Deacon Ebenezer Hill

Deacon Ebenezer Hill Sr.

• Born 14 Feb 1680 in Saco, York County, Maine
• Died 26 Mar 1758 in Biddeford, York, Maine
• Son of Roger Hill and Mary (Cross) Hill
• Brother of Sarah Hill, Hannah (Hill) Storer, John Hill, Samuel Hill, Joseph Hill, Mary (Hill) Littlefield, Benjamin Hill and Mercy Hill
• Husband of Abiel (Snell) Hill — married 30 Mar 1702 in Biddeford, York County, Maine
• Father of Dorothy (Hill) Jordan, Ebenezer Hill Jr., Susanna (Hill) Emery, Benjamin Hill, Lydia (Hill) Wingate, Joshua Hill and Jeremiah Hill

Biography

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Hill-2962

Profile last modified 16 May 2020 | Created 12 Jul 2011

Ebenezer was a corporal at Fort Mary in 1699 which had been built on Fort Hill in Biddeford Pool. Old Fort Mary featured in John Greenleaf Whittier's poem Mary Garvin:

The evening gun had sounded from gray Fort Mary's walls; Through the forest, like a wild beast, roared and plunged the Saco's falls.

To read the rest of the saga of Mary Garvin go to: http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/mary-garvin/

He was taxed at Kittery in 1701 and then moved to his father's land at Winter Harbor where he lived near the head of Ferry Lane on the western side of the river. It was stated that "Mr. Ebenezer Hills garrisson is upon the road and is a guard to the western side of the ferry."(1)

On Aug. 10th 1703: "several Indians in Saco, who professed to be friendly, and were frequently in the houses of the inhabitants, called at Mr. Hill's in the usual manner one morning and partook of some food which was offered them. They left the house but, soon after returned and finding Mr. Hill gone told his wife they must make her prisoner. They proceeded to plunder such articles as they could carry away and destroyed others. When Mr. Hill returned he found his wife secured having her arms bound and the savages employed in emptying a featherbed. He gave himself into their hands for he dared not resist and the Indians decamped with their prisoners."(2) They were taken to Canada where they remained three years. He wrote to his brother John at Berwick from Quebec March 1704/5 expressing great discontent in Canada adding:

"Cousin Pendleton Fletcher of Saco (his sister's son at Saco), Mary Sayer, brother Joseph's daughter, and Mary Storer of Wells with our other friends and neighbors here, are all well, and myself, wife and child are well, and send kind love to you all, begging your prayers that God would direct, protect and keep us, and in due time deliver us.

Your loving brother and sister, Ebenezer and Abiah Hill."(3)

Their oldest son Ebenezer was born in Canada and was later called the "Frenchman" after their return.

Ebenezer's brother Samuel and his wife Elizabeth were also captured and he wrote home to his brother John 7 Oct. 1704:

Loving brother and sister- My kind love with my wifes hoping these few lines will find you in good health, as they leave us at this time, blessed by God for it. This is to give you to understand that we are not likely to come home until next summer, when there will be a general exchange of prisoners, and the reason of my not coming home this fall is because our government sent no prisoners home for those which this governor sent by Livingston, for which there was a great deal of reason to have done, and in the mean time we remain sufferers, whereas, if the governor at Boston had sent them, I should hve come home with my family and a great many others. Nay, in so much that if the governor of Massachusetts had but sent one man for me, this governor would have let me and my family home with me. But I desire to wait, as Job did, for my appointed time is not come. I pray give my respects to Major Hammond and wife, cousin Pearce, Charles Frost, John Frost and their wives and to Mr. Whittemore. Brother and sister Hill (Ebenezer and Abiah) desire to be remembered to you both and all friends desiring your prayer, and of all Gods people. Your loving brother and sister Samuel and Elizabeth Hill(5)

Ebenezer was at Wells in Dec. 1706, Portsmouth 1713 and returned to Biddeford by 1724 where he was a selectman, town treasurer, ensign and Lieutenant. In 1718 the last meeting of the inhabitants on both sides of the river under the old name of Saco was held at the house of John Stackpole; Ebenezer Hill, H. Scamman, and Richard Stimpson were chosen selectmen. He was a member of the first church in Biddeford and in 1730 was elected deacon. He purchased a pew June 1727 for £9.

