One of the main reasons for researching all the various Hill families is that there is so much research on them that is just wrong. Someone publishes an unproved fact and it gets linked to various trees on Ancestry.com and familysearch.org picks it up and various other sites start reporting as well. Perhaps a lot of this was due to the fact that until recently, YDNA analysis was not available to prove or disprove lineages.
In fact, technically, YDNA analysis of the male line doesn't necessarily "prove" a lineage, but it can definitely disprove a lineage. If you think your research on two living Hill male descendants come from the same male biological line but there YDNA doesn't match, then your research is wrong. Unfortunately, many persons over the years have sworn that their research lineage is correct. But, if today's YDNA shows otherwise, it's time to re-evaluate the research. YDNA does NOT lie.
At the same time, if the YDNA of two Hill descendants does match, it means that they have a common ancestor. It doesn't tell you which one. It could be parents, grandparents, or g-g-g-g-g grandparents; this is where the human touch of research has to figure out who the descendant comes from and who is the common ancestor. Just for example, my brother and I share the same exact YDNA 67 markers. So do our collective three sons. Sometime in the future, if someone were researching our lineage, they'd have to dig a little bit to determine which son belonged to which father. The YDNA is not going to tell them that. In fact, they could belong to my Uncle Joseph Wesley McDowell; but, good research would disprove that.
Those comments being said, there are a number of "facts" that this researcher has disproved that need to be published somewhere. Here are the questions and the answers and where the proof can be found. These are somewhat in order from when I did the research.
PROVE ME WRONG IF YOU CAN
- There is a notarized document "floating around on the Internet" written by Thomas H. Bain explaining his heritage. Here's the document found: The following quotation is from a "Kodak" film given to Mrs. Carroway by Sally Eugenia Brown, Atlanta, Georgia, declaring: I, Rev. Thomas H. Bain, make the following statement: that my Grandfather, Green Hill, and my great uncle, William Hill, were great nephews of a noted man, Rev. Green Hill, by name. He was an officer in the Revolution. Rev. Green Hill live in Franklin County, NC which was founded in 1779 from Bute County. My grandfather was Green Hill, a son of Rev. William Hill and a grandson of William Hill, Elder of Surry County, N.C. who was a brother of Rev Green Hill (signed) Thomas H. Bain. Sworn to and acknowledged before me this 3rd day of Feb., 1926, J. G. Williamson (Notary Seal).
This is NOT correct. Here's the data. Thomas H. Bain was a son of William T. Bain in Wake County, NC. His father William T. Bain had married on 4 September 1833 in Wake County to Martha Ann Hill, the daughter of Green Hill and Nancy Geddy. Green Hill was a brother to William Hill, the Secretary of State for NC from 1811 until his death in 1857. Therefore, Thomas H. Bain's grandfather was Green Hill and Green's brother William Hill, SS was his great uncle. And Green and William Hill were born to a Rev. William Hill and wife Elizabeth Halbert. This Rev. William Hill is claimed to be a son of a William Hill and Susannah Smithers; this researcher hasn't proved that. But, according to his statement, the William Hill with wife Susannah Smithers was a brother of Rev. Green Hill from Bute and Franklin Counties in NC. If that were true, then Green Hill and brother William Hill, SS would be great nephews.
Here's the problem. When William Hill, Secretary of State, died in 1857, there was a huge memoriam written for him. It clearly states that he was born in Surry, now Stokes County. And, his father who was William Hill who married Elizabeth Halbert and moved to North Carolina from Caroline County, VA. This William Hill is said to have been born around 1737 in Caroline County. This researcher can't verify that date. His wife Elizabeth Halbert was born in Caroline County about 1748-49 according to her death record reported in two newspapers. [Raleigh Register, Weekly, Friday, January 25, 1833] DIED - In this vicinity, a few days ago, in the 85th year of her age, Mrs. Glenn, mother to Wm. Hill, Esq., Secretary of State. [Raleigh North Carolina Star, Weekly, Friday, January 25, 1833 Vol. XXIV] DIED - In this vicinity. on the 18th instante [meaning she died on the 18th of the month of January 1833], Mrs. Elizabeth Glenn, aged about 84. The two documents put together state that Mrs. Elizabeth Glenn died on the 18 January 1833 and in Wake County, NC.
Reverend Green Hill from Bute/Franklin Counties in North Carolina was the son of Green Hill and Grace Bennett. Proof of this is everywhere. Green and Grace Hill came from Northampton County, NC to Bute/Franklin. Their son who became Rev. Green Hill was born on 14 November 1741 in Bute County, NC, not in Caroline County, VA. Yes, Rev. Green Hill did have a brother named William Hill. He was born 20 February 1750 in Northampton County, NC. Bible records prove his birth date. This William Hill married Mary Jones and had four sons. The important thing to note is that this William Hill was NOT born in Caroline, VA and was NOT the father of Rev. William Hill who married Elizabeth Halbert. Thomas H. Bain was wrong in what he deposed and had notarized.
