Joseph HillsAge: 831602–1686
- Name
- Joseph Hills
| Birth | Great Burstead. Billericay, Essex county, England |
| Baptism | March 1602 Great Burstead. Billericay, Essex county, England |
| Marriage | Rose Cleerke (Clarke) - View family 22 July 1624 Great Burstead. Billericay, Essex county, England |
| Birth of a daughter #1 | 1626 Great Burstead. Billericay, Essex county, England
daughter -
Elizabeth Hills
|
| Birth of a daughter #2 | May 1627 Great Burstead. Billericay, Essex county, England
daughter -
Mary Hills
|
| Birth of a son #3 | 2 August 1629 Great Burstead. Billericay, Essex county, England
son -
Joseph Hills
|
| Birth of a son #4 | 31 March 1631 Maldon, Essex county, England
son -
John Hills
|
| Birth of a daughter #5 | 20 April 1634 Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts
daughter -
Rebecca Hills
|
| Birth of a son #6 | 1 May 1636 Maldon, Essex county, England
son -
Steven Hills
|
| Birth of a daughter #7 | 14 August 1637 Maldon, Essex county, England
daughter -
Sarah Hills
|
| Death of a daughter | 15 August 1637 Maldon, Essex county, England
daughter -
Sarah Hills
|
| Birth of a daughter #8 | before 1 January 1639
daughter -
Mehitable Hills
|
| Birth of a son #9 | 27 July 1639 Charlestown, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts
son -
Gershom Hills
|
| Marriage of a daughter | Mary Hills - View family about 1644
son-in-law -
John Wayte
daughter -
Mary Hills
|
| Death of a wife | 24 March 1650 Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts
wife -
Rose Cleerke (Clarke)
|
| Marriage | Hannah Smith - View family 24 June 1651 |
| Death of a son | 26 February 1652
son -
Nathaniel Hills
|
| Death of a son | 28 June 1652
son -
John Hills
|
| Birth of a son #10 | July 1652
son -
Samuel Hills
|
| Death of a daughter | July 1653
daughter -
Mehitable Hills
|
| Marriage of a son | Joseph Hills - View family November 1653
son -
Joseph Hills
daughter-in-law -
Hannah Smith
|
| Birth of a son #11 | 19 December 1653
son -
Nathaniel Hills
|
| Marriage of a daughter | Rebecca Hills - View family 1653
son-in-law -
Thomas Green
daughter -
Rebecca Hills
|
| Marriage | Helen Atkinson - View family 1655 Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts |
| Birth of a daughter #12 | 56 March 1655
daughter -
Deborah Hills
|
| Birth of a daughter #13 | 6 October 1658
daughter -
Abigail Hills
|
| Death of a daughter | 1 October 1662
daughter -
Deborah Hills
|
| Death of a daughter | 9 October 1662
daughter -
Abigail Hills
|
| Death of a wife | 6 January 1663
wife -
Helen Atkinson
|
| Marriage | Ann Wife of Joe Hills - View family 8 March 1663 Newbury, Essex Co., Massachusetts |
| Death of a son | 19 April 1674 Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts
son -
Joseph Hills
|
| Death of a daughter | 6 June 1674
daughter -
Rebecca Hills
|
| Death | 5 February 1686 Newbury, Essex Co., Massachusetts |
| Globally unique identifier | 5589311B4EDC9746B74631D4E746CA2953F3 |
| Last change | 13 January 2022 - 08:29:27 |
| Family with parents - View family |
| father | |
| mother | |
| #1 himself |
Birth Great Burstead. Billericay, Essex county, England
Death 5 February 1686 Newbury, Essex Co., Massachusetts |
| #2 brother |
| Mother’s family with Private - View family |
| step-father | |
| mother |
| Family with Rose Cleerke (Clarke) - View family |
| himself |
Birth Great Burstead. Billericay, Essex county, England