We Humphrey Scammon & Ebenezer Hill & Pendlan Fletcher of Biddefor… Yeomen… in Consideration of the value of the Consideration that We have Reced a Certain Tract of Land and have in possession of which the Meeting House now stands & Highway to the Parsonage Land Ordered & Voted at a Legal Town Meeting held in Biddeford March the Sixteenth 1718/19 Then We have Measured out to Benjamin Haeley Six Acres of the Great Seegbaenck lying in Winter Harbour Flates beginning at the Channel near unto Win Mill Hill… this Twenty Forth Day of Novr… One Thousand seven hundred & twenty… Humphrey Scammon Ebenezer Hill Pendleton Fletcher In Presence of us John Gray John Stackpole Robert Munson (9)

I Edward Sargent Esqr of Newbury… in consideration of ye… Sum of Twenty five pounds… paid… by Ebenezer Hill of Bediford…do… sell… Land Robert Both gave… to his Son Simon Booth… and ye sd Simon Booth to Majr Bryan Pendleton and Ellner Pendleton and Capt James Pendleton as Executrs to Majr Bryan Pendleton to Pendleton Fletcher and ye said Fletcher to ye sd Sargent… five Acres of Marsh… bounded… upon Booths Land and upon ye Highway… Land of Jno Leighton and also a piece of Marsh containing one Acre… towards ye Sea Wall… this Twelfth Day of July… 1727… Edward Sargent In presence of Us John Greenleaf Jacob Eaton (6)

He sold this property a few years later to Richard Smith: Ebenezer Hill of Biddeford… Husbandman… in Consideration of the Sum of Ten Pounds… paid by Richard Smith… do… sell… Land… which I… bought of… Edward Sargent Esqr… we have… set our Hands… this twenty Fifth Day of March… 1734… Ebenezer Hill Abiel Hill In Presence of us Samuel Willard Ebenezer Hill (8)

I John Tarr of Biddeford… in Consideration of the Sum of Two Hundred & Fifty Pound… paid… by Ebenezer Hill of Biddeford… do… sell… One Hundred Acres of Land… on the Western Side of Saco River… the same Land that Roger Hill sold to John Hellson… excepting Forty Nine Acrees for Matthew Patten on the… Way that is laid out to go to the Ferry & One Acre… joyning the Road where his House & Shop now stands Also Three Acres for myself where my House now stands with ye Priviledge of the Ferry & High Way… this Third Day of March… One Thousand Seven Hundred & Thirty & One… John Tarr Elisabeth Tarr In the Presence of us Samuel Miller Thomas Wright Thomas Thompson (10)

I Aaron Potter of Ipswich… Cooper for… the Sum of Fifty Pounds… Paid… by Ebenezer Hill… do… sell… Fifty Acres… being the one half of One Hundred Acres which did belong to Richard Zilly… in Saco & which sd Zilly sold to Richard Tarr & sd Richard Tarr sold to John Potter… one the West side of the River bounded… with the Land which was Willima Dicers… this Ninth day of June One Thousand seven Hundred & Thirty Two… Aaron Potter In Presence of us Samuel Dutch Thomas Emery (7)

"In the name of god Amen: The Eighth day of may In the year of our Lord one thousand Seven Hundred and fifty Seven I Ebenezer Hill of Biddeford In the County of york and Province of the massachusetts Bay In New England Gentlemen...

