General Notes

Valentine Hill was extensively engaged in real estate and other transactions in Boston, Lynn, Rumney Marsh, Dover, Oyster River and the Pascataqua River area between the years 1637 when he was of Boston and 1660. In 1651 he conveyed to Mr. Thomas Cobbett, of Lynn, styled "Clarke,": afterwards minister of Ipswich, and others, all grants of land made to him, the said Hill, by the town of Dover, at Oyster River, and the saw mills erected therein. Suffolk Deeds, Lib. I. 182., NEHGR, vii, 49 and the Wenthworth Genealogy, i. 138.

The will of John Hill, of London, Merchant, 14 December, 1665, proved 8 feb. 1687. Extract:   Wife: Sarah. Daughter: Sarah.Daughter: Elizabeth.Daughter: Hannah. Wife with child. Bother Valentine Hill late of New England, deceased.Brother in law: Mr. Thomas Cobbet, Niece: Bridget Cobbet.Cousin: Garrett. Cousin: Thomas Browne. Cousin: John Browne. Brother: Hutchinson. Cousin: Elizabeth Meridith. Brothers: Nathaniel and Richard Hunt. Brother in law: John Miles and his son John Miles, jr. Maid: Prudence. Cousins: Charles, Margaret and Katherine Watkins. Friends; Mr. William Allen, Mr. William Sawyer and Mr. Robert Wakeling.  Geneal. Gleanings, by Waters.

Heraldric Pedigrees:
The Visitation of Norfolk, 1563, 1613., Hill
The Visitation of Norfolk, 1664., Hill
London Visitation Pedigrees, 1664., Hill
The Visitation of London, 1568.,  Browne, Myles.
The Visitation of London, 1633-1635, Garrett, Watkins.

James Savage, Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England
VALENTINE, Boston 1636, a mercer from London, I think, ar. co. 1638, freem. 13 May 1640, and on Sunday foll. was, with Jacob Eliot, ord. deae. by w. Frances, wh. d. 17 Feb. 1646, had Hannah, bapt. 17 Mar. 1639; John, b. 1 Sept. 1640, d. soon; Eliz. 12, bapt. 19 Dec. 1641, d. young; Joseph, and Benjamin, tw. 19, bapt. 23 June 1644, both d. soon; by sec. w. Mary, d. of Gov. Eaton, adm. of our ch. 15 May 1647, he had John, bapt. 22 Aug. 1647; and Nathaniel, b. 31 Mar. 1660. He was of great public spirit, grantee in 1641, with others, of the town, or Bendall's dock, and the week foll. was made a selectman, rechos. 1642, 3, 4, 5 and 6; interest in the Ids. at Dover, and prob. liv. some time there, was rep. 1652-5 and 7, and d. 1662. His wid. m. perhaps John Lovering of Dover, and next, Ezekiel Knight of Wells. Hannah m. 24 Jan. 1660, Antipas Boyce.

Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire,  Sybil Noyes, Charles Thornton Libby, and Walter Goodwin Davis Portland, ME 1928-1939; Reprint, Baltimore, MD, Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.Page: p. 330



Notes found via: Rootsweb World connect: An early settler of Boston, MA. Admitted to Church 6/12/1636. Freeman 5/13/1640. Selectman 1643-44-45-46 Deputy to the general court 1652-53-54-55-57

Valentine Hill was born on March 23, 1611 in Winthorpe Parish, Lincolnshire, England. He was the fifth child of William and Elizabeth Hill who married about 1600. Valentines father, William, was the son of Thomas Hill (born abt. 1550) and his wife Ann. Valentine Hill's brothers were William, Christopher, Thomas and John. His sisters were Ann, Elizabeth and Mary. Socially, the family were "Gentry" or "Squires" and were listed in "Lincolnshire Gentry" in 1625.

Valentine Hill moved from London, where he and his brother John were merchants, to Boston in early 1636. During 1636-1649, Valentine acquired a good deal of land in central Boston including land along the waterfront which is close to the area which presently occupies Fanuel Hall and Quincy Market. In 1641, he was elected as one of the "Selectmen" for Boston, the equivalent of a modern-day city council. His main business appears to have been as a trader -- exporting and importing products such as tobacco, indian corn, sugar, cattle, etc.