Death 5 February 1686 Newbury, Essex Co., Massachusetts |
| wife |
Rose Cleerke (Clarke)
Death 24 March 1650 Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts
|
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Marriage: 22 July 1624 — Great Burstead. Billericay, Essex county, England |
|
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17 months #1 daughter |
Elizabeth Hills
Birth 1626 23 Great Burstead. Billericay, Essex county, England
|
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16 months #2 daughter |
Mary Hills
Birth May 1627 25 Great Burstead. Billericay, Essex county, England
|
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2 years #3 son |
Joseph Hills
Birth 2 August 1629 27 Great Burstead. Billericay, Essex county, England
Death 19 April 1674 (Age 44) Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts |
|
20 months #4 son |
John Hills
Birth 31 March 1631 29 Maldon, Essex county, England
Death 28 June 1652 (Age 21) |
|
3 years #5 daughter |
Rebecca Hills
Birth 20 April 1634 32 Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts
Death 6 June 1674 (Age 40) |
|
2 years #6 son |
Steven Hills
Birth 1 May 1636 34 Maldon, Essex county, England
|
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15 months #7 daughter |
Sarah Hills
Birth 14 August 1637 35 Maldon, Essex county, England
Death 15 August 1637 (Age 1 day) Maldon, Essex county, England |
|
23 months #8 son |
Gershom Hills
Birth 27 July 1639 37 Charlestown, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts
|
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-7 months #9 daughter |
Mehitable Hills
Birth before 1 January 1639 36
Death July 1653 (Age 14) |
| Family with Hannah Smith - View family |
| himself |
Birth Great Burstead. Billericay, Essex county, England
Death 5 February 1686 Newbury, Essex Co., Massachusetts |
| wife | |
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Marriage: 24 June 1651 |
|
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1 year #1 son |
Samuel Hills
Birth July 1652 50
|
|
18 months #2 son |
Nathaniel Hills
Birth 19 December 1653 51
Death 26 February 1652 (Age ) |
| #3 daughter |
Hannah Hills
Death after 1687
|
| Family with Helen Atkinson - View family |
| himself |
Birth Great Burstead. Billericay, Essex county, England
Death 5 February 1686 Newbury, Essex Co., Massachusetts |
| wife |
Helen Atkinson
Death 6 January 1663
|
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Marriage: 1655 — Malden, Middlesex Co., Massachusetts |
|
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4 months #1 daughter |
Deborah Hills
Birth 56 March 1655 53
Death 1 October 1662 (Age 7) |
|
3 years #2 daughter |
Abigail Hills
Birth 6 October 1658 56
Death 9 October 1662 (Age 4) |
| Family with Ann Wife of Joe Hills - View family |
| himself |
Birth Great Burstead. Billericay, Essex county, England
Death 5 February 1686 Newbury, Essex Co., Massachusetts |
| wife | |
|
Marriage: 8 March 1663 — Newbury, Essex Co., Massachusetts |
| Edward Mellowes + Hannah Smith - View family |
| wife's husband |
Edward Mellowes
Death before June 1651
|
| wife | |
|
Marriage: yes |
| Note | The following is from the book:
<i>
The Record of My Ancestry
By Charles Lyman Newhall
Published by Herald power print, 1899
Original from the University of Wisconsin - Madison
Digitized Jul 18, 2007
222 pages
</i>HILLS.
