Biography

James Hill was born 30 Oct 1779 in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, and died 17 Jul 1845 (aged 65) in Eramosa, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada. He is buried with his wife Mary (Riggs) in Everton Cemetery in Eramosa.

CHILDREN

1. Agnes
2. Alexander
3. John
4. Graham
5. James
6. Margaret Jestin
7. Elisa Scott

WILL

LAST WILL OF JAMES HILL SR.

In the name of Almighty God

I James Hill Senr. of the Township of Eramosa in the District of Wellington, Canada West, being at present a dangerous state of bodily health but perfectly sound in mind, taking into consideration the uncertainty of life & the purpose of arranging my worldly affairs for the preservation of the harmony & peace of my family after my decease, do make this My last Will and Testament as follows viz:

I bequeath to by beloved wife Mary Hill the house in which we reside & the shop attached to it during her natural life and I leave as an encumbrance on the place & property that she be supplied with two cows and four sheep & that pasture & fodder be sufficiently and regularily provided for them, also that sufficient fuel for the use of her house be seasonably and conveniently left at her house & that she be furnished with Twenty bushels of potatoes and Two Hundred pounds of good pork annually. The pasture & fodder, fuel & provisions to be supplied during her natural life.

I bequeath to my beloved daughter Agnes to be paid to her by my son Alexander, his heirs, successors & Assigns the sum of Twenty five pounds payable in three equal yearly installments, the first installment one year after my decease. If she prefers living unmarried she may live in her mother's house & Alexander, her brother, his Heirs & Successors will supply her with sufficient & comfortable food. She will have the use of the loom stackle? as long as she remains unmarried. I confirm her in the proprietorship? of two cows, bedstead & bed & bed-clothes known as hers.

I bequeath to my beloved son John when he arrives at the age of twenty one years, the southerly half of the easterly half of Lot number Six in the Seventh Concession of the Township of Eramosa aforesaid free of all emcumbrances also one cow and one yoke of working oxen not over nine years old. It is my request? that he remain with my son Alexander during his {John's} minority? & youthfully asset? & that Alexander in return will supply him with comfortable clothes becoming his calling and if he should die before he leave a lawful heir of his own body then the land intended for him shall be equally divided between my sons James and Alexander, their Heirs, Successors & Assigns.

I bequeath to my sons Graham & James five shillings each.

I bequeath to each of my daughters Margaret Jestin and Elisa Scott, five pounds, to be paid two pounds ten shillings one year after my decease & the balance two years after my decease.

I bequeath to my son Alexander the westerly half of Lot number Six in the Seventh Concession aforesaid, together with all improvements, farming implements, horses, stock & every thing else unto me belonging under the encumbrances proceeding from this my Last Will & Testament, he will also pay the expenses of my death bed & funeral.

I appoint my trustworthy neighbors James Black and Donald Black both of Eramosa to carry this my last Will & Testament into effect.

Signed, Sealed & Published this tenth Day of May in the Year of Our Lord One thousand Eight hundred & fourty five.

Research Notes

John R. Riggs was granted a tract of land in Upper Canada, to which he emigrated in 1819 taking his younger brother Alexander and James Hill, his nephew then 15 years old, and James' eldest brother Graham Hill, b. 1804, d. 1849. In 1829 James and Mary Riggs Hill obtained a tract of 200 acres in the township of Eramosa They thereby became one of the first settlers on what were known as Canada Company's lands.^[1]

Signed-James Hill Senr.^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ Hill Heritage Vol. 1 No. 1, January 1979.
2. ↑https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/tree/17516345/person/540276223/media/926ac0a4-2949-4003-84a6-512842919e39?_phsrc=oEb33480&_phstart=successSource

• Find A Grave:Memorial #153416442

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