James Hill Sr. (1656 - 1708)

Born 1656 in Colony of Virginia

Husband of Ann (Clarke) Hill — married 1691 in Colony of Virginia

Descendants

Died Oct 1708 at about age 52 in Henrico, Colony of Virginia

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Biography

If he could speak to us today, James Hill I might describe his life as follows. I was born about 1655, and paid my own passage to the Colony, probably from England. A respected citizen, I was Mr. James Hill in court records. In 1703, I partnered with 8 other prominent individuals, including 2 widows and our parson, Rev. George Robertson, to acquire 4,000 acres along Winterpock Creek in present-day Chesterfield. I eventually got 437 acres out of the deal. By 1704 I was paying quit rents, a form of real estate tax, on 845 acres across four Chesterfield County plantations: 50 acres at “Curles,” 252 at Swift Creek, 100 at Lick Buttock Hill, and 437 at Winterpock Creek, all of which I got after arriving in the colony. I and my wife, Ann Clarke, a daughter of my Swift Creek neighbor William Clarke, were the parents of 4 sons and 4 daughters. I was just 52 when I composed my will 14 June 1707 leaving Ann a plantation to live on for the rest of her life, land to our sons, and livestock and household furnishings to our daughters. On 24 November 1708, less than a month after delivering my will to the court, Ann married William Pride. Our daughter Martha married Pride’s son Halcot, and the other girls surely married sons of planter neighbors, but who and when, no one knows. Descendants of my sons populated Chesterfield and Amelia counties for generations. ^[1]

Most likely, Hill was born in England. Although many individuals named Hill were in early Colonial Virginia, it does not appear James inherited any land and the only time his name appeared as a headright was in 1703 when he and others applied for a patent.

Like many Colonial planters, James employed indentured servants. In April 1687 Henrico County judged his servant, Richard Fletcher, to be eleven years of age. James exchanged several parcels of land in Henrico County during his lifetime. He bought 100 acres on the south side of the James River from William Chambers 20 January 1685/6. Five years later, on 1 April 1691, he sold 50 acres at “Curles” where he was living to John Woodson Sr. for £22. Ann relinquished her dower right. On 18 June 1692 James got 252 acres on the north side of Swift Creek at the mouth of Beech Branch from Henry Randolph for £22. Randolph would later reconfirm the deed to Hill’s sons. Over a decade later, on 1 April 1703, James bought 100 acres near Lick Buttock Hill from Moses Wood for £5. Charles Roberts and Henry Charles Featherstone witnessed this deed. Wood had gotten this land in 1702. According to the deed, Hill had an earlier patent for this land but allowed it to lapse. Yet we can find no such record.

On 24 April 1703, not long before his death, James and eight other prominent Henrico County citizens secured a patent for 4,000 acres on Winterpock Creek in Henrico (now Chesterfield) County. Their grant was in consideration of having transported eighty individuals to the colony. The list of headrights they submitted included the name James Hill. Hill’s partners in this venture were Francis Epes, both father and son, Isham Epes, Rev. George Robertson, Elizabeth Kennon, Philip Jones, Martha Stratton, then the widow of Edward Stratton, and George Archer. The nine agreed to partition the acreage and draw lots to decide who received which portion. They allocated Hill 440 acres that they later adjusted to 437 acres. ^[2]

Will

14 June 1707

- To wife for life one-half of my land on Swift Creek on the lower side of Beach Branch and after her death to my son James Hill, and he to be seated there when of age. -To son James, 100 acres at Winterpock, livestock, and other items. -To son Edward, my land up Swift Creek, on the upper side of Beach Branch, 100 acres at Winterpock, and other items. -To son John, land on Swift Creek on upper side of Beach Branch beginning at Little Branch, and 100 acres at Winterpock, livestock, and other items. -To son William, all my land at Lick Buttock Hill, joining Moses Wood and 140 acres at Winterpock, being the remainder there, plus items and livestock. -To daughter Mary, livestock and items. -To daughter Martha, livestock and items. -To daughter Anne, livestock and items. -To daughter Elizabeth, livestock and items.

I leave all the rest of my estate to my wife, whom I appoint executrix.

Witnesses John Willson, Robert Sharpe Jr., Nicholas Dyson, and William Pride.

James died before 1 November 1708 when his executor, widow Ann Hill, presented his will to the Henrico County court. Hill had never taken formal possession of his 440-acre Winterpock Creek land so on that same day the other patentees conveyed 140 acres to William Hill for £15 and 300 acres to James Jr., Edward, and John Hill for £5. On 7 June 1736 William bought out the interests of his brothers, John and James, for £40. The Henrico County Court of October 1724 had previously admitted a deed from Edward Hill to his brother William. This deed was undoubtedly for Edward’s portion of the patent since William paid tax on the entire 437 acres in 1736.

Sources

1. ↑ [1] Virginians.com
2. ↑ [2] genealogy.com

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