NEWPORT HOUSE October 20th & 21st 2026

32 IMPERFECTIONS NOT STATED Fonsie Mealy’s Est. 1934 239. “The Hillsborough Family Portraits” 19th Century Irish School “Lady Hannah Hill, Sir Hugh Hill, and Mrs. Elizabeth Blacker (née Hill) c. 1810;” & “Mrs. Anne Blacker, Lieutenant Colonel William Blacker and Lady Ferguson c.1810,”O.O.C., a pair, each approx. 120cms x 154cms (47” x 60”). (2) These two fine matching group portraits, from Hillsborough Castle in Co. Down, are ancestor portraits likely commissioned in the early nineteenth century by Lieutenant Colonel William Blacker from a skilled artist who worked from a variety of sources, including older portraits and engravings. The portraits were likely commissioned in 1810, at the time of Blacker’s marriage to Anne Ferguson, to record and commemorate both his own and his wife’s families. His grandparents appear in the first portrait, while his wife and mother-in-law are in the second. Even more impressive than the paintings themselves are their frames, which are superb examples of eighteenth-century style carving and gilding. [Royal Palaces Accession number 1157] In the first of these two group portraits, three people are depicted standing in front of a dark brown curtain. On the left, wearing a white satin dress with lace cuffs, is a young woman who can be identified as Hannah Hill (née McClintock), daughter of Captain John McClintock and Rebecca McCausland. Beside her is her husband Sir Hugh Hill Bt., who she married in 1754. Born in 1727, the son of Rowley Hill and Sophia Beresford Lowther, he is shown wearing a dark blue velvet jacket with gold embroidered cuffs. Underneath the jacket is a red waistcoat and white linen shirt with a ruffed collar. Hill, who lived at Brook Hall in Colmore, Co. Derry, was MP for Derry from 1768 up to the year of his death in 1795. His son, Sir George Fitzgerald Hill, also served as MP for Derry, and was governor of St. Vincent and Trinidad. On the right, with long brown hair cascading over her shoulder, and wearing a blue satin dress, is a woman perhaps in her twenties, who can be identified as Elizabeth Blacker (née Hill). Elizabeth, who married the Rev. Stewart Blacker in 1774, was the mother of Lt. Col. William Blacker, who appears in the second portrait. Elizabeth’s dress is fastened with a brooch, and she has a red shawl on one shoulder. All three figures in this first portrait are dressed in a style fashionable in the mid eighteenth century, in contrast with the second portrait, where the clothing and hairstyles are more in keeping with the early nineteenth century. Mrs. Anne Blacker, Lieutenant Colonel William Blacker and Lady Ferguson [Historic Royal Palaces accession number 1156] On the left, with her dark brown hair in curls, Mrs. Anne Blacker, (née Ferguson) is seated on a chair covered in a sheepskin rug. Aged around thirty, she wears a plain dark green dress, with no frills, jewellery or other adornment. Standing beside her is her husband, Lieutenant Colonel William Blacker, who she married in 1810. He wears a military red jacket, with white crossband and gold epaulettes, his hands resting on the pommel of his sword. Born in Co. Armagh in 1777, Blacker was the son of the Rev. Stewart Blacker, and Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Hugh Hill. Educated at Trinity College Dublin, Blacker became an officer in the Armagh Militia. He was a leading member of the Orange Order, and on 8th March 1798 attended the meeting at Dublin where the Orange Grand Lodge of Ireland was founded. After participating in the suppression of the Rebellion of that year he was stationed for time in the West Indies, He served as Vice Treasurer of Ireland from 1817 to 1829 and was also an author, writing articles for the Dublin University Magazine. A talented poet and songwriter, popular airs by him such as Crimson Banner, commemorating the 1689 Siege of Derry, The Battle of the Boyne, and No Surrender, reflect his politics. On the right is an older woman, who can be identified as Elizabeth Ferguson, mother of Anne, wearing an antique style lace bonnet and collar. Hillsborough Castle. Although termed a castle, in fact Hillsborough is a large country house, located some twelve miles south of Belfast and built in 1797 for Wills Hill, 1st Marquess of Downshire. Remodeled in the nineteenth century, it remained in the Hill family until 1925, when it was sold to the British government, to provide a residence for the newly-created role of Governor of Northern Ireland. The first official resident was the 3rd Duke of Abercorn. In more recent years the house was used by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Many political figures have stayed at Hillsborough, including George W. Bush, Tony Blair, and Mary McAleese, as well as members of the Royal family. In 2014, the house was transferred to Historic Royal Palaces, and these portraits were subsequently deaccessioned from the collection. Peter Murray 2026 €8,000 - €10,000