William Hill Wells
United States Senator fromDelaware
In office May 28, 1813 – March 3, 1817
Preceded by	James A. Bayard
Succeeded by	Nicholas Van Dyke
In office January 17, 1799 – November 6, 1804
Preceded by	Joshua Clayton
Succeeded by	James A. Bayard
Member of theDelaware House of Representatives
In office January 6, 1795 – January 7, 1800 January 1, 1811 – January 5, 1814 January 5, 1819 – January 4, 1820
Personal details
Born	William Hill Wells (1769-01-07)January 7, 1769 Burlington, Province of New Jersey
Died	March 11, 1829(1829-03-11) (aged 60) Dagsboro, Delaware, US
Party	Federalist
Spouse	Elizabeth Dagworthy Aydelott
Residence	Dagsboro, Delaware
Profession	Lawyer

William Hill Wells (January 7, 1769 – March 11, 1829) was a lawyer and politician fromDagsboro, inSussex County, Delaware. He was a member of theFederalist Party, who served in theDelaware General Assembly and as U.S. Senator from Delaware.

Wells was born inBurlington, New Jersey. His family came to Sussex County when he was young, and his father began a successful mercantile business at Dagsboro, which the younger Wells continued. He was the son of Rachel (Hill) and Richard Welles, who was born inKingston upon Hull inEngland.^[1] His marriage to Elizabeth Dagworthy Aydelott, the ward ofRevolutionary War GeneralJohn Dagworthy,^[2][3][4] greatly increased his wealth, as she had inherited large tracts of Sussex County timberlands. Meanwhile he studied the law, was admitted to the DelawareBar in 1791, and practiced atGeorgetown, Delaware, eventually expanding his practice toDover, Delaware.

Actor, playwright and directorOrson Welles was a great-great-grandson of Wells.

Wells represented Sussex County for several years in the Delaware General Assembly, initially serving in the State House from the 1795 session through the 1799 session. He was then elected as a Federalist to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death ofJoshua Clayton, and served from January 17, 1799, until November 6, 1804. During this time he joined his Federalist colleagues in opposition to theLouisiana Purchase. He resigned before the completion of his term to seek his fortune in the oil business in northern Pennsylvania. He returned to the State House for the 1811 and 1812 sessions, and spent the 1813 session in the State Senate. He was again elected as a Federalist to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation ofJames A. Bayard, and served from May 28, 1813, to March 3, 1817. Finally, he served once more in the 1819 session of the State House.

All the while he continued the practice of law in Dagsboro andMillsboro, Delaware, and became heavily involved in the oil business in Pennsylvania.^{[citation needed]}

Wells died near Dagsboro, Delaware, and is buried in thePrince George's Chapel churchyard, in Dagsboro.

Elections were held the first Tuesday of October. Members of the Delaware General Assembly took office on the first Tuesday of January, with the State Senate serving a three-year term, and the State House a one-year term. The General Assembly chose the U.S. Senators, who took office March 4 for a six-year term. In this case he was initially completing the existing term, the vacancy caused by the death of Joshua Clayton, and later completing the existing term the vacancy caused by the resignation of James A. Bayard.

• Martin, Roger A. (1995).Memoirs of the Senate. Newark: Roger A. Martin.
• Munroe, John A. (1954).Federalist Delaware 1775–1815. New Brunswick: Rutgers University.
• Wilson, W. Emerson (1969).Forgotten Heroes of Delaware. Cambridge, MA: Deltos Publishing Company.

• Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Delaware's Members of Congress
• William H. Wells atFind a Grave
• The Political Graveyard

• Delaware Historical Society;websiteArchived December 31, 1996, at theWayback Machine; 505 Market St, Wilmington, Delaware; (302) 655-7161.
• University of Delaware;Library website; 181 South College Ave, Newark, Delaware; (302) 831–2965.

• 1769 births
• 1829 deaths
• Politicians from Burlington, New Jersey
• American people of English descent
• Delaware Federalists
• United States senators from Delaware
• Federalist Party United States senators
• Members of the Delaware House of Representatives
• Delaware state senators
• People from Georgetown, Delaware
• Delaware lawyers
• People from colonial New Jersey
• 19th-century American lawyers
• 19th-century United States senators
• 18th-century United States senators
• 19th-century members of the Delaware General Assembly
• People from Dagsboro, Delaware

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