- My direct Hill lineage wound up in Randolph County, NC. In the 1850 census of Randolph, there is a Green Hill who was listed as 75 years old. Since the name "Green" appears frequently in my Hill lineage, I used to think he was related. There is no YDNA proof in this research. However, research proved that this Green Hill was actually the brother of William Hill who was Secretary of State for North Carolina from 1811 until 1857 when he died. He came to Randolph County for gold mining purposes and brother William Hill also had land in the area. This family came from Surry and Stokes County, NC where there is some confusing research because their father was named William Hill. There were three different William Hill's in Surry and Stokes counties. Green Hill was born in Surry County, NC in June of 1781; that region is now Stokes County, NC. He died on 20 December 1862 in Randolph County, NC at age about 81 years and six months. His father was the Reverend William Hill who was born in Caroline County, VA and who married Elizabeth Halbert. After Williams death in 1785, Elizabeth remarried and eventually moved to Wake County, NC and died there. There's an obituary in Wake those indicates Green Hill's mother had died. Therefore, this Green Hill does NOT appear to be related to my Hill lineage. If YDNA disproves that, so be it, but my research doesn't show this lineage to be from the same physical location in Virginia. This researcher wasn't doing YDNA analysis when the eBook "Green Hill of Surry, Stokes, Rockingham, Wake and Randolph County" was published in 2012. It appears there may be some living male YDNA candidates down in the Fayetteville, NC area. Perhaps I'll revisit and look for a living male heir to take the YDNA test.
- My second eBook was titled "Abner Hill, Son of Robert and Tabitha Hill" published in 2013. This lineage starting with Robert and Tabitha Hill is full of errors - more on that below. However, I'm not sure why I decided to focus on the son Abner Hill other than trying to explain his lineage. He was probably born around 1723 in Surry County, VA where his parents were living at the time. He migrates down to Orange County, NC and that county split off and formed Chatham County, NC where he lived and owned property. It's difficult to prove who his children are but it's clear that a Robert and a Thomas Hill were the executors of his Last Will and Testament that was proved in Wilkes County, GA. At the very end of his life, he sold all of his Chatham County land and moved to Wilkes County. There are estate papers for him in Wilkes County, GA. There is a will book index indicating the will was submitted on 29 August 1788 ant Thomas Hill and Robert Hill were listed under the Executor and Administrator column. Unfortunately, the will books were destroyed in a fire when the register of deeds took them to his home which burned. There are YDNA data on this lineage that can be found at www.hilldna.com. Two participants go back directly to Abner and then of course Robert and Tabitha Hill. However, they are in Group 8; the Sion Hill lineage of this researcher is in Group 5. They are NOT related; YDNA proves it.
- There is a Last Will and Testament for a Sion Hill who died in 1780 in Wake County, NC. There are various interpretations of the writing though it's really simple to understand. It appears that over the years, people tried to make the contents match what they had from research. Others tried to claim he was the Sion Hill, son of Robert and Tabitha Hill mentioned above; that just isn't true as we'll see. It turns out that this is my direct Hill lineage and YDNA proves it. The "will" had a line stating, "I give to Green Hill, son of Sion Hill, Jn'r, deceased, five shillings." Sion Hill, Jr. was a son of the writer of the LW&T being Sion Hill [Senior if you like]. The Green Hill in this line of the will is a grandson of the older Sion Hill [Sr.]. There are court records found which prove he was born in May 1770. Other research proves that he married Matilda Turner, daughter of Simon Turner [proved in a separate eBook]. They had a son named Joseph Hill who died 5 May 1836 in Maury County, TN. This researcher traced his lineage to a living male heir who we've named Joseph Green Hill [to protect the identity of the participant at his request]. The YDNA from this particiant matched up with the other participants in Group 5 at www.hilldna.com, which is the lineage of Robert Hill and wife Mary who were immigrants in 1642 in Surry County, VA.
- Many, many researchers claim that the immigrant Robert Hill married Mary Webb. This researcher has read multiple research papers and original documents. There is absolutely NO proof that her maiden name was Webb. Yes, there was an Eliza Webb on the list of persons on the boat brought over by Francis England dated 20 June 1642. That doesn't mean she had any relationship to Mary. There are some Webb families in the same area as the Hill families. That doesn't mean she was Mary Webb. No one has ever produced a single piece of documentation to prove Robert's wife was Mary Webb. If you have it, please bring it forward. Otherwise, this researcher will continue to call the immigrants Robert Hill and wife Mary.
