Extracted from Historic Homes & Institutions and Personal Memoirs of Worcester, County, Massachusetts. Prepared under the Editorial Supervision of Ellery Bicknell Crane, and Published by the Lewis Publishing Company, 1907. vol. # II, pages 101-102

JOSEPH HILL. Valentine Hill (a), the immigrant ancestor of Joseph Hill, of Winchendon, Massachusetts, was born in England, probably in London. He was an early settler in Boston, where he was admitted to the church June 12, 1636. He was a mercer or merchant from London, the records say. He was a prominent and well-to-do citizen, chief owner of a large wharf property. He was admitted a freeman May 13, 1640, proprietor, town officer and deacon (with Jacob Eliot). He was selectman in 1643-44-45-46, deputy to the general court 1652-53-54-55-57. He bought land at Oyster Bay, then Dover, now Durham, New Hampshire, before 1649 and removed thither. He died in Oyster Bay in 1662. Savage calls him a man of great public spirit. In the settlement of the estate his widow employed Joseph Hill, of MaIden, as attorney, suggesting some relationship between these two prominent Hill immigrants. But there were also several others of this name at Dover, possibly also relatives of Valentine Hill. John Hill, founder of a large family in New Hampshire and Maine, settled first in Plymouth, Massachusetts, removed to Boston in 1630, was admitted a freeman there March 18, 1642, was a grantee of Nashuay, died in 1647, leaving a son John who settled in Dover on land inherited from his father. All things considered it seems that there must have been relationship between John Hill, of Dover and Boston, Joseph Hill, of Malden, and Valentine Hill, of Boston and Dover.
Valentine Hill married (first) Frances who died February 17, 1646; (second) Mary Eaton, daughter of Governor Eaton. She married (second) John Lovering, of Dover; and (third) Ezekiel Knight, of Wells, Maine. There is an interesting entry on the oldest records of Dover births, etc.: "Nathaniel Hill son of Vallentine Hill of douer by his wife Mary was born in Oyster River the beginning March 1659-60. Mrs. Mary Hill alias Knight was before me the 23d of May 1702 and acknowledged that Nathaniel Hill was the son of her first husband Vallentine Hill." (John Woodman Justs Peac.)" Children of Valentine and Frances Hill were: Hannah, born March 17, 1638-39, married, January 24, I638-9, Antipas Boyce; John, born September 1, 1640, died young; Elizabeth, born December 12, 1641, died young; Joseph (twin), born 1644, died same year; Benjamin (twin), born 1644, died same year; Joseph, born August 18, 1646. Children of Valentine and Mary were: John, born August 19, 1647; Samuel, born December 8, 1648; Mary, born December 29, 1649, married Rev. John Buss, in whose charge were the records when lost by fire; Elizabeth, baptized May 25, 1651; Nathaniel, born March 31, 1660, see forward.
(II) Captain Nathaniel Hill, youngest child of Valentine Hill (i), was born in that part of Dover now Durham, New Hampshire, March 31, 1660. He was a taxpayer in Dover in 1681. He settled on his father's land on the north side of Oyster river. His farm extended from the falls in the river, near Durham village, across the line of the present Boston & Maine Railroad tracks. He was a leading citizen, captain in the militia and for many years member of the provincial council. He married Sarah Nutter, daughter of Anthony Nutter, and granddaughter of the distinguished Hatevil Nutter. Children of Captain Nathaniel and Sarah Hill were: Samuel, see forward; Valentine.
(III) Samuel Hill, son of Captain Nathaniel Hill (2), was born in what is now Durham, New Hampshire, about 1690. He inherited part if not all of the homestead and lived in Durham, afterwards Lee, New Hampshire. Among his children was Samnel, see forward.
(IV) Samuel Hill, son of Samuel Hill (3), was born in Durham, now Lee, New Hampshire, October 6, 1720 (family record of Frances E. Willard, a descendant through her mother). He died in Danville, Vermont. Miss Willard in her autobiograph says that he was a veritable giant; well-to-do; self-sacrificing; of robust integrity. He married Abigail Hutchins, of another old Dover family. She was born in what is now Lee, New Hampshire, February 20, 1733, died at an advanced age in 1829 at Ogden, New York. Children of Samuel and Abigail Hill were: Nathaniel, see forward; John, born about 1760, married Polly Thompson, 1796, among whose children was Mary Thompson Hill, born January 3, 1805, the mother of the famous temperance advocate, Frances E. Willard. There were probably other children.
(V) Nathaniel Hill, son of Samuel Hill (4), was born in Durham, New Hampshire, about 1745. He was a soldier in the revolution. He was ensign in Captain Alpheus Chesley's company in 1778. Robert Hill, John Hill and Henry Hill were in the same service and three of the four in the same company. They were perhaps brothers. Nathaniel Hill married at the close of the revolution and settIed in Loudon, New Hampshire. He was there in 1785, when he signed a petition, and in 1789 his son Nathaniel, Jr. was old enough to sign as an inhabitant. Loudon was incorporated January 23, 1773, from Canterbury, which was some fifty years older. The rest of Canterbury was incorporated as Northfield later. There seems to have been no other branch of the Hill family in this vicinity. Children of Nathaniel Hill were: Nathaniel, born about 1770-5; Levi, see forward.
