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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Lancashire => Topic started by: Gen List Lass on Tuesday 02 October 12 08:10 BST (UK)
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I am having trouble finding information about a man called Samuel Hilton, father of Sarah and Margaret. Also possibly Ann and others.
From 1841 I have masses of info about these two women, it's the father I'm after. I have both their marriages in 1834 and 1852. They married a C of E clergyman and a solicitor, both in LANCS.
Samuel was said to be a merchant from "Lancastershire" and the two girls were from Montego Bay in Jamaica. He lived at Cinnamon Hill in St James parish, Jamaica before possibly returning to England. He settled property and goods on the former slaves, Milly McFatter and her daughter Margaret, authenticated by the Mayor of Liverpool!
I have also recently found Margaret and her mother Amelia (Milly) McFatter in the Cinnamon Hill Slave Registers and from those they seemed to be given their freedom around the time of the Jamaica slave uprisings.
I have found many scraps of info on the internet in archives, newspapers etc but I need some info about the Hilton family in Lancashire and a possible British marriage for Samuel.
Gen in NBL England
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Ann was the eldest daughter. Married at Edge Hill in 1822 to Charles Boultbee of Whittlesea, Cambridgeshire.
(Bury and Norwich Post, 18 December 1822)
She died aged 29 at Whittlesea in February 1829. By that time her father had moved from Cinnamon Hill to Bounty Hall, Falmouth, Jamaica.
( Huntingdon, Bedford & Peterborough Gazette, 21 February 1829).
Second daughter Sarah died at Whittlesea on 30 June 1826 aged 23.
( Cambridge Chronicle and Journal, 7 July 1826)
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Thank you Shaun, I had two out of the three but didn't have Ann's death.
Seems as though they settled in CAMBS after their return from Jamaica.
Gen in NBL England
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Walton on the Hill
St Mary
23rd September 1834
Thomas Gardner,MA,Clerk,bachelor of this parish
Margaret Hilton spinster of this parish
married by licence,by Thomas Moss
witness to marriage
Clare Jane Isabella Stanistreet,Julie Whitby,Richard Gardner and Wm Hilton,
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Have just found a lot of Samuel Hilton's of the right era in the London Gazette, either dissolving partnerships or going bankrupt. If it's the same man he seemed to live in lodgings all over Lancashire. That could fit with his residences in Jamaica.
I cannot be sure yet whether it's the same fellow that I'm sleuthing through the internet but it's looking good.
Several are cotton spinners which could fit in with living in Jamaica??? Others are coal dealers. it would make sense to ship coal out and cotton back, not so?
Still cannot find any evidence of a marriage in UK, only the liasion in Jamaica.
Gen in NBL England
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Thanks Radcliff - as I said in my first post, I have that marriage and all the census following. Lots about her husband and his family on the 'net.
Gen in NBL England
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Who was William Hilton ( the witness at the wedding) ?
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Gen you have more information that we dont, so we need a better picture ,
I can see a Mr Hilton wife and children leaving Jamacai for New York 1839
I can see slaves named after your ancestors,
but finding the correct Samuel is a huge task in Lancashire,
Have you any connection to this one,
St Mary the Virgin Leigh
born 3rd May 1808
baptised,4th June 1808
Samuel Cheetham Hilton
son of Samuel Cheetham Hilton esquire and Martha
abode Pennington Hall
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I'm hampered by the fact that I don't know when or where he was born, whether he ever married and he doesn't appear on any census cos he's abroad.................
I just know of his daughters, that he was from "Lancastershire" and he was a merchant living in Jamaica.....
Hilton seems a common surname thereabouts............hmm.
I'm currently ploughing through Probate Calendars to see if I can spot a clue.
Keeping fingers crossed that a descendant will see this thread...... sigh
Gen in NBL England
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Have you searched through http://jamaicanfamilysearch.com/ ?
There's a small subscription but there's a lot of data there
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I wonder when the family actualy went out to Jamaica,
as their is a baptism of Samuel Hilton a black boy baptised S Ann Jamaica 1804,
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This free site is great - 5 hits for Samuel Hilton
http://www.jamaicaphilately.info/
and an interesting piece on a William Hilton
http://www.jamaicaphilately.info/20_Philatelic/209_Publications/Journals/Stamp-Collecting/19710513_Foster_Delveing-into-History.pdf
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Reading my mind Shaun, just fetching the credit card!
There is a link to Elizabeth Barrett Browning's family in Jamaica, think Samuel Hilton was the attorney or advisor to the family in Jamaica as his name crops up alongside theirs.
