Samuel Hill

Samuel was born in Yorkshire, England near Sheffield about 1755. His place of birth is established by a letter from his daughter-in-law, Louisa Hickman Hill, dated August 16, 1868 and the bible of his grand daughter, Phebe (daughter of George Littlewood Hill.) His approximate year of birth is established by court records in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He died on August 8, 1808 in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He is mentioned in 1787 Caroline Co. tax list. He was administrator William Hudson’s estate in 1799.

Samuel’s Parents.  Various other researchers have attempted to assign parents to Samuel, including Henry Truman and Elizabeth Peach Hill. It is clear that Henry Truman and Elizabeth Peach Hill were not the parents of Samuel. Henry Truman Hill was born in Maryland. This is inconsistent with contemporaneous records that Samuel was born in Yorkshire, England.

My DNA has yet to match with any other Hill other than those known to be descendants of Samuel Hill. Could Samuel’s birth surname have been something other than Hill? The middle name of his son, George, was Littlewood. Also the middle name of his grandson, Joseph, son of Henry, was Littlewood. Littlewood could be a family name, perhaps the name of his mother or grandmother.

Clarissa, Samuel’s wife, moved to Fayette County, Kentucky around 1815 with her children after the death of her husband, Samuel. Her oldest son, Henry, was married his first cousin, Elizabeth Holloway, in nearby Clark County in 1816. Nancy, their daughter, married William Pickett in Fayette County in 1821. At the time Nancy was born the name Nancy was a nickname for Anne. Nancy’s legal name was probably Anne Clarissa. Her second oldest son, George, married Louisa Venona Hickman in Fayette County in 1822. Their daughter, Elizabeth, married John Sharp in Fayette County and died in childbirth or shortly afterwards in 1825. Some time thereafter and prior to 1830 Clarissa moved to Henry County, Kentucky. following two of her Holloway nephews.

Elizabeth died in Clark County, Kentucky after giving birth to her second child. Henry and Anne (Nancy) migrated to Missouri. Henry died on the Oregon Trail with some of his descendants making it to California. George settled in Illinois. William stayed in Henry County where the family lived for six generations.

Clarissa Jane (Holloway) Hill

Clarissa Jane (Holloway) Hill was the daughter of William Holloway.  Her son, George Littlewood Hill, left a diary of sorts that lists her date of birth as June 18, 1763.  Her date of death is clearly April 17, 1847 based on the tombstone inscription.  Her tombstone in Smithfield in Henry County, Kentucky says that she was 80 years old at the date of her death that would make her year of birth 1767.  Clarissa was born in Caroline County, Virginia, according to the bible of her granddaughter, Phoebe Laurinda Hill, daughter of George Littlewood Hill. There was a large Holloway family living in Caroline County, Virginia at the time. Some sources give her place of birth and the place of her marriage to Samuel as England. This is incorrect. Clarissa was born in Caroline County, Virginia, according to the bible of her granddaughter, Phoebe Laurinda Hill, daughter of George Littlewood Hill. There was a large and affluent Holloway family in Caroline County, Virginia at the time. Clarissa was the daughter of William Holloway. William leaves property to two grandsons named William. One William was the son of John Holloway. The other William was the son of Robert Holloway. Recent research has determined that William Holloway, father of Clarissa and her brothers John and George, was probably the son of Robert Holloway. Clarissa’s mother was Frances who married William Hudson upon William Holloway’s death. Her maiden name may have been Carter but this is unproven. Clarissa’s son Samuel Hill was the executor of William Hudson’s estate.

William L. Hill

Amanda Walker Hill, wife of William L. Hill

William L. Hill, Ed’s great-great grandfather, was the youngest son of Samuel and Clarissa Holloway. He was only 3 months old when his father died. He moved with his mother to Fayette Co., Kentucky, Clark Co., Kentucky and then on to Henry Co., Kentucky sometime prior to 1830. In 1834 William married Amanda Walker, daughter of James and Eliza (Oliver) Walker. William and Amanda had six children: Parthenia Catherine, James Samuel, Elizabeth Arminta, Horace William, George Elzy, and Clay Meal. At least one researcher has attempted to give William the middle name of Littlefield. I have not found anything to substantiate it. My guess is that his middle name could have been Littlewood, like is brother and nephew (son of Henry), but this is just a guess.

Children and in-laws of William L. and Amanda (Walker) Hill, Left to Right: Clay Meal Hill, Mattie Van Cleeve Hill, Richard Tidrick, Elizabeth Arminta Hill Tidrick, George Elzy Hill, Fitzhugh Watkins Hill, Mattie LaMaster Hill, Horace William Hill

Horace William Hill

Horace William Hill was the fourth child of William L. and Amanda Walker Hill. Horace was born in June 1853 in Henry County, Kentucky and died in the same county on August 17, 1901, of injuries suffered from being kicked in the stomach by a horse. His death occurred several days after the injury following surgery in his home on the kitchen table. The house where he lived is pictured above. It was located on the family farm in Henry County, Kentucky. It was the home of his father William L. Hill and probably built by William’s mother when she moved to Henry Co. prior to 1830. Horace William was married to Martha “Mattie” LaMaster Hill, daughter of Benjamin James and Sophronia (Scott) LaMaster. Benjamin and Sophronia had six children that lived beyond infancy: Ora Clyde, William Weldon, Charles Prather, Orrin Todd, Marshall Tyler and Horace Leslie. Mattie remarried John Breckenridge Pyles after Horace’s death.

William Weldon Hill