Christiana Hely-Hutchinson, 1st Baroness Donoughmore
Christiana Hely-Hutchinson, 1st Baroness Donoughmore (née Nickson) (bapt. 23 February 1732 Aghold – Palmerston 24 June 1788) was a suo jure hereditary peer.
![](../I/Christiana_Hely-Hutchinson%252C_by_Joshua_Reynolds.jpg.webp)
She is an ancestress of Katharine, Duchess of Kent.
Christiana (Christina) Nickson was the daughter of Abraham Nickson (sometime Nickeson or Nixon) of Munny, County Wicklow, and grand-niece and heir of Richard Hutchinson of Knocklofty.
She married Rt. Hon. John Hely-Hutchinson (1724–1794) MP, son of Francis Hely of Gertrough, by his spouse Prudence née Earbury, on 8 June 1751. He added Hutchinson to his surname in consequence of the marriage, which brought him her considerable fortune.
They had ten children:
- Lt.-Gen. Richard Hely-Hutchinson, 1st Earl of Donoughmore (29 January 1756 – 22 August 1825)
- General John Hely-Hutchinson, 2nd Earl of Donoughmore (15 May 1757 – 29 June 1832)
- Hon. Francis Hely-Hutchinson (26 October 1759 – 16 December 1827), Collector of the Customs in the port of Dublin
- Hon. Augustus Abraham Hely-Hutchinson (20 March 1766 – 10 June 1834), Commissioner of the Customs in London and in Ireland
- Christopher Hely-Hutchinson (5 April 1767 – 26 August 1826), MP for Cork[1]
- Lorenzo Hely-Hutchinson (6 October 1768 – 28 November 1822), in holy orders; Prebendary of Coolstuff, County Wexford, 1811–1822.
- Prudence Hely Hutchinson (b. ca.1764–1771; d. 12 June 1820 at Bath[2]) unmarried
- Mary Hely Hutchinson (about 1772 – 30 October 1820) married 21 June 1791 Thomas Smith, barrister (19 March 1755 - December 1799), and had issue
- Margaret (Margaretta) Hely Hutchinson (about 1774; d. March 1818 in Bristol[3]) unmarried
- Christiana (Christina) Hely Hutchinson (d. February 1825 in London) unmarried
Her husband declined any peerage for himself. On 20 September 1783,[4] she was created, in her own right, a hereditary peer as Baroness Donoughmore, of Knocklofty, County Tipperary, Kingdom of Ireland. However, as a woman, she was unable to sit in the Irish House of Lords.
References
- "Biographical particulars of celebrated persons recently deceased: The Honourable Christopher Hely Hutchinson." The New Monthly Magazine, 18 (12), 1 December 1826: 517–520.
- Salisbury and Winchester Journal 19 June 1820, p.4
- Burials in the parish of Clifton (parish register), 6 March 1818, age 44
- London Gazette, #12476, 16–20 September 1783, p.1
Further reading
- Kearsley's Complete Peerage ... 1804, volume 2, p. 450.
- Townend, Peter, editor, Burke’s Peerage, Baronetage, & Knightage; 105th edition, 1970, p. 819.