Joseph Hills (1602 - 1688)

Joseph Hills (1602 - 1688)

Biography

Joseph Hills was born in early 1602 Malden, Essex, England;[1] he was christened at Great Burstead Parish, Billericay, Essex, England 3 MAR 1602.[2]

He married Rose-- some say sister of Henry Dunster (first president of Harvard);[3] others say Clarke:

"There had been a great deal of uncertainty about Rose Hills' name, but that there is no longer any uncertainty, for an expert genealogist making researches in England for the Hills Assoc.. has been able to prove that Rose Cleerke (Clarke) and Joseph Hills were married at Burstead Magna, Billericary, Essex, England, July 22 1624; some of their children were born in England.[4]

In 1638, Joseph boarded the Susan & Ellen and landed in Boston, MA on 17 July 1638. His family was probably with them, but no written evidence of this has been found. He described himself in 1639 as a woolen-draper. He settled initially in Charlestown.[1]

His son Gershom was born in Charlestown in 1639. Joseph and his wife were admitted into the Church of Charlestown on 2 Feb 1640.

In 1644, he was chosen selectman of the town. In 1645, he was admitted freeman.

In May 1646 "...a code drawn by Joseph Hills from the statutes of England and other sources was accepted by the Middlesex committee...The book of Mr. Hills was afterwards lost; and "although it were in harvest time," he made another copy for the use of the committee..."

In 1646, he represented Charlestown in the House of Deputies in 1647, he again represented Charlestown and also was chosen as Speaker of the House of Deputies where he served as Malden's representative through 1656, then again late 1660 through 1664. (He'd removed to Malden, Middlesex, Massachusetts about 1647.)[1]

Joseph Hills compiled and perfected the celebrated Mass. laws of 1648, the first body of laws established by authority in New England."[4]

Around 1652, Joseph Hills "...pleaded the cause...[of an] indiscreet wife before the Court..." Afterwards, a certain Thomas Squire began bad-mouthing those involved in the suit; according to the records, Squire made "...euil and reuiling speeches against the Elders and especially against Mr. Hills." A slander suit was filed against Thomas Squire. In 1653, the court fined Mr. Squire to pay 10 pounds in damages to Joseph, plus court costs, plus make "a sattisfactory acknowledgment of those Slanderous Speeches and imputations" in the Malden meeting house "before the publique assembly after Lecture." Joseph was also a leader of the town militia.

In the Autumn of 1662, the General Court denied a petition presented by Joseph Hill & Richard Collicott presented "in the name & behalfe of the adventurers & copartners of the iron works."

In the Spring of 1663, he acted as an attorney (unsuccessfully) in a suit on behalf of the "Iron works of Linn and Brantry" against the merchant Thomas Savage.

1664, he removed to Newbury.

In 1667 & 1669, he was deputy from Newbury and soon after he retired from public life.

He died 5 FEB 1687/8 Newbury, Massachusetts (Essex)[1]

Sources

Hills, William Sanford. Genealogical Data Relating to the Ancestry and Descendants of William Hills (A. Mudge & son, 1902)

Page 69: Joseph Hills was born in the parish of Great Burstead, Billericay, Essex, England. The record of his baptism reads, "1602, March, Joseph Hilles the sonne of George was baptized the third day."

Little, George Thomas. Genealogical and Family History of the State of Maine (Lewis Historical Publishing Company 1909) Vol. 1, pg. 358

Hills Family History Corrections

Fernald, Natalie R. The Genealogical Exchange (Buffalo, New York, 1904-1911) Vol. 4, Page 13

NEHGR: Hills, William S. Rose (Dunster) Hills, The New England Historical & Genealogical Register, (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass., 1895) Vol. 49, Page 146

from: http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hills-1175