So now reading up on E B B ...... what an interesting search this is proving to be.
Gen in NBL England
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Radcliff, I've found children of Samuel Hilton in Jamaica over quite a long period, so have been wondering whether there were father and son Samuel's or relations.
I've always thought that children born on a plantation often took the slave-owners name but I don't think Samuel was a plantation owner but possibly a man always on the move, renting plantation houses like Cinnamon Hill. The Slave Regsisters named a different man as Milly and Margarets "owner"..
Thank you for this baptism, I see it's at a different parish, time to download a parish map to Jamaica!
Gen in NBL England
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When Margaret married the Rev. Thomas Gardner in 1834 the Liverpool Mercury states she was the daughter of Samuel Hilton Esq. of Anfield Villa. Anfield Villa was in Walton on the Hill, West Derby
I keep wondering if he was the 51/81? year old Samuel Hilton of Walton buried at St. Annes Stanley on 20th November, 1838. It just seems a coincidence that this was Thomas Gardners parish church.
Mo
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There's a death reported in the Cambridge Chronicle and Journal for 26 November 1830: Lately at Anfield Villa near Liverpool , Mary daughter of Samuel Hilton esq
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Mo
We are on a roll here!
I'd seen the name Anfield Villa somewhere but as I don't know the area it meant nothing to me.
HOWEVER - yes that was his son in law's parish, Margaret's husband.
The date 1838 also fits in with the date of him settling his affairs in Jamaica, seeing that his "mistress?" and daughter were acknowledged and financially sorted out.
Have looked for a will on NA wills online but couldn't find anything and the probate calendars start later.....
Love searching when all these goodies appear, thank you everyone!!!
Gen in NBL England
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Shaun - that makes 4 daughters! Wonder how many other offspring he had???????
Gen in NBL England
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20th April, 1839
Will of Samuel Hilton late of Anfield Villa in the parish of Walton in the county of Lancaster Esquire deceased was proved and admon granted to Margaret Gardner formerly Margaret Hilton and William Cliff the younger two of the executors power reserved to Adam Cliff the other executor
Sworn under £800
So it looks as though it was the correct death.
Mo
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Mosiefish that is the clincher!
Thank you and all the rest of you who've stayed with this request and got me much further in 4 hours than my previous efforts in the last year!
Gen in NBL England
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Im back,
St Mary Walton on the Hill
2nd June 1841
William Cliff,full age bachelor ,merchant of Walton
Mary Ann Frater,spinster,minor of Walton
grooms father Adam Cliff
brides father,William Frater,merchant
witness to marriage
Adam Cliff,Samuel Cliff,Amelia Cliff,Eliza Cliff.Edward A Cliff
married by (Thomas Gardner)
close friends or is there a family connection
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Clearly there were close connections with Adam Cliff and his family http://www.rootschat.com/links/0rhe/
(Gen will have this already)
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Very interesting Shaun,
I did see the baptism for Margaret reputed child
of Samuel and Amelia,
Any way sorry just a brief visit I am of to Northumberland tomorrow,
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Have been googling on Adam and William CLIFF, they seem to have been Liverpool merchants with fingers in different pies.
There are probably archives in Liverpool that hold documents on these folks, does anyone know of any archive that specialises in commercial activities and plantations in the West Indies?
Gen in NBL England
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Witnesses to the Ann Hilton/Charles Boultbee marriage in 1822 were:
Sarah Hilton
Mary Hilton
Adam Cliff
Edward Boultbee
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Shaun - excellent
Sarah Hilton Freed Jamaican slave ("quadroon")
Mary Hilton her sister or half/sister?
Adam Cliff the family friend involved in her fathers business ventures
Edward Boultbee a relation of the Charles Boultbee who married Ann Hilton?
These families seem very close, not only merchants and solicitors but social friends.
Wonder if they knew the true Jamaican origins of Sarah and Margaret her sister? Or did they even care? Fascinating, I'd love to be a fly on the wall at their social gatherings!
Also I wonder what the girls looked like, a portrait would be nice. And a diary or two?
Gen in NBL England
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Edward Boultbee was a Liverpool merchant
wife Clementina Charlotte Augusta
they lived Edge Vale Liverpool,
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Thank you Radlciff
Merchants merchants merchants, seems like a Liverpool Mafia.......no doubt it benefited them all to hang out together socially and intermarry.....
Wonder if the descendants are still merchants of some sort or the modern equivalent "entrepreneurs". It certainly seemed "in the blood" for a few generations.