- This researcher has been so frustrated over the years with other researchers who claim that the Sion Hill who died in 1780 in Wake County, NC was the son of Robert Hill and Tabitha. He is NOT. This researcher wrote an eBook in 2016 titled "Sion Hill - son of Robert and Tabitha Hill - (Let's Get This One Right)." The last will and testament of Robert Hill did indeed prove he had the son Abner Hill, discussed above, and a son Sion Hill. Keep in mind, that most of the information written on this Sion Hill is incorrect. Sion, son of Robert and Tabitha Hill, had various tracts of land, all discussed in the eBook. He eventually moved to Orange County, NC. His father Robert Hill was deceased by April Court 1765. Sion Hill was living very close to brother Abner Hill, but when Orange County was divided and formed Chatham, Abner Hill remained across the south side of the Deep River and Sion remained on the north side in Orange County. There are estate records for Sion Hill and his inventory is found in 1768 in Orange County. He had a son named Abner Hill who wound up back in Greensville County, VA. Abner's descendants moved to Alabama and other southern states. A living male Hill descendant was found who took the YDNA test. He matched with other persons in Group 8 on www.hilldna.com. That group does NOT descend from Robert Hill and wife Mary. We have this one correct; please pass along the information and get a copy of this eBook which proves it.
- This researcher believes that there is solid research, which I've done, and YDNA data that proves the lineage of the immigrant Robert Hill and wife Mary. The website www.hilldna.com is extremely value. YDNA analysis from FamilyTreeDNA.com proves the data that is posted on www.hilldna.com. May I say, "If the YDNA don't fit, you must acquit." [Pardon that reference!] But, the truth is, even though I didn't do a lot of the direct research on the persons in Group 5 and Group 8, I can prove a lot. Initially, both groups of persons claimed to be a direct descendant of Robert Hill and wife Mary. Well, they both can't be because their YDNA does NOT match. Remember as noted in the introductory comments, if the YDNA does NOT match, you don't have a common ancestor. Both groups 5 and 8 can't have Robert Hill and wife Mary as their common ancestor. Wake up! That's why we do YDNA. FamilyTreeDNA proved the two groups are DIFFERENT - they don't have a common ancestor. Research didn't prove that; the YDNA tests did. But, the question remains as to which group does correctly claim Robert Hill and wife Mary. Hence, in 2016, I wrote the eBook titled "Thesis on the DNA Analysis and Research for Immigrant Robert Hill and Wife Mary." If you'll read it, there's only one conclusion; that is, Group 5 are the participants who are descendants of Robert Hill and wife Mary. In fact, this researcher looked at 9 YDNA kits posted in Group 8. Of course they all have a common ancestory because they are grouped together. They all link back to Robert Hill and wife Tabitha who lived in the same area as the Sion Hill descendants around 1700 in Surry County, VA. One of the YDNA participants researched by this researcher was a descendant through the Robert Hill and wife Tabitha line. The YDNA placed him in Group 8. Quite unexpectedly, we found out that this participants YDNA matched up with the Gray family, not the Hill family. Therefore, Robert Hill, with wife Tabitha, is NOT a blood line Hill - whoops! Remember YDNA does NOT lie; it can definitely disprove previous research. Such is the case here. Also, while we're debunking other research, there are multiple documents found that claim Robert Hill's wife Tabitha was born Tabitha Brown, daughter of Colonel William Browne. There is absolutely no proof of this. Yes, Robert Hill and wife Tabitha received a tract of 150 acres from the estate of Colonel William Brown in Surry County, VA on 7 May 1706. There's nothing in the deed that implies Tabitha was an heir. There is a very detailed Last Will and Testament of William Browne Senior of Surry County dated 4 December 1804 and probated 3 July 1705. Multiple relationships are mentioned including children and grandchildren. Even Sion Hill is referenced regarding a tract of land where he had a mill. There is NO reference to a daughter named Tabitha Browne/Hill - NONE.
- Let's go back to the last will and testament of Sion Hill who died in 1780 in Wake County, NC. The will named two sons William and Thomas Hill. There are multiple research documents who claim that these two sons married sisters; i.e., William married Elizabeth Cope and Thomas married Sybia Cope. That part is true, but they are NOT the sons of Sion Hill. This researcher undertook a major research project as these two Hill's moved to Overton County, TN with their wives and had families there. Male Hill descendants were traced and a male Hill descendant from William Hill and one from Thomas Hill participated in the YDNA test. As expected, the YDNA of the descendants of William and Thomas Hill matched each other; however, they did NOT match the Sion Hill YDNA in group 5. In fact, they are in their own group that has not yet been identified. For the moment, we have a William and a Thomas Hill in Wake County in the 1780-1800 timeframe who married Cope sisters, but they are NOT related to the Sion Hill lineage, i.e., they are not part of the Robert Hill and wife Mary's lineage. The proof is all found in the eBook titled "William and Thomas Hill - Wake County, NC and Overton County, TN." I wish all of the incorrect publications could be changed.