JOSEPH HILLS was baptized on March 3, 1602, at Great Burstead parish church, Billericay, Essex county, England; was son of George and Mary Hills; married 1st, July 22, 1624, Rose Cleerke (Clarke) at Billericay, England. Mr. Withington, agent o f the Hills Family Association, finds the above record in Great Burstead parish church, also the births of the first three children, namely, Elizabeth, Mary and Joseph, the last named being baptized at Great Burstead Aug. 2, 1629. It is probabl e that Mr. Hills removed his family to Maldon, Essex county, England, about 1630 or 1631, as the baptism of their next child, John, is registered at All Saints church, Maldon. Joseph Hills was a woolen draper, having large transactions in London . He emigrated from Maldon, via London, with a large quantity of woolen goods, and came to Charlestown, in New England, in 1638, arriving at Boston July 25, on board the ship Susan and Ellen. His wife Rose died Match 24, 1649-50. He married 2d , June 24,1651, Hannah (Smith), widow of Edward Mellowes of Oharlestown. He married 3d, 2d, 11m, 1655, Helen, or Eleanor, dau. of Hugh Atkinson of Kendall, Westmoreland county, England. She was living Jan. 8. 1660-61, but died before Nov. 10, 16 62. He personally performed this last marriage ceremony, and for this breach of the law, prepared by himself, he was admonished by the General Court and fined £5. Governor Bellingham and Rev. Stephen Bacheller both married themselves, and he wa s simply following their fooli.-h example. He married 4th, March 8, 1664-5, Ann, widow of Henry Lunt, at Newbury, when he went there to reside. He died Feb. 5, 1687-8, at Newbury. Joseph had a brother John of Burnham, which is about 10 miles fro m Maldon. Others by that name were found in and about Billericay. Mr. Withington
could not connect any of them with Joseph, but hopes are now entertained that it may be accomplished in the near future.
Mr. Hills was deputy to the General Court from Charlestown, Malden and Newbury in 1646,1647,1648,1649,1650,1651,1652, 1653, 1654, 1655, 1656, 1660, 1661, 1662, 1663, 1664, 1667 and 1669, and was speaker in 1647. He was the first leader of the Ma lden brass band and leader of the militia. He was admitted to the Oharlestown church Feb. 9, 1639-40 ; was selectman in 1644 and freeman in 1645. He resided in that portion which became a part of Malden in 1649. It probably received its name ou t of respect to him. He was for several years assistant, which is equivalent to a councillor and senator of the present time. He was one of the few lawyers in the colony, and to him the jurisprudence of the colony is said to have been especially - indebted. His name often occurs in legal proceedings. Johnson characterizes Mr. Hills as "acting for to bring the Lawes of the County in order." The following communication from Joseph Hills to the General Court, which is taken from the Massac husetts archives, explains itself:
To the Honor'A Court.
In as much as it hath pleased the Gen'all Court to engage me in sundry great and weighty services in reference to all the generall laws here established & now in print ftbr publiq good, Jn t'onsider'n : whereof as J conceive ft Gratuity of Ten p ounds was Appointed me by the Treasu'r: which as it holds forth the good acceptance of the Jlono'd Court, J thankfully acknowledge, as duty binds me Yet App'hending that my Great care paynes & studies in these difficult Jmployments was not trul y - Informed or vnd'stood, J desire briefly to tender you an Account thereof as ftbllows:
1. Hirst it pleased the Gen'all Court to jmploy me in a sheir Committe to draw vpp a Body of Laws in which J tooke vnweared payus, p'using all the Stat. I-.aws of Engl. in Pulton att Large out of which J took all such as J concemed sutable to th e condition of this commonw'th which with such as in my observation Experiences & Serious Studies J thought needful, all w'h J drew vpp in a Booke close written Consisting of 24. pages of pap'r Jn folio, which uppon the Committees p'usal. viz. M r Noel. Mr I'elham Mr Tho: Shepp'd & my self. .I was Appointed to draw upp for the vse of the Gon'll Court, which Book was by some means lost & could not be ft'ound. ftbr further .Improvement by anoth'r committe of the gen'll court viz. mr Belli ngham, mr Nat. Ward. &c. whereuppon mr Bellingham spake to me to help them to Anoth'r eoppie of the Afores'd Booke which jn tender Respect
to publiq good, to the Hon'd Court & Committee, .1 did ftbrthwith Again Transcribe out of my fflrst coppie although it were iu haruest time.
