Reference.
GEORGE HILLES married on 13 Oct 1596 in Great Burnstead, Billericay, Essex, England.to Mary (Symonds), widow of William Symonds. George was listed as a linen draper. In the baptismal records of George�s children born before 1607, the name is spelled Hilles. With the christening of his daughter, Rebecca, the spelling of the surname changed to Hills.
References: Genealogy of Five Generations of the Descendants of Joseph Hills, 1602-1688, of Malden and Newbury, Mass.
JOSEPH HILLES (Hills) was baptized 03 March 1602 in Great Burstead Parish, Billericay, Essex, England, and died on 05 Feb 1687-88 in Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts. He married (1) in July of 1624 in Great Burstead Parish, Billericay, Essex, England to Rose Clarke. Rose died on 24 March 1650 in Malden, Essex County, Massachusetts. He married (2) on 24 Jun 1651 to Hannah (Smith), widow of Edward Mellows. Hannah died about 1655. He married (3) in January of 1656, Helen (Eleanor) (Elline) Atkinson, daughter of Hugh Atkinson. She died between 08 Jan 1661 and 10 Nov 1662. He married (4) on 08 Mar 1665 in Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts to Ann Lunt, widow of Henry Lunt.
Joseph has changed the spelling of his surname from Hilles to Hills by the time of his first marriage in 1624. He was the "undertaker" of the voyage of the ship "Susan and Ellen", which arrived on 17 July 1638 at Boston, Massachusetts. He made his home in the settlement of Charlestown, located between the Charles and Mystic Rivers. In a couple of years he had moved to the north part of town on the Mystic River, establishing his home at "Mystic Side" on a farm of considerable size. In 1665, Joseph moved into the home of his new wife, Ann, the widow of Henry Lunt, and until his death lived in Newbury, on the Merrimac River. He was blind for the last six years of his life.
Joseph willed his "buffe coate" to his son Samuel, and his "backsword" to Henry Lunt, his stepson.
In 1644 - Joseph was a selectman, in 1645 - was the first named on a committee "to set out lots to the settlers of Nashaway Platation, in 1646 � was a representative in the General Court, was re-elected in 1647 and was chosen speaker of its House of Deputies.
In 1648 Joseph first of a committee of four to change the location of the highway "between Winnesemet and Redding.
His greatest public service was that of the leading member of the committee that in 1648 reported to the General Court the first codification of the laws of the Colony. He was the actual compiler of the laws, prepared the copy for the press, and supervised their printing. The colony recognized the great value of his work, not only by a money payment but also by a grant of five hundred acres of land on the Mashua River, now a part of Southern New Hampshire, and the remission of his taxes in his old age.
In 1650 Joseph was second of a committee, of which the governor was chairman, appointed to draw up instructions for the Massachusetts delegates to a gathering where "the commissioners of all the colonies shall meete�.
In 1653, he was one of a committee of six to consider the question, "if the Vnited Connjes haue power by the articles of Agreement....to ingage the Collonjes" "in warre
In 1654, with Captains Hawthorne and Johnson, the treasurer of the Colony, Joseph was appointed to frame a reply to the home government, which had demanded an explanation of certain acts.
Three times, in 1650, 1653, 1661, he was a member of committees to audit the treasury accounts.
In 1649-50, 1653, 1654, and 1661, appointed to committees "the Courte findig by experience the great benefitt that doth redound to the country by putting of the lawes into printe,"
Joseph Hills had such prominence that his appointments to these committees were three times as numerous as those of any of his colleagues except for Governor Bellingham.
Reference: Genealogical Data Relating to the Ancestry and Descendants of William Hills and John Hills, Genealogy of Five Generations of the Descendants of Joseph Hills, 1602-1688, of Malden and Newbury, Mass.
Most of the children�s birthdates were when they were baptized.
SAMUEL HILLS was born in July of 1652 in Malden, Massachusetts, died on 18 Aug 1732 in Malden, Massachusetts or Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, and was buried in the Bridge Street Cemetery, West Newbury, Massachusetts. He married on 20 May 1679 in Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts to Abigail Wheeler, daughter of David Wheeler and Sarah Wise. Abigail was born on 02 February 1654-54 in Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts and died on 13 April 1742.
Samuel was a sergeant in the Indian War with King Philip. He was listed as one of the survivors of Captain Thomas Lathrop�s Company in the disastrous battle of Muddy Brook, now called Bloody Brook, 18 September 1675. Samuel was also at the Battle of Narragansett, December 19, 1675.
Samuel Hills will, dated 5 August 1732, gave his property to his wife and seven of the nine sons who survived him. His sons Henry and James are not mentioned. In deeds dated 22 August 1721, Joseph gives with "the natural love and affection which I have and do bear unto my well beloved son, Henry Hills, and in full of his portion of my estate." As the consideration for the conveyance to him of "one-half part of all .. lands and meadow .... in the town of Dunstable, in the county of Middlesex ... on the easterly side of the Merrimack River ... which land and meadow was granted to my honored father, Mr. Joseph Hills, late of Newbury, deceased, and conveyed to me by the last will and testament of the said Joseph Hills ".
References: �History of Newbury", Vital Records of Newbury, MA. The Essex Institute, Salem, MA, Town of Newbury, MA - Record of Death, The Hills Family in America" by William Sanford Hills and Thomas Hills, The Grafton Press, NY, "Genealogical Data Relating to the Ancestry and Descendants of William Hills and John Hills", by William Sanford Hills, Edited by Thomas Hills, "Hills Family Genealogical and Historical Association" Incorporated 1894. Published by the Association, Press of Alfred Mudge & Son, Boston, Town of Newbury, MA. Abstract of Record of Marriage. V. R. Vol. I. II
NATHANIEL HILLS was born on 09 Feb 1681-82 in Newbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, and died on 12 Apr 1748 in Nottingham West Township, Hillsboro, New Hampshire or Hudson, New Hampshire. He married on 24 Oct 1709 in Newbury, Essex County or Newbury County, Massachusetts to Ann Worm. Nathaniel Hills could have had a second wife. The history of Hillsboro County calls the wife of Nathaniel Hills "Sarah" and tells of her bravery in defending the homestead (a garrison house) against hostile Indians. It states Sarah died in 1786 at the age of 102.
On 21 May 1725, the General Assembly allowed Capt. Nathaniel Hills four pounds, four shillings.
References: "The Hills Family in America", by William Sanford Hills and Thomas Hills, The Grafton Press, NY, 1906
SARAH HILLS was born on 07 Oct 1731 in Dunstable, New Hampshire, and died in September of 1807 in Grafton, Grafton County, New Hampshire. She married (1) about 1748 to Joseph Severence. She married (2) on 17 Sep 1762 in Nottingham West Township, Hillsboro, New Hampshire to John Hale, son of Henry Hale and Mary Barnette. John was born in March of 1730-31 in Littleton, Massachusetts and died in September of 1803 in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
Joseph Severance was a 1st Lieutenant, Roll Box 52 - Revolutionary War Service Records, 1775-83. He was from Nottingham West Township, NH.
References: Revolutionary War Pension Application for John Hale, NH, VT, S18002, 1790 Federal NH Census, Hillsborough County, Nottingham West (now Hudson) Twp., "Descendants of Thomas Hale" by Robert Safford Hale, LL.D. Parson and Company, Albany, NY. 1889.
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