HILL-L Archives

Archiver > HILL > 2004-12 > 1102666868


From: "Nena Smothers" <>
Subject: George Washington Hill
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 2004 00:21:08 -0800
In-Reply-To: <3.0.1.32.20041209072849.007f7770@mail.glasgow-ky.com>


[thought this was interesting, maybe someone is related too]

From: Sandi Gorin <>
To:
TIP #517 TIME TO DISSECT THAT FROG!

Let's travel back to our high school days and the course called Biology. All
of our life, we dissect
things. No, not physically, but we have to break down things in smaller
parts and analyze the results. So today, I am looking at one source of
information that we might find on our ancestors, the biography. As many of
you know, I run a rootsweb list called KYBIOGRAPHIES where I've posted over
10,000 biographies from the old biographical records. The biographies of
these earlier date are so chocked full of information, that one must never
overlook them.

I am printing below a typical biography with its source from my post this
morning to KYBIOGRAPHIES. Then, we'll sort dissecting it to see what
information we can pick up. You might get a piece of paper to sketch this
out, or a family chart/pedigree chart.

Kentucky Genealogy and Biography Volume 1, Kentucky: A History of the State
by Battle - Perrin - Kniffin, 3rd edition 1886. Larue Co.
GEORGE WASHINGTON HILL was born February 22, 1845, in Stokes County, N. C.,
and is the sixth of six sons and three daughters, seven of whom lived to be
grown, born to Samuel and Susan (Tucker) Hill, both born in Stokes County.
Samuel Hill was a farmer and school teacher; was married in Stokes County in
1833, and immigrated to Hart County, Ky., in 1846, and in 1849 settled on
120
acres in La Rue County. He was a captain and colonel of militia in North
Carolina; received military instructions and taught several schools of this
character, and on coming to Kentucky was made a captain and colonel of
Kentucky militia, and died in 1853, aged fifty years. His father, Samuel
Hill, who was a hatter by trade, and also a farmer, married Sallie Cox,
daughter of Richard Cox, of Stokes County, N.C. He was a large slave holder,
and lived to be about ninety years old. He had a brother, John Hill, who was
captured by the Indians, and held a prisoner for a few years, when he made
his escape. Mrs. Susan Hill was a daughter of John Smith Tucker, who was a
farmer, and a patriot of the war of 1812. He married Wilmith Hodges, of
Halifax County, Va. John S. Tucker was born in Halifax County, Va., who
married Sallie Smith, of Virginia. Robert Tucker was a slave-holder, a son
of William Tucker, who was of English stock. Wilmith Hodges was a daughter
of Thomas Hodges, of Halifax County, Va. George W. Hill was reared on a
farm, and was married, May 9, 1878, to Rachel Louisa Davenport, who was born
November 4, 1850, in Marion County, Kentucky. She is a daughter of Benjamin
A. And Nancy A. (Blain) Davenport, natives of Marion County, Ky. Mr. Hill
and wife have two children to bless their union, Benjamin Howard and Samuel
Judson. They are members of the Baptist and Methodist Episcopal Churches. In
1872 Mr. Hill purchased eighty acres where he now resides, two miles south
of Hodgensville, but now owns 122 acres, which he has acquired by his own
industry. In politics he is a Democrat. His wife's father was born in
Virginia in 1811, and came to
Kentucky at the age of twelve with a widowed mother and other relatives and
friends, that settled in Hardin County, Ky. He learned the trade of gunsmith
under David Weller, in Elizabethtown, Ky., and afterward located in Lebanon,
where he married Nancy A. Blain, whose father, James Blain, was
born in Virginia in 1796, and participated in the war of 1812, and was
engaged in the battle of New Orleans. After the war he married Nancy Purdy,
near Lebanon in Marion County, Ky., and lived happily together in a home
secured by their join labor until his death, in 1862, at the age of
sixty-six. His wife lived a few years longer and died October 25, 1870, at
the age of seventy-one years.

