Susan Hall (Hall) Hills (1880 - 1951)

Born 14 Oct 1880 in 46 Nelson Street, Plaistow, London. England

Ancestors

Daughter of John Edward Reeves and Eliza (Hall) Reeves

Wife of Henry James Hills — married 1 Aug 1899 in Primitive Methodist Chapel, Mary Street, Canning Town, London. England

Descendants

Died 7 Jan 1951 at age 70 in 61 North Street Barking, Essex. England

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Christine Frost [send private message]

Sue (Hall) Hills is the descendant of a Huguenot emigrant.

This profile is part of the Hall Name Study.

Sue (Hall) Hills has Jewish Roots.

Biography

Birth and early Years

Susan was born in on October 14 1880 at 46 Nelson Street, Plaistow, London, England,^[1] which was the home of her maternal grandparents and her mother, Eliza Hall. Eliza registered her daughter as 'Susannah' Hall on November 26 She did not give the name of the child's father but said that she (Eliza) was a servant.

Susan's mother married John Edward Reeves when she had just turned 2. It was always assumed that he was her father, but DNA testing indicates that he was not her biological father although he gave her his name and treated her as his daughter. Certainly 'Susannah' was known as Susan Reeves by the time of the 1891 census when she was 10 (see the 1891 census below, (although staying with her Hall grandparents she is listed as 'Susan Reeves'....) John Edward Reeves and Eliza Hall went on to have six more children. Sue attended West Ham Board School and later learnt photography from her step father.

Sue's mother died when she was 16 and five months later she conceived her first child, almost certainly by her step father John Edward Reeves. (See the biography of Florence MARY Anne Eliza Hall Hills Hall-13669 for more details)

Marriage and Family

On August 1, 1899 Sue, recorded as Susan Hall Reeves of 50, Hermit Road, Canning Town, married Harry Hills in the Primitive Methodist Chapel at Mary Street, Canning Town. ^[2]Their first child was born in December 1899. They went on to have 10 more children the last being twin boys born in 1919, one of the twins died aged 6 days, all the other children lived to adulthood.

Business and Charity Work

Sue took over her step father's photography business when he emigrated to Australia in 1911. She continued to run a shop right up until her death, moving from photography to gramophone records.

While caring for her large family Sue worked enthusiastically for charity, sending out her children as collectors each year on Queen Alexandra's Rose Day. She was very involved in founding the King George V Hospital at Ilford and was invited to the opening of the Hospital on July 18 1931. She was one of six ladies from the linen guild chosen to meet the King and Queen.

Newspaper cutting showing the Linen Guild of King George V Hospital, Ilford. Sue is third from the left.

In 1939 she did courses in Air Raid Precaution Measures, including First Aid. At one stage she stood for parliament as an independent candidate but was not elected.

Death and Burial

Sue died on January 7 1951 at her home in Barking, Essex.^[3] She was buried in Barking Cemetery Grave No 299 Section E.^[4]

Sources

DNA Source Paternal relationship is confirmed by an AncestryDNA test match between Christine Hills and her first cousin 1x removed Elizabeth Benns through her maternal line. Their most-recent common ancestor is Sue Hall Christine’s Grandmother and Elizabeth's Great Grandmother. Predicted relationship from AncestryDNA: 1st to 2nd cousin, based on sharing 950 cM across 45 segments.

1891 Census Name: Susan Reeves
Age: 10
Estimated birth year: abt 1881
Relation to Head: Granddaughter
Gender: Female
Where born: Canning Town, London, England
Civil Parish: Mile End Old Town
Ecclesiastical parish: St Thomas
County/Island: London Country: England
Registration district: Mile End Old Town
Sub-registration district: Mile End Old Town, Western
ED, institution, or vessel: 18 Piece: 302 Folio: 126 Page Number: 18
Household Members:
Name Age
Thos Hall 53
Thos Hall 30
Eliza Hall 56
Susan Reeves 10

England Census 1901
Name: Susan H Hills
Event Date: 31 Mar 1901
Event Place: West Ham, Essex, England, United Kingdom
County: Essex Civil Parish: West Ham Ecclesiastical Parish: St Gabriel
Sub-District: Plaistow Registration District: West Ham
Gender: Female Age: 20 Relationship to Head of Household: Wife
Birth Year (Estimated): 1881 Birthplace: Canning Town, Essex.
Schedule Type: 486 Page Number: 72
Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
Henry J Hills Head M 22 Lynn, Norfolk
Susan H Hills Wife F 20 Canning Town, Essex
Florance M Hills Daughter F 2 Stepney, London
Henry J Hills Son M 1 Canning Town, Essex
Citing this Record
"England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X9NH-2NK : 20 May 2019), Henry J Hills in household of Henry J Hills, West Ham, Essex, England, United Kingdom; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing Plaistow subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.

England and Wales Census, 1911
Name Susan H Hills
Event Type Census
Event Date 1911
County Essex
Parish Barking
Sub-District Barking Town
Registration District Romford
Gender Female
Age 30
Birthplace West Ham, Essex
Record Type Household
Citing this Record
"England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWFT-GBF : accessed 25 May 2016), Susan H Hills, Barking, Barking, Essex, England; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.

1. ↑ Birth Registration
   Name: Susannah Hall
   Registration Year: 1880
   Registration Quarter: Oct-Nov-Dec
   Registration district: West Ham
   Inferred County: Essex:
   Volume: 4a Page: 106
2. ↑ Marriage Index
   Last name REEVES
   First name SUSAN HULL
   Event 1899
   Record set England & Wales marriages 1837-2008
   Location West Ham, Essex, England
   Spouse
   Last name HILLS
   First name HENRY JAMES
   Event 1899
   Record set England & Wales marriages 1837-2008
   Location West Ham, Essex, England
   [Mary Street headed the new Canning Town circuit (1881) and in 1903 had the largest Primitive Methodist congregation in West Ham. It was bombed about 1943 and was later demolished]
3. ↑ England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007
   Name Susan H Hills
   Event Type Death
   Registration Quarter Jan-Feb-Mar
   Registration Year 1951
   Registration District Ilford County Essex
   Event Place Ilford, Essex, England
   Age (available after 1866) 70
   Birth Year (Estimated) 1881
   Volume 5A Page 594 Line Number 42
   Citing this Record
   "England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVCX-71FQ : 4 September 2014), Susan H Hills, 1951; from "England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Death, Ilford, Essex, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.
4. ↑ Find A Grave Index
   Name Susan Hall Hills
   Maiden Name Reeves
   Event Type Burial
   Event Date 1951
   Event Place Barking, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, Greater London, England
   Photograph Included Y
   Birth Date 14 Oct 1880
   Death Date 07 Jan 1951
   Affiliate Record Identifier 116711144
   Cemetery Rippleside Cemetery
   Citing this Record
   "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVGH-YBR7 : 13 December 2015), Susan Hall Hills, 1951; Burial, Barking, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, Greater London, England, Rippleside Cemetery; citing record ID 116711144, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.

See also

Sue's birth and marriage certificate and record of probate showing date of death. These are included in the images