2. Aftter that it pleased the Gen'll Court Againe to Jngage me in the p'using all the laws in the Books of Records to Consider, Compare, Compose and Transcribe all laws of publiq Conc'nment, coppie-wise all which J did draw vpp together, and Dre w vpp in five Books or Rowls, which done were examined by the Committe & presented to the Gen'll Court:
3. Thereuppon. J was Ordered by the Court to Transcribe the five Books affores'd with some other new laws, all which (save onely a few the Audit'r did) J with Great care & vigilaucie p'ftbrmed & ft're\<\|uented the press & otherwise took care t o Examine them during the Jmprinting the same.
4. Since which it pleased the Geu'll Court to Appoint me w'h some others to Compose and Transcribe the Second Booke of Laws Coppie-wise. which J Allso did; which Aftter Examination by the Committee was allso p'sented to the Gen'll Court: who wer e pleased further to Jmploy another Committe; whereof J was one, to ftitt them ftbr the press. Jn all which services jn reference to publiq good J put fforth my selfe to the vttermost to the Great Neglect of my p'souall & p'ticul'r occasions Dev oting my selfe there vnto ftbr the most p't of Two years tyme (as near as J can rcmemb'r) the benefit whereof doth J hope verie manifestly Redound both to court & Country who doubtless uppon a right vnderstandiug will not be unwilling to Affor d such Due encouragement & Recompense as services of such Jmportance & Advantage to the Couutrie doth Require
Your Humble Servant,
Jos. Hills.
The Magistrates Refer the consideration of the Petition to theire brethren the Deputies: Edwakd Rawson, Secret.
27: may 1653
The Deputies think meete to allow Mr Hills ten pounds out of the next County rate in reference to what is herein exprest if the hono'd magistrates please to Consent thereto William Tokuky, Cleric.
Consented to by the magists hereto Edwahd Rawson, Secret.
William Hills also came to Charlestown in 1632, but we are not informed as to the relationship between him and Joseph. The Hills Family Genealogical and Historical Association was organized a few years ago, of which the writer of this volume i s a member. Thomas Hills is president and Edwin M. Hills of Taunton is secretary. One of the principal objects is to obtain all possible information from England in regard to the family. All descendants of either Joseph or William Hills are elig ible for membership.
The tradition which the family has held many years that he married Rose Dunster, a sister of President Henry Dunster, the first president of Harvard College, was cleared away by Mr. VVithington. In the will of Henry Dunster he mentions ''siste r Hills, wife of Joseph Hills of Malden, and her children." The wife of Joseph Hills living at the time of this will was Helen. It seems most likel]] that Henry Dunster married a sister of Helen Atkinson. Mr. Hills became totally blind at the ag e of 80, and the General Court exempted him from taxation for the remainder of his life on account of valuable services rendered the colony. His daughter Rebecca was one of the signers to a petition to the General Court 28d-8m-1651, mentioned i n connection with the Greene family.
Mr. Hills's grant was on the east side of Three Mile Brook and is a part of the present fifth ward of Malden. Nothing remains to mark the spot, save the memory of Joseph Hills's well, later known as " the old town well at the corner of Main an d Salem streets.
The will of Joseph Hills is dated Sept. 14, 1687; proved at Ipswich March 14, 1687-8; sealed and recorded at Boston March 23, 1687-8. Its existence there is said to be accounted for by the fact that Sir Edmund Andros, among many other acts of ar bitrary power, obliged the people of the whole colony of Massachusetts Bay to have their wills recorded in Boston.
