Robert Hill and Rebecca Caldwell Hill are my paternal great great great great grandparents. I wrote a biography and posted it on my outdated genealogy website years ago and it was copied from a GeoCities genealogy page I wrote even earlier. I have copied and pasted it to by blog with added information.
Robert Hill, son of William Hill
and Elizabeth Johnson, was born in King William County,
Virginia on February 5, 1758.
Robert served in the Continental Line for
Virginia during the Revolutionary War. Virginia military records indicate that
he was drafted on February 28, 1778 as a private in Captain Benjamin Casey’s
Company, the 12th Virginia Regiment commanded by Colonel James Wood. In June
1778 he was transferred to Captain Michael Boyer’s Company in the 4th, 8th and
12th Virginia Regiments. Finally, about October, 1778, Robert was transferred
to Captain Benjamin Casey’s 8th Virginia Regiment commanded by Colonel James
Wood and was discharged on February 16, 1779.
Following his service, Robert and his brother, William
removed to Frederick County, Virginia. There on June 7, 1787 he married Rebecca
Caldwell, daughter of John and Mary Caldwell, born on June 7, 1765 in Charlotte
County, Virginia.
The Hill family removed to Monongalia County, (West) Virginia
and made their home on a large tract of land, called Hill Farm, located one
mile north of Morgantown along the Chestnut Ridge Road. All, or a portion, of
the land was given to Robert Hill for his service during the American
Revolution.
Due to the fact that Robert Hill is a common name, it
becomes difficult to determine which early Monongalia County records belong to
our ancestor. In James Moreland’s book, The First Presbyterian Church of
Morgantown, West Virginia,” the author discussed the early origins of the
church and lists Robert Hill as one of the first elders dating back to 1788.
Samuel T. Wiley, in his book, “History of Monongalia County, West Virginia,”
lists on page 529 that Robert Hill was a ruling elder of the Presbyterian Church
in Morgantown in 1790 and that later, his son, George D. Hill became a ruling
elder.
By 1800, our ancestor was the only Robert Hill in
Monongalia County which makes searching for his records somewhat less
complicated. He is listed in numerous early personal property tax records in
the county from 1801-1805 and had a census enumeration for 1810 and 1820.
Robert Hill’s farm, Hill Farm, was located on the road from Morgantown to
Uniontown, Pennsylvania and it is mentioned in a number of early court
documents.
At the June 1800 court Robert Hill was asked to work on a road “from
Morgantown by Robert Hill’s into the Uniontown Road.” The surveyor on this road
project was Jacob VanGilder. Little did the two men know that on June 14, 1853
descendants from their two families would marry. In 1806 Robert was appointed
by the court to survey a road outside of Morgantown and presented a bill to the
court for $8.25 for a team, cart and two indexes one at the end of each road
leading from Morgantown to Beeson Town on June 1807. This bill was paid out of
the county levy of 1807.
Robert Hill died, at age sixty two, in Monongalia County,
(West) Virginia on January 15, 1822. There is a court record of his personal
inventory dated February 7, 1822 and another dated March 1, 1822.
Rebecca
continued to live on the farm until her death, at age seventy eight, on October
20, 1843.
Rebecca Hill's will was filed on September 29, 1832 and probated
during the November, 1843 term. In her will, Rebecca named her youngest child,
Robert Johnson Hill as executor and bequeathed the whole of her estate to him
as her other children had already received their portion from their father’s
will or it was given to them during her lifetime. The will goes on to state
that all of her children, except Robert Johnson Hill are married.
Robert and Rebecca were originally buried in a family plot
in Morgantown, but were removed in the Spring of 1928 to Mount Union Cemetery,
north of town. Both tombstones are in good condition.
The inscription on Robert
Hills tombstone reads:
“Here lies the body of Robert Hill
Who departed this life Jan 15, 1822
Age 62.
Hark upon the tombs a doleful sound
My ears attend the cry
The living may come view the ground
Where they must shortly lie.”
The inscription reads:
In Memory of
Rebecca Hill. Wife
of Robert Hill. Was bo
rn June 7th AD 1765 depa-
rted this life Oct 20
1843 Aged 78 years
4 mo. & 13 Dys
On June 6, 1971 the DAR met at Mount Union Cemetery and
dedicated a marker for Robert Hill, a Revolutionary soldier.
Children of Robert Hill and Rebecca Caldwell:
1. Jonathan
Hill born February 11, 1789 in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia died July 30,
1855 in Henry County, Indiana married Esther Davis on October 1, 1818.
2. Margaret
Hill born December 14, 1790 in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia died July 11,
1832 married Porter Johnson. Also listed as having married Jonathan Davis.
3. JOSEPH DAVIDSON HILL born September 4, 1793 in Monongalia County,
(West) Virginia died August 24, 1859 in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia
married SARAH HOUSTON. My paternal great great great grandparents
4. William
J. Hill born December 25, 1795 in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia died
November 14, 1858 in Taylor County, (West) Virginia married April 13, 1815 in
Monongalia County, (West Virginia) Rhoda Houston.
5. James
Hill born July 10, 1796 in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia married Unknown
Leasure.
6. Sarah
Johnston Hill born May 18, 1800 in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia died
March 20, 1867 in Springhill Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania married
February 20, 1823 Warwick Ross.
7. George
D. Hill born July 1, 1802 in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia died about 1848
in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia married on November 29, 1836 in
Monongalia County, (West) Virginia Julia Davis also listed as Julia Henderson.
Also listed as having married Unknown Caldwell.
8. Elizabeth
Hill born October 20, 1804 in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia married George
B. Rogers May 26, 1827 in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia.
9. Robert
Johnson Hill born April 30, 1808 in Monongalia County, (West) Virginia married
Jane Porter.
Hill Bible
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