HILLSBOROUGH, Wills Hill, Earl of, British statesman, born in Fairford, Gloucestershire, England, 30 May, 1718; died 7 October, 1793. He took his seat in the Irish house of peers in 1743, in the privy council in 1754, was constituted first commissioner of trade and plantations in 1763, in 1766 joint postmaster-general, and in 1768 nominated secretary of state for the colonies, which post he resigned in 1772. He was principal secretary of state for the American department during the Revolution, and bore his share of the unpopularity that was visited upon the administration on account of the war. He was made a viscount, and Earl of Harwick in 1772, and was also register of the high court of chancery in Ireland.