Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 25.djvu/384

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Hely-Hutchinson
378
Hely-Hutchinson

praise by the advocates of free trade, and did much to remove from the public mind the recollection of Hely-Hutchinson's political subserviency. During the free trade debates in parliament he consistently upheld the same doctrines, though not unwilling, it was suspected (Beresford Correspondence, i. 65), to alter his views on condition of certain ‘additional advantages for his family.’ He supported the claim of independence, and warmly advocated an extension of political liberty to the Roman catholics. On the question of the commercial propositions (1785) he supported the government, and being censured by his constituents he defended his conduct in ‘A Letter from the Secretary of State to the Mayor of Cork.’ On the question of the regency, however, he supported the opposition, and one of the last votes he gave was in favour of parliamentary reform. In 1790 he was elected for the borough of Taghmon, co. Wexford, and continued to represent it till his death. He died at Buxton, whither he had gone for the sake of his health, on 4 Sept. 1794.

Hely-Hutchinson was a man of considerable practical ability, and possessed many public and private virtues, numbering among his intimate friends some of the most eminent men of his time, notably Edmund Burke, Lord Perry, and William Gerard Hamilton; but his political career was throughout vitiated by an intense and inordinate desire to aggrandise his family. In the House of Commons he was much esteemed as a ready debater and a master of polished sarcasm. He was an admirer of the drama, and in his youth had lived on terms of intimacy with Quin, who did much to improve his elocution. He accepted a peerage for his wife in 1785, who was accordingly created Baroness Donoughmore. By her he had issue six sons, namely, Richard, first earl of Donoughmore [q. v.]; John, lord Hutchinson, and second earl of Donoughmore [q. v.]; Francis, M.P. for Dublin University; Augustus Abraham; Christopher [q. v.], M.P. for the city of Cork; Lorenzo, and four daughters.

[Burke's Peerage; Commercial Restraints of Ireland, ed. W. G. Carroll, 1838; Lecky's England in the Eighteenth Century; Froude's English in Ireland; Irish Parliamentary Register; Grattan's Life and Times; Duigenan's Lachrymæ Academicæ; Beresford Correspondence; Baratariana; Pranceriana; Hist. MSS. Comm. 8th Rep. Hely-Hutchinson's correspondence is in the possession of the Countess Donoughmore. It extends from 1761 to shortly before his death, and includes many letters of interest and importance to the historian, among them being several from Edmund Burke. See Hist. MSS. Comm. 12th Rep. p. 35.]

R. D.

HELY-HUTCHINSON, JOHN, Baron Hutchinson, afterwards second Earl of Donoghmore (1757–1832), general, second son of John Hely-Hutchinson (1724–1794) [q. v.], was born on 15 May 1757. He was educated at Eton, where Dean Bond was his tutor, and at Trinity College, Dublin. In May 1774 he was appointed cornet in the old 18th light dragoons, or Drogheda light horse. He obtained his company in the 67th foot, then in Ireland, in October 1776, and in 1781 was appointed major. In 1783 he became lieutenant-colonel in the 77th Athole highlanders, a very fine corps of highlanders raised on the Athole estates in 1778, which served some years in Ireland, and mutinied at Portsmouth when ordered to embark for India early in 1783. It was disbanded at Berwick-on-Tweed soon after (see Stewart, Scottish Highlanders, ii. 165–9 and lxxxi). Hutchinson remained on half-pay for the next eleven years, studied tactics at Strasburg, and when the French revolutionary armies took the field, gained access to their camps. He was in the French camp when La Fayette was forced to fly from his troops in August 1792. Hutchinson afterwards visited the opposing armies under the Duke of Brunswick, then near the French frontier, and subsequently joined the Duke of York's army before Valenciennes as a volunteer in 1793, and was some time employed as extra aide-de-camp to Sir Ralph Abercromby. Hutchinson's elder brother, Richard, afterwards first Earl of Donoughmore, having raised two regiments, known as the 94th and 112th foot, Hutchinson was appointed colonel of the 94th in 1794, and commanded the regiment (one of several which have consecutively borne the same number) until it was drafted into other corps the year after. He became a major-general 3 May 1796, and was appointed to the Irish staff. He was in command at Castlebar when one thousand French under Humbert landed in Killala Bay in August 1798. With fifteen hundred men, mostly fencibles and (disaffected) Irish militia, he had taken up a position in front of the town, when General Lake arrived, and assumed command at midnight on 29 Aug. On the approach of the enemy next morning most of the troops fled headlong, leaving six guns behind them. One party of cavalry is said to have galloped thirty miles before drawing rein. Hutchinson's account of the disgraceful affair will be found in Ross's ‘Cornwallis Correspondence’ (vol. ii. et seq.) Cornwallis, who was commander-in-chief as well as lord-lieutenant, appears to have blamed Hutchinson for his misplaced confidence in untried and untrustworthy troops before Lake's ar-