(VI) Levi Hill, son of Nathaniel Hill (5), was born about 1770-80 either at Lee, New Hampshire, or at Loudon, after his parents settled there. He received a rather brief schooling. He worked with his father developing the farm and remained at home helping his father until his death, when the farm became his. He was a farmer all his life, and raised sheep and cattle for beef. He also dealt in horses considerably. He removed to Springfield, New Hampshire, in his later years and bought a farm, which he carried on until his death. He was a member of the Springfield Congregational church and was a deacon there as well as at Loudon. He was always called Captain Hill from his rank in the state militia. He died about 1861. He married Lydia Wiggin, of Canterbury, New Hampshire, the town of which Loudon was formerly a part. She was a descendant of Governor Thomas Wiggin, who deeded June 4,1663, a large tract of land at Durham, New Hampshire, to his son Andrew. Andrew Wiggin became a sort of patron for the township. His son Jonathan, who died in 1738, had a daughter who married a Mr. Hill. Children of Levi and Lydia Hill were: Langdon Levi, Joseph Wiggin, born December 12, 1805, see forward; Susanna, Cyrus, Levi Franklin.
(VII) Joseph Wiggin Hill, son of Levi Hill (6), was born at Loudon, New Hampshire, December 12, 1805, died November 10, 1886. He attended the public schools there. He removed with the family about 1825 to Springfield, New Hampshire, and helped his father on the farm, but soon afterward removed to Boston and worked in the City Hotel for about five years. He returned to Springfield and bought a tract of wood land, which he cleared and cultivated until 1840. He then traded for a large farm in the eastern part of the town. Later he sold it to his son Joseph and bought another smaller one, which he worked for ten years, sold it and bought the one which he owned at the time of his death. In religion he was a Methodist. In his early days he was a Democrat, afterward a Republican. He was a representative to the New Hampshire legislature for two years, and was on the board of selectman of the town. He was interested in the militia and was lieutenant of the Springfield company. He married, June 8, 1825, Abigail Cole, daughter of Isaac Cole. Her father was a molder in an iron foundry. Children of Joseph W. and Abigail Hill were: Benjamin Franklin, born December 15, 1831, married Lavinia Davis, of New London, New Hampshire, and they have five children-Nellie, George, Hattie, Mabel, Eugene. Joseph, born September 10, 1833. Lydia Jane, born February, 1836, married Leonard N. Heath, of Springfield, New Hampshire, no issue. Susanna A., married John Crocker, of Grantham, New Hampshire. Emily Elizabeth, married Herbert Taylor of Andover, New Hampshire, and they had four children-Albert, Grace, Louisa, Daisy. Nellie, died aged four years.
(VIII) Joseph Hill, second child of Joseph Wiggin Hill (7). was born at Springfield, New Hampshire, September 10, 1833. He was educated in the common schools there. At the age of sixteen he went to Lake Village to school. continuing for two years. He served an apprenticeship of two years, following it in the winter months with his uncle, B. J. Cole, learning the iron moulder's trade. He worked at home on the farm summers during this time and then bought the farm. After working it eight years he sold it and went to Yonkers, New York, where he worked in the foundry of the Clipper Mowing Machine Company about three years. In 1873 he went to work again for his uncle, B. J. Cole, in his iron foundry at Lakeport, New Hampshire. He later worked for C. B. Mahan in his mowing machine works at Lebanon, New Hampshire, and for a year for D. B. Emerson. In 1881 he removed to Keene, New Hampshire, and entered the employ of James B. Elliott, who had bought the Clipper Machine works at Yonkers. Here he remained until 1883, when he removed to Winchendon Massachusetts, and in partnership with his son-in-law, Andrew Bosley, started a foundry. In September, 1905, he built a large new foundry and removed to his present location on Spruce street, ner the Boston & Maine Railroad, where the business is prospering greatly. The firm makes all kinds of iron castings. Few men have a more intimate knowledge of the details of their business or a more careful training than Mr. Hill. He attends the North Congregational Church. He is a Republican and was a delegate to the state convention in 1905 and has been to other important conventions of his party. He is a member of the Avon Club of Winchendon. He married, June 3, 1859, Mrs. Elvira (Lull) Towers, daughter of Gilman Lull, of Hopkinton, New Hampshire. Her father was a farmer. The children of Joseph and Elvira Hill are: Jennie May. born July 3, 1861, married Andrew Bosley, of Winchendon, and they have four children- Josephine Elvira, born February 5, 1878; Frederick Andrew, born February 24, 1880; Bertha Kate, born January 14, 1889; Hazel Elsa, born March 3, 1890. Kate Marcella, born November 13, 1865, married Frederick Vose, of Peterborough, New Hampshire; have no children. Carrie Abigail, born March 25, 1873, married Frank Joy, of Keene, New Hampshire; has no children.

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