Richard Hill (1634 - 1700)

Born 14 Sep 1634 in London, England

Ancestors

Husband of Milchiah (Clarkson) Hill — married 1654 in London, England

Descendants

Died 30 Oct 1700 at age 66 in Anne Arundel County, Province of Maryland

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Chet Snow [send private message]

Biography

Richard Hill II, Esq., was born on September 14, 1634, to Richard Hill I, Esquire, and his wife, Agnes (Webb) Hill. He was christened at St Dionis Backchurch, London, England. He was the 2nd son and 3rd child of 10 total.

In 1654, Richard married Milcah Clarkson, b. 1639 in London, England. They emigrated together to St. Marys, English Colony of Maryland, shortly after they were married and settled in Anne Arundel County on a plantation known as "South River". All of their 4 children were born in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.^[1]

1. Richard Hill III, b: 5 OCT 1659 in South River, Anne Arundel Co., Maryland
2. Joseph Hill b: 1669 in Anne Arundel County, Maryland
3. (Dr.) Henry Hill b: 20 JAN 1673 in Anne Arundel County, Maryland
4. Ruth Katherine Hill b: ABT 1674 in Anne Arundel, Maryland

Richard Hill II was originally "transported" to Maryland in the 1650s by John Cisson, possibly as an indentured servant or apprentice for 7 years. His wife emigrated with him. They were Protestants and very-likely Quaker sympathizers (2 of their sons became Quakers in Maryland) but welcomed in the religiously-tolerant colony of Maryland whose proprietor, Lord Baltimore, was Roman Catholic.

By the 1660s, Richard Hill II was established as a Merchant Mariner, engaged in trade with "England and Guinea," very probably part of the flourishing "tri-corner" tobacco & slave trade of that era (although this would have been against any Quaker principles as they strongly opposed slavery). On August 12, 1673, he received a patent for 150 acres of land in Anne Arundel County. By 1681, he owned over 1,700 acres and was a leading Planter and Justice of the Peace, as well as a Captain in the Maryland armed militia. From 1681-89, he served his county as a Burgess in the Maryland House of Burgesses.

Although a Protestant, Captain Richard Hill II initially opposed the "Glorious Revolution" of 1688-89 that deposed Catholic-leaning King James II and placed William & Mary on the English throne. His vocal opposition (he was once called, "a Scotchman, bold in speech, who spoke what others only dared to think...") led to his dismissal from his government posts in 1690 and he fled, first to Virginia, and then returned to England temporarily. His family never left Maryland and he was restored to his offices in 1694 by a new Maryland Governor, Francis Nicholson. He became a Naval Officer and was one of the planners for the provincial capital at Annapolis. He was named a Colonel in the Maryland militia and for the final year of his life he served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the province of Maryland.^[2]

Colonel Richard Hill II, Esquire, died at his Anne Arundel plantation home in late October 1700. His Will was written and signed on October 20, 1700 and proven, following his death, on November 5, 1700. At his death he left 759 acres to his second son, Joseph Hill. He died possessed of 9 slaves, 4 servants, and over 1,721 acres of land. His wife had predeceased him and he requested burial next to her.^[3]

Richard Hill's Will

Hill, Richard, (about 70 yrs. of age), A. A. Co., Signed on 20th Oct., 1700; Proven on 5th Nov., 1700.^[4]

To son Richard and heirs., Horne Neck, and Manering Hall.

To son Joseph, ex., and heirs., Tolly's Point, Wither's Outlet, and Mill Meadow and Little Worth at hd. of Severn R.

To son Henry and heirs., Crancey Neck and the Addition to Beasly's Neck.

To sons afsd., all other lands equally.

To Mary Young, Abigail Parr, in Worstershire, and to Johanna Longman, personalty.

Testator desires to be buried by dec'd wife Milchiah.

Test: Rich'd Kilburn, Wm. Morris, Mary England, Lucy Paine, And. Sutherland. 6. 394.

MARYLAND CALENDAR OF WILLS: Volume 2

VOLUME II.

Note

The Maryland Society of the Colonial Dames of America, 1899, (http://www.archive.org/stream/marylandsocietyo00nati/marylandsocietyo00nati_djvu.txt) shows that descent was claimed by several members from Capt. Richard Hill, through his son-in-law, John Dorsey. Edward Dorsey, plus a brother and a cousin were apprenticed to Capt. Richard Hill.

Sources

1. ↑ Leitner Kogl Prideaux Threlkel Tree - Richard Hill
2. ↑ See note below.
3. ↑ "This is purely an amateur exercise" Tree by Susan Evoys - Richard Hill. She cites: http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=adgedge&id=I985 as the primary source for her information.
4. ↑ In Shortened files.ged; see also: My Family Tree - Richard Hill

See also:

• Leitner Kogl Prideaux Threlkel Tree on RootsWeb: Richard Hill
• http://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/richard-hill_26011954

Acknowledgements

• WikiTree profile Hill-1026 was created through the import of Shortened files.ged on 30 December 2010.
• Thank you to Chet Snow, a direct descendant, for researching this profile, writing this biographical sketch, and adding sources, on October 1, 2015 and for merging these family profiles to eliminate duplicates on July 14, 2017.