Gen in NBL England - where the sun is shining brightly and its 4C
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These Hiltons are one of those brickwalls that I put down and pick up again later. Looking back on the previous thread, I realised I hadn't chased up the Wm Hilton witness at Sams daughters marriage in England.
However there were MANY Hiltons/Hyltons on Jamaica at that time possibly because of slaves bearing that name...
I'm exploring the possibility that Sam was born on Jamaica, it could explain why he suddenly appeared in records out there without any UK background.
The Jamaican Genealogy project that was previously pay to view is now free so will keep returning to that.
The Moulton-Barretts he worked with are also difficult as they kept changing surnames and repeating the same forenames over and over. They also played Musical Houses, complicating things yet again.
Won't forget this one, I'm like a terrier with a rat once I get a problem!
Gen in NBL England
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hi I've just joined the site after searching on Google for some information about Samuel Hilton. I'm the organist at St. Anne's church, Stanley where Samuel is supposedly buried. There are 3 marble tablets on the west wall of the church. One to Samuel Hilton, one to William and Cliff and one to Thomas Gardner. The memorial to Samuel is attached
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GDW - thank you so much for this photo. There a few clues there as to Samuels previous life, which I can follow up.
I am also interested in the other two memorials. Samuel had business dealings with an Adam CLIFF, a Liverpool merchant. Samuel was the father in law of the Rev. Thomas Gardner vicar of your church.
Could you tell me what is on the other two memorials you mentioned previously?
You have probably read all my previous posts about Samuel Hilton but if there is anything else you want to know about him, just ask me.
There are living descendants of Samuel living in or near Wales.
Gen in NBL UK
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Hi Gen, yes I've read the whole thread with great interest and I may well take you up on your offer of more information. It's been very helpful so far. I've also got photos of Revd Thomas Gardner and also his son, Revd Hilton Gardner who became the 2nd vicar of the parish. We have some history info on our church website www.saintannestanley.co.uk/history.html
It would be amazing to track down the descendants. I wonder if they know that this tablet was erected in the new church when it was built in 1890.
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the text on the Cliff tablet reads;
William Cliff of Liverpool, Merchant (in affectionate remembrance of his parents and children interred in this cemetery) has invested 200 pounds in its ministers and churchwardens for the time being, the income from which, to be applied every Christmas (at their discretion) for the benefit of the poor of this congregation.
One of the bells in our tower has the inscription 'The Rose 1789'. Some suggestions are that this was the bell from an old slave ship but we haven't been able to find any connection to verify this. Maybe this Jamaica connection can open some doors?
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Hi i have found on ancestry census 1851 and also 1891 information on Mary Ann Cliff wife to William Cliff.
Mary's birthplace states she was born in Ris Burne Jamaica 1823
Another Jamaica native.
That is if she is married to the correct William Cliff :)
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GDW many thanks for all the extra information and photographs you have sent me. Lots of good clues there for further research. I'm determined to find the family of Samuel before he left England for Jamaica. I have been looking for contact details for the direct descendant of Samuel who phoned me several years ago, but I cannot find anything in my notes. I have changed phones and laptops several times since then so I can just hope she is monitoring these posts as it was here she found the thread.
Also thanks to TKMax for the info about the Cliff wife from Jamaica. Samuel Hilton was very friendly with Adam Cliff, so there is definitely a connection.
One of these days I hope to write up the story of Samuel and his Jamaican descendants for the Lancashire FHS or similar but I need the very beginning of Samuel's story.
Sorry for the delay in answering, I've been away all day from my pc.
Gen in NBL UK
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GDW I have just looked at your church's history website and noticed a name - Thomas Fenwick Harrison. I've just looked him up:
HARRISON, Thomas Fenwick was born on January 9, 1852. Son of Thomas Harrison of Liverpool (d. 1888) and Mary Anne, daughter of Cuthbert Fenwick of Newcastle.
I see his mother was Mary Anne Fenwick of Newcastle daughter of Cuthbert.
Sarah Hilton, Samuel's youngest daughter married a solicitor called Henry Fenwick, son of Cuthbert Smith Fenwick from North Shields near Newcastle. So the Harrisons and the Hiltons were probably related through marriage.
Wheels within wheels, fascinating.
Gen in NBL England
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wow, what an amazing coincidence that the 2 men involved in building the 2 churches on the same site should be related through marriage :D
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Hello there
Anyone any luck in locating more information about Samuel Hilton and Amelia McFatter?
Would love to hear more about them and for any of you to contact me please with any information you have about my family.
Regards Victoria