Flipside: July 2025

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 I wrote a biography and posted it on my outdated genealogy website years ago and it was copied from a GeoCities genealogy page I wrote even earlier.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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