Cuthbert Alexander Hill

The story of his school friends and his generation is told in the book "When Heroes Die" by Sue Smart.

From Scotland's People: Births and Baptisms

• Monday, 11 October 1897 at 03:30
• Birth of Cuthbert Alexander Hill, male, at Burtonhill, Helensburgh
• Son of Alexander Hill, Mining Engineer, and Mary Margaret Raine Hill, Maiden surname: Carr; married 24 April 1889 in London
• Informant Alexander Hill, father
• Registered 1 November 1897 at Helensburgh by James Ballingall, Registrar, in the Parish of Row [Rhu] in the County of Dunbarton

From Helensburgh Heritage Trust

Seven years later, on 31 March 1869, James Aitken, a widower with a daughter Edith Louise from his first marriage, married Emily Hill, the daughter of merchant Giles Hill, in Devizes, Wiltshire, and some time after that they bought Brownhill.

At a later stage some of the grounds were sold off, and the entrance moved to [Burton Hill House, 4 East Abercromby Street, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire G84 7SP 56.0105241, -4.7277042]. The rear of the house eventually became Berriedale, which has its own entrance further to the west at no.2.

The name change was presumably inspired by Mrs Aitken, who was born in Trieste, Austria, in 1846 and was the grand-daughter of Francis Hill, owner of Burton Hill House in Wiltshire.

From findmypast 19010331 census Alexander Hill 45 Mary M R 43 Lawrence C 10 Mary K C 8 Mark C 6 Nina M C 5 Cuthbert A 3 at Merrylee Green Lane Northwood Middlesex

31 March 1901 Census for residents of [Merrylee, location?] Green Lane, Northwood, London HA6 1AB 51.611432, -0.4236858

• Alexander Hill, head, married, male aged 45 [born about 1856] in Scotland; Mining Engineer, C.E.
• Mary M R Hill, wife, married, female aged 43 [born about 1858] in Hereford, Herefordshire
• Cuthbert A Hill, son, male aged 3 [born about 1898] in Scotland
• 4 siblings, 3 servants

From MyHeritage: Cuthbert Alexander Hill: 1911 England & Wales Census

2 April 1911 Census for residents of [Old School House, now Gresham's Pre-Prep School, Market Place, Holt, Norfolk NR25 6BB 52.9059307, 1.0909101], England

• Cuthbert Alexander Hill, boarder, male, aged 13 [born about 1898], in Helensburgh, Dumbartonshire; School

From Commonwealth War Graves: Midshipman Cuthbert Alexander Hill

• Midshipman Cuthbert Alexander Hill
• Regiment & Unit/Ship: Royal Navy, H.M.S. "Invincible."
• Date of Death: 31 May 1916
• Age: 18 years old
• Commemorated at: Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Clarence Esplanade, Southsea, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO5 3NT 50.7824, -1.0958 Panel 11.
• Country of Service: United Kingdom
• Additional Info: Son of Mary M. Hill, of "Rhosilli," Best Beech Hill, Wadhurst, Sussex, and the late Alexander Hill, M.I.M.M. Educated at Gresham's School, Holt, Norfolk, and passed into Keyham College, Royal Naval Engineering College, Saltash Road, Keyham, Plymouth PL2 1RA 50.385, -4.183 in 1915. Born at Helensburgh.

From Life story: Cuthbert Alexander Hill | Lives of the First World War

From PDF FORMAT: The Gresham Wednesday, 12 July 1916 Pages 211-214

Cuthbert Alexander Hill, who was a Midshipman on HMS Invincible (1907), Battle of Jutland, North Sea, 31 May 1916 57.04444, 6.12083, was killed in action at the Battle of Jutland, North Sea, 31 May 1916 – 1 June 1916 56.700, 5.867 on Wednesday, 31 May 1916.

Born on Sunday, 10 October 1897, he entered Gresham's School, Cromer Road, Holt, Norfolk NR25 6EA 52.9102, 1.1036 in September 1907, and left in July 1915. He was a House and School Prefect. He passed into the Navy by the Special Entry and went to Keyham in September 1915; he passed out in January 1916. He was appointed to the Invincible, which he joined on Wednesday, 2 February 1916, and went down with his ship in the Jutland Battle.

C. A. H.

Memory will long mark the charm of May 1916, with a white stone, and few at Holt will easily forget the week in which Cuthbert Hill was amongst us "on leave." Even those who had not known him before were glad to see him. He was good to look on and his face faithfully mirrored his character. Few records can be as fair as his. As a House Prefect and as a School Prefect his judgment was valued because it implied clearness and justice. His word was the word of an Englishman. His selflessness, his silent influence, were remarkable. He knew what was right and did it. Many heroic deeds were done in the battle of Jutland, and it is certain that not the least heroic part was played by the Invincible, whose officers and men faced certain death and met it with the gallantry of which the Empire is justly proud.

From Memorial in the [Holy Trinity Church, Gateway Close, Northwood, London HA6 2RP 51.6147468, -0.4374247]

To The loved Memory of Mark Carr Hill, Lieutenant 6th Battalion Leicestershire Regiment who Fell in Action in the Battle of the Somme on Friday, 14 July 1916, aged 22.

Also of Cuthbert Alexander Hill, Midshipman, H.M.S. Invincible, Killed at the Battle of Jutland, Wednesday, 31 May 1916, aged 18. Dearly Loved Sons of Alexander and Mary Hill