He was a very prosperous and entrepreneurial sort and apparently quite well-to-do. In 1644, while a prosperous businessman and politician in Boston, Valentine acquired the Governors Mansion of Massachusetts. Governor John Winthop owed Valentine 500 pounds and settled his indebtedness by giving Mr. Hill the mansion. Valentine and his first wife, Frances Freestone, lived in the mansion for five years as did the first nine of his eleven children. Frances died in 1645 six months following the death of their twin sons Benjamin and Joseph. Valentine Hill re-married in 1645. He married Mary Eaton, daughter of the Governor of Connecticut, Theophilus Eaton. They had six children born between 1646 and 1659, the last of whom was Nathaniel Hill.

Valentine and Mary Hill left Boston in 1649 and settled on a large 500 acre farm in Dover, Massachusetts at a site known as Oyster River Plantation (currently Durham, New Hampshire). Mr. Hill developed a lumber mill business and brought great prosperity to the Oyster River community. He became active in town politics and built the first town meeting house on land that now is part of the University of New Hampshire. Valentine Hill died unexpectedly and early in his life in 1661 at Oyster River. His estate was vast and carried many legal problems such that his estate was not finally settled until 1697, thirty six years after his death.

Valentine's youngest son, Nathaniel, was the only heir to survive the lengthy legal entanglement of the Hill estate. In 1797 he renounced his ownership of the 500 acre farm that his father had left him in order to clear the estate. He had married Sarah Nutter in about 1680 and they had five children (Valentine, Samuel, Sarah, Abigail and Mary). Captain Nathaniel Hill was a deacon in the church at Oyster River and was prominent as an official of the town of Durham as well. Nathaniel died in Durham in 1741 and was said to have "lost his reason" during the final months of his long life.

Samuel Hill was born in 1685 at Oyster River and married Sarah Thompsonin 1718.  He died in 1767 after which witnesses testified in court thathe appeared to be "benumbed in his senses and not capable of actingrationable upon any business".  They had eleven children including Valentine Hill(2) who was born in 1730 at  Durham (Oyster River) andlater moved to Lyman, Maine about 1780 after marrying Sarah Burley in1762.  Lt. Valentine Hill was commissioned in 1765 by Governor BenningWentworth.

Lt. Valentine Hill(2) and Sarah Burley  had thirteen children including Nathaniel Hill(2) who wasborn in 1776 at Lyman, Maine.  Lt. Valentine Hill died in 1825.

From the Kennebunk Gazette, March 5, 1825:
"  Died in Lyman, Me., 18 Feb., Mr. Valentine Hill, aged 94.   He lived in a married state 64 years and left a numerous   posterity, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren   to number about 130.  His health and bodily activity, till   within a short period before his death, were unexampled.   He retained all his faculties to an astounding degree.   A long life of honest industry--of conjugal attachment--of
  parental care and general benevolence, speak louder encomiums  than the most elaborate eulogies, etc."

From "Daughters of the American Revolution Lineage Book", Vol. C 11:
Valentine's youngest son, Nathaniel, was the only heir to survive thelengthy legal entanglement of the Hill estate.  In 1797 he renounced hisownership of the 500 acre farm that his father had left him in order toclear the estate.  He had married Sarah Nutter in about 1680 and they hadfive children (Valentine, Samuel, Sarah, Abigail and Mary).  CaptainNathaniel Hill was a deacon in the church at Oyster River and wasprominent as an official of the town of Durham as well.  Nathaniel diedin Durham in 1741 and was said to have "lost his reason" during the finalmonths of his long life.

"Valentine Hill served as a patriot and pledged his allegiance to theColonies.  He was born in  Durham,NH and died in 1825 in Lyman, Maine."

1610 (Abt.) Valentine Hill Born   Lincolnshire, England  1636 (Abt.) Valentine Hill Arrives Colonies  Boston, Massachusetts  1649  Valentine Hill Moves to Oyster River Durham, New Hampshire, 1659   Nathaniel Hill (1) Born   Durham, New Hampshire 1696  Samuel Hill Born    Durham, New Hampshire  1730 (Abt.) Valentine Hill (2) Born   Durham, New Hampshire  1765  Lt.  Valentine Hill Commissioned Nottingham, New Hampshire  1780  Lt. Valentine Hill Moves to Lyman Lyman, Maine  1776  Nathaniel Hill (2) Born   Lyman, Maine 1804
Valentine Hill was born on March 23, 1611 in Winthorpe Parish,Lincolnshire, England.  He was the fifth child of William and ElizabethHill who married about 1600.  Valentines father, William, was the son ofThomas Hill (born abt. 1550) and his wife Ann.  Valentine Hill's brotherswere William, Christopher, Thomas and John.  His sisters were Ann,Elizabeth and Mary.  Socially, the family were "Gentry" or "Squires" andwere listed in "Lincolnshire Gentry" in 1625.