerly Captain of the 3rd Battalion Royal Irish Regiment; and, in 1916 and 1917, was General of the Red Cross Society in France, being twice mentioned in despatches. He is a Knight of St. Patrick, a Knight of Justice of St. John of Jerusalem, was formerly a member of the London School Board; private Secretary to Sir Henry A. Blake, when Governor of Hong Kong, who was also District Grand Master for Jamaica from 1807 to 1901 and for Ceylon from 1907 to 1918; Under Secretary of State for War from 1903 to 1905; Chairman of Committees and Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords for many years. He was sworn of the Privy Council of Great Britain in June 1918.