Joseph Hills describes himself as "late of Malden, now of Newbnry." In the probate he is called " Joseph Hills of Malden." His will mentions wife Ann, sons Gershom, V\\rait and Samuel as then living; his daughter Hannah, also living and unmarrie d; and his grandchildren Hannah and Elizabeth Blanchard, Hannah Winton (Vinton), and Samuel Green. To each of the last two he gives forty-five acres of upland, and five of meadow out of his farm in Dunstable. He gives forty shillings to " this t own of New bury " for the purchase of a bell for the meeting-house, on condition that the inhabitants make it up to thirty pounds or more within three years after his decease. His son Samuel Hills and son-in-law Abiel Long are made executors; Li eut. Tristram Coffin and Capt. David Pierce were the overseers of the will. These four lived and died in Newbury.
At the reunion of the Hills Family Association in July, 1897, at "Alvirne," the residence of Dr. Alfred K. Hills at Hudson, N. H., Dr. Hills said, among other things about Joseph Hills, that " he was selected by the Massachusetts Bay colony to m ake the first code of laws for its government, and for this service he received 500 acres of land in this vicinity [Hudson], the boundary beginning near Taylor's Falls bridge and extending up the river for nearly two miles." He said further: " S o far as I can discover, the members of the Hills family have not only been frugal, but they have been temperate in all things. It has been said that no member of the family has ever become an inebriate or a pauper, and I hope the statement is t rue."
The children of Joseph Hills were:
By Rose:
2 Elizabeth, b. 1626; m. George Blanchard.
3 Mary, b. May, 1627; m. probably about 1644, John Wayte of Charles-
town, son of Samuel Wayte of Wethersfield, England.
4 Joseph, bapt. Aug. 2, 1629; m. November, 1653, Hannah Smith, who
d. July 11, 1674. He d. in Malden, New England, April 19, 1674.
5 John, b. March 31, 1631; d. June 28, 1652.
, 6 Rebecca, hapt. April 20, 1634; m. November, 1674, Thomas3, son of Thomas1 and Elizabeth Greene of Maiden.
7 Steven, b. in Maldon, England, May 1, 1636.
8 Sarah, bapt. Aug. 14, 1637; d. next day.
9 Gershom, b. at Charlestown July 27, 1639.
10 Mehitable, b. Jan. 1, 1640-41; d. July, 1653.
By Hannah:
11 Samuel, b. July, 1652.
12 Nathaniel, b. Dec. 19, 1653; d. Feb. 26, 1653-4.
13 Hannah, living at the time of her father's death, 1687.
By Helen:
14 Deborah, b. March, 1656-7; d. Oct. 1, 1662.
15 Abigail, b. Oct. 6, 1658; d. Oct. 9, 1662.
The following is from the book:
<i>Historic homes and institutions and genealogical and personal memoirs of Worcester county, Massachusetts, with a history of Worcester society of antiquity
By Ellery Bicknell Crane
Published by The Lewis Publishing Company, 1907
Item notes: v. 1
</i>
HILLS FAMILY. Joseph Hills (t), the emigrant, ancestor of Edwin Hawes through his mother's line, was born in the parish of Great Burstead. Billericay, Essex county, England. He was baptized there March, 1602, son of George Hills, who married Mar y Simonds. of Billericay, widow of the late William Symonds, of Billericay, tanner. The marriage license was dated October 13, 1596, at which time Joseph Hills did not use the final "s" in his surname. It appears first February, 1608, probably t hrough a change in the vicar who kept the records.
Joseph Hills married Rose Clarke, at Great Burstead. July 22, 1624, and the elder children were born there. Not later than March, 1632, he and his family removed to Maldon, a place in Essex county, England, which was the birthplace of their son s John and Stephen, and daughter Sarah. In 1638 he was an "undertaker" or stockholder in the voyage of the "Susan and Ellen," which arrived July 17, 1638, at Boston, with him and his family. They made their first abiding place in Charlestown, Ma ssachusetts, near the Market place, but soon removed to a farm on the Mystic side. He was one of the founders of the town of Maiden. He was the first deputy to the general court, and continuously represented the town in the legislature until 166 4. It was he who gave the name to the town, after the name of his last place of residence in England, Maldon. He was selectman of Maiden in 1644 and speaker of the house of deputies in 1647. He was captain of the Trainband, and willed his buff c oat to his son Samuel, and his back sword to Henry Lunt, his step-son. He was one of the most prominent legislators of his day. In 1666, when he retired from public life, he was succeeded by his son-in-law, John Waite, who filled the position o f deputy for nineteen years, being speaker in 1684 and nominated as a magistrate in 1683.
