1641 - 1714

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• Birth	Abt 1641	Duxbury, Plymouth County, Massachusetts (probably)   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Died	24 Jan 1713/1714	Little Compton, Newport County, Rhode Island   [2]
  Buried	Little Compton, Newport County, Rhode Island (Old Commons Cemetery)   [3, 4]
  Person ID	I77567	Brainard (Brainerd) / Foster / Fish
  Last Modified	11 Sep 2003 00:00:00
  Father	William HILLARD, b. Abt 1614, England
  Mother	Esther
  Family ID	F14519	Group Sheet
  Family	Deborah WARREN, b. 1652, Exeter, Rockingham County, New Hampshire
  Married	12 Jun 1671	Hingham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts   [5, 6]
  Children	1. (child) HILLARD, b. 26 Jan 1671/1672, Hingham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts   2. William HILLARD, b. 21 Jan 1672/1673, Hingham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts   3. John HILLARD, b. 8 Feb 1674/1675, Hingham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts   4. Simeon HILLARD, b. 14 Mar 1676/1677, Hingham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts > 5. David HILLARD, b. 25 Feb 1677/1678, Hingham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts > 6. Deborah HILLARD, b. 17 Jun 1680, Hingham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts   7. Isaac HILLARD, b. 19 Apr 1683, Hingham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts > 8. Esther HILLARD, b. 8 Mar 1684/1685, Hingham, Plymouth County, Massachusetts > 9. Mary HILLARD, b. 3 Apr 1687, Little Compton, Newport County, Rhode Island > 10. Abigail HILLARD, b. 12 Jul 1690, Little Compton, Newport County, Rhode Island > 11. Sarah HILLARD, b. 28 Jun 1692, Little Compton, Newport County, Rhode Island > 12. Jonathan HILLARD, b. 8 Nov 1696, Little Compton, Newport County, Rhode Island
  Family ID	F5073	Group Sheet

• Notes

  William and Deborah resided at 'Liberty Plain' in Hingham, where William was a cooper, the industry for which Hingham was well noted. Some of their neighbors at Liberty Plain were Humphrey Johnson and son Benjamin; Robert Dunbar (a Scotchman); Capt. John Jacob; and James Whiton and son James. I could find no record of William participating in church or town affairs, nor could I find any evidence that he was a property owner.. They must have had some relationship with the church because a sister of Deborah's married a son of Daniel Hobart, who was the twin brother of Rev. Peter Hobart, the minister of Hingham for many years. There was some indication that they may have had a fire sometime in NOV 1683 because the cause of death of their son Isaac on 25 NOV 1683 is recorded as due to "burned in the fire". During the King Philip's war, the home of a neighbor, James Whiton was burnt by the Indians. Also, the house of Nathaniel Chubbick, probably of nearby Accord Pond, was one of those destroyed on 20 APR 1676. No mention is made of William’s home. The family moved to Little Compton, sometime between the birth in Hingham of Esther on 8 MAR 1684/5 and the birth in Little Compton of Mary on 3 APR 1687. The original settlement of Little Compton was about 1676 and it appears that William may have owned land shortly after that date but he was not recorded as one of the original owners. There is a flag denoting military service honoring his grave in Little Compton. No record could be found showing service in King Philip's war, but a record exists showing that a William Hillerd from Little Compton had service in the Sir William Phips' Expedition to Canada in 1690. It shows that under Capt. Samuel Gallup, a body of about 60 men sailed from Plymouth in five Shallops. This battle was won at the expense of many lives. It is hard to believe it is William because he would have been fifty years of age, more likely his son, William. William appeared to be more involved in the affairs of the town in Little Compton than in Hingham. At the 20 MAR 1703/4 town meeting it was voated that William Hillird is chosen "Clark of the Market" & William or Will Hillird (Hilliard, Hillard) was voated "Clark of the Market" at the town meeting every year thereafter until and including MAR 1708/9. He was voated as one of the "Surveyors of the Highways" on 18 MAR 1705/6 and 20 MAR 1707/7. On 18 MAR 1705/6 it was also voated that Will be chosen as "a monitor to see to our highways". On MAR 1708/9 he was selected for the "Jury of Tryalss". On 5 MAR 1710/11 and 10 MAR 1711/12 he was chosen as the "Tithing Man". On 4 JUL 1691, William bought from Joseph Church, Sr., Lot 56 for 5 pounds. On 8 FEB 1692/3 he bought Lot 54 from Nathaniel Warren for 10 pounds. On 8 APR 1697 he bought from Joseph Church for eighteen shillings Lot 23, Lot 24, Lot 33, 1/2 of Lot 25 and 1/4 of Lot 18 and for 24 shillings, Lot 11. On 6 JUN 1699 he bought from John Rouse for eighteen shillings, 3/4 of Lot 14. Additional purchases were made that day from Samuel Bradford and Benjamin Church. The records indicate that a William Hillard sold land 29 APR 1714, to William Fobes. William had died three months earlier in JAN, so this sale may have been finalized after his death. The will of William, recorded in Taunton, book 3, part 1, page 186 was made DEC 1712 and proved 1 FEB 1713. ". . .to wife Deborah Hilliard use of real and personal for life. To son David Hilliard one half of my real estate after the death of my wife. To son Jonathan one half of my real estate after the death of my wife. To daughter Deborah, wife of John Paddock 10 pounds. To daughter Esther, wife of Jeremy Geere ten pounds. To daughter Mary, wife of John Palmer 10 pounds. To daughter Abigail Hilliard 15 pounds. To daughter Sarah Hilliard 10 pounds. Rest and residue to wife Deborah including Indian woman . . . ." William Hilliard Tombstone inscription: Here lyeth the body of William Hillard who departed this life January ye 24th in the 72nd year of his age 1713-14 Inscription: "Here lyeth ye body of William Hillard who departed his life January ye 24th in the 72nd year of his age 1713/14"

• Sources

  [S852] The National Society of Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America, Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America (OCT, page 36. [S204] James N. Arnold, Arnold Collection, Vital Records of Rhode Island; 1636-1850 (Providence, RI: Narragansett Historical Pub, Volume 4. Newport County, page 127. [S285] Benjamin Franklin Wilbour, Town of Little Compton, Rhode Island, Families (Little Compton, RI: Little Compton Historical, pages 342-347. [S286] Benjamin F. Wilbour, Town of Little Compton, Rhode Island, Notes on the History (Compiled for the Little Compton Historic, Cemeterys, page 38. [S284] Town of Hingham, Hingham Town Records (1635-1830) and Rev. Peter Hobart's Diary. Microfilm (possession of NEHGS)., Frame 13, page 23. [S1118] Donald Lines Jacobus, The American Genealogist (Camden, Maine; Picton Press, 1989), Volume 47, page 18-20..