Item I Give and Bequeath unto my Beloved Son Ebenezer Hill or his Heirs the Sum of twenty nine Pounds four Shillings Lawful money to be paid by my Executor within two years after my Decease. Item I Give and Bequeath unto my Beloved Son Benjamin Hill or His Heirs the Sum of twenty Eight Pounds Lawful money to be paid by my Executor within one year and an Half after my Decease

Item I Give and Bequeath unto my Beloved Son Jeremiah Hill and to His Heirs or assigns forever the paying the Several Legacies Herein mentioned: all my Homestead both Land and marsh with all the Buildings Standing thereupon with all my out Lands: also all my Stock: and my Implements of Husbandry Item I Give and Bequeath unto my Beloved Grand Son Ebenezer Jordan Son of my Beloved Daughter Dorethy Jordan Deceased: the Sum of twenty Eight Pounds fourteen Shillings Lawful money: to be paid Him when he Shall arrive at the age of twenty one years by my Executor also my Gun and In Case the Said Ebenezer Jordan Should die before he arrive at that age I order the Said Sum to be paid to His Brethren and Sister: and to be Equally Divided betwixt them the Said Sum of twenty Eight Pounds fourteen Shillings being what I purposed to have given my Said daughter Dorethy Jordan If She had Lived an the full of Her Portion.

Item I Give and Bequeath unto my Beloved Daughter Susanna Emery: the Sum of ninty one Pounds Seventeene Shillings and four Pence: Lawful money: to be Paid by my Executor unto Her or Her Heirs within four years after my Decease

Item I Give and Bequeath unto my Beloved Daughter Lydia Winget: the Sum of twenty nine pounds five Shillings and Eight Pence Lawful money to be paid unto Her or Her Heirs by my: Executor within five years after my Decease

Item: my Houshold Goods I give and Bequeath unto my Beloved Son Jeremiah Hill and my Beloved Daughters Susanna Emery and Lydia Winget to be Equally Divided Betwixt them my Said Daughters allowing the amount of their parts of the Same out of the Sum above mentioned to be paid to them

Item I Give and Bequeath unto the Revd mr Moses Morrill Pastor of the Church of Christ In Biddeford the Sum of two Pounds Lawful money to be paid be my Executor at my Decease

Item I Give and Bequeath unto the Church In Biddeford the Sum of thirteen Shillings and four Pence Lawfull money to be paid by my Executor within one year after my Decease.

Lastly I make... my Beloved Son Jeremiah Hill my Sole Executor...

Ebenzer Hill In the presence of us Allen Jordan Benj mason Timothy David"(4)

Descendant of Mayflower passenrger George Soule

Children were Ebenezer "the Frenchman," Dorothy, Susannah, Benjamin, Lydia, Joshua and Jeremiah.

References

1. http://racrboi.com/family/getperson.php?personID=I15562&tree=T1 (dead link)
2. York County, Maine Will abstracts Hill, Ebenezar of Biddeford, York Co, ME dated 08 May 1757, proven 02 Oct 1758. wife--not named--Sons--Ebenezer, Benjamin & Jeremiah--Daughter--Lydia Winget--Gr son--Ebenezer Jordon s/o dau Dorothy--Gr Daughter--Susanna Emery--Others--Rev Moses Morrelle, pastor Church of Christ
3. (1) Mass. Archives- Vol.72, p.134
4. (2) The Descendants of Peter Hill of York Co., Maine- Usher Parsons, N.E.H.G.R.- Vol.12, pp.140-1 (Apr. 1858)
5. (3) Ibid- p.140
6. (4) York Co. Registry of Probate- Docket No. 9208
7. (5) The Hill Family in Maine 1633-1945- Samuel A. Hill, Bangor, 1945
8. (6) York Deeds- Vol. 12, pt. 1, fol. 156
9. (7) Ibid- Vol. XV, fol. 67
10. (8) Ibid- Vol. XVI, fol. 187
11. (9) Ibid- Vol. XVI, fol. 209
12. (10) Ibid- Vol. XIV, fol. 85
13. Genealogical Dictionary of Maine & New Hampshire- pp.329
14. History and Genealogy of the Stackpole Family- Everett S. Stackpole, Lewiston, 1920- p.94
15. History of Saco and Biddeford- George Folsom, A.C. Putnam, 1830- pp. 205,226
16. New England Captives Carried to Canada- Emma Lewis Coleman, Southworth Press, Portland, 1925
17. Emery, Carl S.,"Descendants of Anthony Emery in York County, Maine 1635-1938", Portland, ME: Carl S. Emery (1938).