- Now there's an eBook not yet written, but the research is completed with YDNA analysis. Years ago, this researcher found a Green Hill who was born in Johnston County, NC on 4 August 1801. That's perfect to be born to Sion Hill and Starage Lee who were married on 21 October 1800 in Johnston County. We believe that this Sion Hill's father was named Green Hill. He even named a son Sion Hill, who was born on 15 October 1829, Johnston County, NC. Everything fit - until it didn't. This Green Hill belongs to the Joseph Hill and wife Sarah Lee family from the mid 1750s in Johnston County, NC. Two different lines from this Joseph Hill lineage which included this Green Hill and another son Joseph of Joseph Hill [Sr.] and wife Sarah. Those YDNA samples match each other, but they do NOT match the Robert Hill and wife Mary's YDNA. If you ever "borrowed" my data and included Green Hill born 21 October 1800 as the first child of Sion Hill and Starage Lee, please removed it; it is wrong!
- There's another huge error that has been made since the mid 1980s. This researcher "shared" some of his research with someone whom was thought to be a friend of genealogy. The next thing we knew is that all of my research showed up on an early Ancestry.com site - word for word in the notes section! That was bad enough, but then other researchers started attaching parents to Sion Hill who married Starage Lee. They claimed that Green Hill and wife Mary Boothe were his parents. This is just NOT true. A major research was done on the family of Green Hill who lived in Sussex County, VA. Green Hill left a lengthy last will and testament. He had three children; a daughter Martha Hill and two sons Henry Hill and William Hill. That's all and neither Henry nor William Hill had any children. It's proved in the eBook "Green Hill and Wife Mary Booth - Ancestors and Descendants." We still believe that the father of Sion Hill who married Starage Lee was named Green Hill; and, we believe he died in the 1800-1810 timeframe in Johnston County, NC. But, we have no proof. If you've attached Green Hill and Mary Booth as the parents of Sion Hill who married Starage Lee, read my eBook and please remove them. This is my direct lineage and it's important. Thanks!
- Who are the children of Sion Hill and Starage Lee? Well, we might not know all of them as Sion Hill and Starage, whose full name was Orpha Starage Lee, died after 1860, probably in Randolph County, NC as they are on the 1860 census, very old, living next to his son Calvin Hill and family; they are transcribed on the census as Sion Hicks and Orpha Hicks. That's because a "double l" was sometimes written as an " X " so that the census take wrote down Sion Hix on his pad. He forgot that meant Sion Hill and transcribed on the final census document as Sion Hicks [Hicks for Hix]; you see the problem. There's a huge eBook titled "Sion Hill and Starage Hill Descendants." YDNA analysis was performed and eight sons are verified against the research. Of course Sion and Starage Hill had a daughter Tilathy Hill who married my g-g-g-grandfather John McDowell in 1819 in Wake County. There may have been other daughters. This eBook presents all the evidence found to date. All of the YDNA data also places this family in Group 5 on the www.hilldna.com site and they are descendants of immigrant Robert Hill and wife Mary.
- There have been numerous questions on the lineage of the Hill families in Sussex County, VA. This researcher did a major eBook titled "Hill Families from Surry and Sussex Counties in Virgina." The three major lines included a Michael Hill, a John Hill, and Captain Richard Hill. John Boddie has written a lot of books years ago and he claimed that Michael Hill was a brother to Sion Hill, Jr. He also claimed that Richard Hill, son of Sion Hill, Sr. [grandson of Robert Hill and wife Mary], married Hannah Briggs and had a son Green Hill who married Grace Bennett, John Hill who married Marjorie Gilliam, [Captain] Richard Hill who married Mildred Gilliam, and daughter Mary Hill who married William Malone. This is not true; it is proved that Green Hill WAS a son of Richard Hill and Hannah Briggs [it's in my eBooks]. This Green Hill was the father of the Reverend Green Hill who we find in Franklin County, NC in the late 1700s, until he moved to Tennessee. The YDNA of a descendant of Michael Hill and John Hill from Sussex has been analyzed. They match each other, but they are in Group 4 on the www.hilldna.com site. That means they are NOT a descendant of Robert Hill and wife Mary. Now, Reverend Green Hill is a descendant but John Bodie has his research WRONG; YDNA proves it. YDNA was unable to be obtained for Captain Richard Hill; there are three living male descendants but they haven't responded to contacts. Therefore, we don't know where Richard Hill falls in the YDNA discussion. Please correct John Boddie's research claims; they are wrong; he never provided any research either.
I suppose I've made enough people angry for now but the proper research matched with YDNA analysis does not lie. I'll continue to add major Hill finds on this page as research is found. Thanks for reading my rantings.
Modified October 2024