Let's dissect:
1. Since the book was printed in 1886, George Washington Hill was in Larue
Co that year or within a year or so before (allowing for publishing time).
Did he make it to the 1900 census report?
2. He was born 22 Feb 1845 in Stokes Co. NC. In checking Stokes Co was
formed in 1789 out of Surry Co. This lets you know that you need to do some
searching on the web for records available for Stokes County and a check of
the surname there.
3. He was the sixth of six sons and three daughters, only seven of the 10
lived to maturity. This gives you the outline of the family, with no names,
and it doesn't say if he was the youngest of all the children, just the
youngest of the boys.
4. His father was Samuel and Susan Tucker Hill, both of them born in Stokes
County also. It's likely they were married there then, add that to you list
to see if you can find a marriage record there. She was a Tucker; were there
any Tucker records there? They married in 1833 and since he was born in
1845, their marriage is likely there.
5. His father was a farmer and a school teacher; you now have his father's
occupation. George would then just be a "tick mark" on his father's census
record of 1830 in Stokes County.
6. In 1846 they made the move to Hart Co KY. Right between the census
records of course, but they should appear then on the 1850 Hart Co Census
with George being about 5 years old. That census will also give you the
names of his living siblings.
7. Oops .... problem; they didn't stay in Hart Co. In 1849 they were in
Larue County. Scrap the 1850 Hart Census and look at Larue. Larue was formed
in 1843 out of part of Hardin County; Hart was formed in 1819 out of Barren
and Hardin Co.
8. Next we find that his father, Samuel, was a captain and a colonel in the
NC militia. Note that you need to check NC military records and see if you
can find his papers. In KY, he held on to that rank in the Kentucky Militia.
Then he died in 1853, age 50. That would make his father born about 1803
back in Stokes Co.
9. Wording can get tricky on some of these biographies in determining whom
is being spoken of. It is repeated next that Samuel Hill was a hatter and a
farmer and married Sallie Cox. What? Above it says that he was farmer and
married to Susan Tucker. Oh, we're moving back a generation. We're now back
to the parents of Samuel who married Susan or the subject's grandparents.
Alright, Samuel Sr was the hatter and farmer. Sallie was the daughter of
Richard Cox of Stoke's County. He was a large slave holder. Who was -Richard
or Samuel Sr? It appears that they're talking about Samuel Sr here; and he
lived to be about 90 years old. Since we don't have a birth or death
date of Samuel Sr., we'll have to leave that open ended. We could venture
some guesstimating at Sr's date of birth but for now we'll leave that
hanging.
10. He had a brother, John Hill. It appears that this refers to Samuel Sr;
he led an exciting life of being captured by the Indians.
11. Mrs. Susan Hill was a daughter of John Smith Tucker. Now we're back to
George's parents. John Smith Tucker, her father, was a farmer and a patriot
of the war of 1812. War records possibly? John Smith Tucker married Wilmith
Hodges of Halifax Co VA. Another county to investigate.
12. Then, John S Tucker was born in Halifax Co and married Sallie Smith of
VA. Oh, this is John Smith Tucker's parents; back another generation on the
maternal side.
13. Robert Tucker was a slave-holder, son of William Tucker who was of
English stock. Who's he? John S. Tucker's father and grandfather. Getting
back several generations now!
14. Wilmith Hodges was a daughter of Thomas Hodges of Halifax Co. Va. She's
the wife of John Smith Tucker, gets confusing!
15. Now, we're back to the subject, George Washington Hill. He was a
farmer's boy, we already know his birth date, now we see him marrying 9 May
1878 to Rachel Louisa Davenport. Her date of birth is given next, she was a
Marion County girl. Her parentage is given - Benjamin A and Nancy A Blain
Davenport. You could check the Marion County records on line or in the
county clerk's office to see if you can find their marriage; but perhaps
they came from elsewhere and settled in Marion Co. Nothing is said here of
generations further back on Rachel Louisa Davenport, so you're on your own
with her for now.
16. George and Rachel have 2 children - Benjamin Howard and Samuel Judson
Hill. Their dates of birth are not shown but if they married in 1878, figure
about 1879-1880 for the oldest child.
17. They are members of the Baptist and Methodist Episcopal Churches. He is
the Baptist; she is the Methodist Episcopal.
18. In 1872 George is buying land outside of Hodgenville; there should be
some deeds there, he says it was 2 miles from Hodgenville, but doesn't say
which direction.
19. George is a Democrat - women couldn't vote!
20. Now, we're going to learn a little more about Rachel (d/o Benjamin A and
Nancy A Blain Davenport). His wife's father (Benjamin) was born someplace in
VA in 1811; came to KY at age 12 which would be about 1823.
His father was already dead by that time (whose name we don't know). They
settled in Hardin Co. Benjamin A was a gunsmith in Elizabethtown (county
seat of Hardin). He married Nancy A Blain there in Hardin Co (look for
marriage license?) She was the daughter of James Blain who was born
someplace in VA in 1796, was in the war of 1812 (records?). After the war,
he married Nancy Purdy near Lebanon in Marion Co KY. This means James came
to Kentucky sometime after 1812 and married in Marion Co. James died in
1862, age 66. That agrees with his birth date. Nancy Purdy Blair died 25 Oct
1870 at the age of 71, making her born about 1799.

Thus, out of this one biography, we have gone back several generations on
his maternal and paternal lines. We have learned the occupations of the Hill
ancestors, their military service and where they lived and married. We know
George's political affiliation (and they were very proud and open about that
in older times), and his church affiliations. Any church records for a
Baptist church close to Hodgenville that was there during his life-time? One
could check to see if the minutes of the church were available and could
find when they joined and maybe other family information. You have census
records to check in various counties and states to pick up other family
members. Based on the dates of birth and/or deaths, if after 1852 and before
1911, you can check the vital statistics
for that year and find yet more family information. You can now try to
locate the deeds for the various counties (either on line or through a visit
to that county seat) and find when they bought or sold land. With more and
more records on line now, you might even luck out and find it there!

All of this tip is just to give you another source for looking for
information. Once you have all the above data written down or entered on a
file, you can add to, correct, delete errors (if any), and build your George
Washington Hill file. This was a real biography so if you are a descendant
of good old George W Hill, I've filled in a lot of gaps for you!

These pioneers traveled a lot more than we give them credit for. I know that
many of you, like me, just had them plopped on the same property their
entire lives, just gettin' in those crops and rearin' young en's. But so
many of them moved every few years, always looking for better land, richer
soil, more adventures. Here is the story of one family from Stokes Co NC who
ended up in the annals of Kentucky history!

(c) Copyright 9 December 2004, All Rights Reserved.
Colonel Sandi Gorin
SCKY Links: http://www.public.asu.edu/~moore/Gorin.html

Sandi's Puzzlers:
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gensoup/gorin/puz.html

Gorin Publishing: http://ggpublishing.tripod.com/

==== KYRESEARCH Mailing List ====
Search KYRESEARCH Archives:
http://listsearches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl?list=KYRESEARCH

Browse KYRESEARCH Archives:
http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/index/KYRESEARCH/
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


This thread: