Theodore McDonald and Mary Isaphine Hill
From the Biographical Cyclopedia of the Commonwealth of
Kentucky, published by the John M Gresman Company, Chicago-Philadelphia 1896
THEODORE McDONALD HILL of Newport, Kentucky, ex-judge of the
Campbell County Court, is a self-made man in the true sense of that term; born
and reared in humble life on a farm in Campbell County, he prepared himself for
the legal profession unaided and was admitted to the bar and commenced the
practice of law in 1871.
He was elected police judge of Alexandria in 1872 to the state legislature in 1877 and re-elected in 1879. After retiring from the legislature he devoted himself exclusively to the law until the death of County Judge Makibben in April 1888, when the Board of Magistrates appointed him to fill the vacancy. His party since that time has twice nominated and elected him to that office by sweeping majorities. His practice as a lawyer from 1871 to 1888 was largely of a nature to acquaint him with county affairs, and he met every requirement of his important office. His popularity is attested by his several nominations without opposition in his own party and by the liberal vote he as always received from the people at the polls. Looking carefully after every detail of county affairs, keeping county taxes at the lowest possible figure; correcting errors of the assessments for hundreds of people; appearing with the assessor twice before the State Board of Equalization and by argument, facts and figures, he prevented in part the threatened increase of land and lot valuations over the assessors' figures that would have been very oppressive upon the taxpayers of Campbell County. In brief, Judge Hill performed all the duties and requirements of the people's court with marked ability. Since his retirement from the bench he has been engaged in the practice of law in Newport.
In 1861 he left school to join the Confederate army and enlisted in the Fifth Kentucky Infantry as a private, serving under different commanders-notably Colonel Giltner of Morgan's command-until the close of the war. He was with General Lee at Appomattox and received his parole at Charleston, West Virginia, when on his way home. After arriving in Alexandria he read law with Honorable Richard Tarvin Baker, a noted lawyer and Republican politician and was admitted to the bar February 22, 1871.
January 1, 1868 Judge Hill was united in marriage to Mary Isophine White, a daughter of Henry E White of Campbell County. Of the five children born of this marriage only one survives, Fay Fern Hill. Theodore M Hill is a son of William and Elisabeth (Nation) Hill. William Hill was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1794 and removed to a Campbell County in 1841, where he remained a resident until his death, which occurred in 1873. He was a stone mason and bricklayer by trade and a Democratic in politics. He was a soldier of the war of 1812; he was at the massacre at River Raisin, the battles of the Thames and Lundy's Lane and others and in Mexico with General Scott from Vera Cruz to the City of Mexico.
He married Elizabeth Nation, daughter of Joel Nation and Mary Albright of Eaton, Ohio, to which place they had removed from North Carolina. William Hill (grandfather) was a native of County Antrim, Ireland and his wife, Jane MacDonald, of the Isle of Skye, off the west coast of Scotland. Both of them were first cousins of the celebrated Scotch beauty, Flora MacDonald, the plain narrative of whose life touches all hearts.
William Hill and his wife came to America in colonial days (1767) and first settled in Pennsylvania and during his residence there, he was in the Continental Army in the war of the Revolution. In 1794 he came with his family to Cincinnati where he lived until some time before his death in 1833, having reached the remarkable age of one hundred and three years. For some years after his settlement at Cincinnati, he kept a tavern known as the "Black Bear" which was one of the pioneer inns of that city. The latter years of his life were spent on a farm in Butler County, Ohio.
Mrs. Elizabeth Hill (mother) was born in East Tennessee, while her parents were en route from North Carolina to Ohio. She died in Campbell County at the early age of twenty-four years. She was a daughter of Joel Nation, a native of North Carolina who removed to Preble and later to Champaign County, Ohio, where he died in 1864.
Mr. Hill is now engaged in the practice of law in Newport.
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Children of Theodore McDonald Hill and Mary Isaphine White
1. Rhea Hill b-1868 in Alexandria; d-1876 in
Alexandria; br-Alexandria Cemetery
2. Malcolm McDonald Hill b-1872 in Alexandria; d-1873 in Alexandria; br-Alexandria
Cemetery
3. Fay Fern Hill b-24 July 1874 in Alexandria; d-27 Aug 1963 in Ft Thomas; br-Alexandria
Cemetery; m-Dr. Clayton Whitmore Shaw 11 Nov 1901 in Alexandria
4. Pearl P Hill b-1876 in Alexandria; d-1876 in Alexandria; br-Alexandria
Cemetery
5. Roy R Hill b-1878 in Alexandria; d-1879 in Alexandria; br-Alexandria Cemetery
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Children of Fay Fern Hill and Clayton Whitmore Shaw
1. Hill McDonald Shaw b-22 Sep 1903 in
Alexandria; d-6 June 1971
2. Harold F Shaw b-29 Dec 1909 in Alexandria; d-3 Feb 1982 in Hillsborough
Florida
3. Roy R Shaw b-4 Jan 1912 in Alexandria; d-10 Sep 1957 in Alexandria; br-Alexandria
Cemetery
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Theodore McDonald Hill was born 4 July 1842 in Alexandria and died 4 May 1900 in Alexandria. He was buried in the Alexandria Cemetery. Mary Isaphine Hill was born 3 Oct 1842 in Alexandria, the daughter of Henry Erskine White and Mary Elizabeth Carl. Mary died 17 Feb 1929 in Alexandria and was buried in the Alexandria Cemetery.