In 1645 Joseph Hills was named by the general court to set out the lots to settlers in the Nasha- way plantation. In 1650 he was second on a committee, of which the governor was the chairman, to draw up instructions for the Massachusetts delegat es to a gathering of commissioners of all the colonies. In 1653 he served on a commission to consider the question as to whether the United Colonies have power by the articles of agreement to engage the colonies in war. In 1654, with Captain Haw thorne, Captain Johnson and the treasurer of the colony, he was on a committee to frame an answer to the home government, which had demanded an explanation of certain acts. He was on a committee to audit the treasury accounts in 1650-53-61. He f ramed the first code of laws in the colony, and was for many years engaged in the revision of the statutes. In 1648 he was one of the committee that reported the first codification of the laws of the colony, and it was he who compiled the laws , prepared the copy for the printer and supervised the printing. He was voted as extra compensation for his work five hundred acres of land on the Nashua river and remission of taxes in his old age. He was appointed more times to edit the laws t han even Governor Bellingham.
His wife died in Maiden, March 24, 1650, and he married (second), June 21, 1651, Hannah (Smith) Mellows, widow of Edward Mellows, of Charles- town, who died 1655. In January, 1656, he married (third) Helen. Ellen or Eleanor Atkinson. She died Ja nuary 6, 1663. In one of his marriages Mr. Hills acted the pan of magistrate as well as groom, and married himself. The law required marriages to be solemnized by magistrates. Governor Bellingham set Mr. Hills an example by marrying himself to P enelope Pelham. He was called upon to come down and plead to a complaint against him for the act, but he refused to do so. Joseph Hills, being a magistrate to end small causes, followed the example of the governor, January, 1656, and was present ed to the grand jury for marrying himself contrary to the laws of the colony. The records show
that he freely acknowledged his offense therein and his misunderstanding the grounds whereon he went, which he now confesseth to be unwarrantable. And he was admonished by the court. (Middlesex county records). He married (fourth) at Newbury, Ma ssachusetts, Ann Lunt, widow of Henry Lunt, and made his home at Newbury his residence thereafter. He became blind in 1678. He died at Newbury, Massachusetts, February 5, 1688. His children were: 1. Mary, baptized at Great Burstead, England, Nov ember 13, 1625, died at Malden, November 25, 1674. 2- Elizabeth, born in Great Burstead, baptized October 21, 1627, died at Maiden. 3. Joseph, born at Great Burstead, August 2, 1629, died at Maiden, April 19, 1674. 4. James, born at Maldon, Engl and, March 6, 1631, died young. 5. John, born in Maldon, England, March 21, 1632, died at Maiden, July 28, 1652. 6. Rebecca, born April 20, 1634, died at Malden, Massachusetts, June 16, 1674. 7. Steven, born May 1, 1636, died at Maldon before 16 38. 8. Sarah, born at ivlaldon, baptized August 14, 1637, died there August 14, 1637. 9. Gershom, bora at Charlestown, July 27, 1639, died in Maiden, Massachusetts, between 1710 and 1721. 10. Mehitable, born at Maiden, Massachusetts, January 1 , 1641, died there July, 1652. n. Samuel, (see forward). 12. Nathaniel, born at Maiden, Massachusetts, December 19, 1653, died there 1664. 13. Hannah, born at Malden. 14. Deborah, born at Maiden, Massachusetts, March, 1657, died at Maiden, Octob er, 1662. 15. Abigail, born at Malden, October 6, 1658, died there October 9, 1662. |
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