Hill Family & Maurice= Shere/Gomshall

[monkeyman]

Rev F.C. HILL [1856-1919] was vicar of St James, Shere.  I have info on his life and death but wish to ascertain details of his family, especially any living.  His mother Harriet has a memorial window in the church; she was buried in Gomshall cemetery, probably adjacent to various other Hill family members.  Can anyone tell me if their tombstones still exist and I can visit to check dates etc. if necessary. I'm also interested in their relations, the MAURICE family; one Hilary Maurice was buried at Shere in 1980.  All help gratefully acknowledged.

[Valda]

Hi

The Reverend Frederick Charles Hill of Eastbourne died 5th December 1919 and left a will which was proved 26th January 1920 at Lewes.

1901 census RG13 601 folio 84
The Rectory Shere Surrey
Frederick C Hill 45 Head Married Clergyman Church of England Reading BerkshirFlorence C H Hill 41 Wife Married Dymchurch Kent
Theodor C H Hill 12 Son India
Frederick E Hill 9 Son India
Freda G M Hill 6 Saughter Shere Surrey
Cyril T J Hill 4 Son Shere Surrey
plus 5 servants

You cannot request a look up for the 1911 census on Rootschat. You must search for the family for yourself on that census.

http://www.1911census.co.uk/


1871 census RG10 296 folio 17
Sandhurst Berkshire
Authur Hill 42 Head Married Gas Manufactor Government Energy ? Contractor Wisbeach Cambridgeshire
Harriet A Hill 42 Wife Married Shipdham Norfolk
Auther W Hill 19 Son Reading Berkshire
Fredrick C Hill 15 Son Reading Berkshire
Constance T Hill 5 Daughter Reading Berkshire

1901 census RG13 1157 folio 61
Erleigh Court Earley Berkshire
Arthur Hill 72 Head Married Living on own means
Harriet Ann Hill 72 Wife Married Shipdham Norfolk
plus 1 visitor and 5 servants


Deaths Sep 1901   Hill  Harriet Ann  72  Wokingham  2c 239
Deaths Mar 1909   HILL  Arthur  79  Wokingham  2c 302

Arthur Hill left a will probated 6th March 1909 London. His address was the same as in 1901.

I don't think Gomshall has a parish church (St James Shere) and certainly not a cemetery administered by the local parish council which is Shere

'For many, many years the Parish Council has contributed 50% of the cost of maintaining the three cemeteries in the Parish that are situated in the villages of Holmbury St. Mary, Peaslake and Shere. It also maintains the grounds of the Felday Chapel in Holmbury St. Mary.'

http://www.shereparishcouncil.gov.uk/about_shere.php


I think by cemeteries the parish council mean the churchyards of the three village churches in the Shere parish council area, not civic cemeteries.

'The Parish of Shere is easily the largest in area in Guildford Borough. It is fairly unusual in that where most Parish Councils serve only one or two villages, Shere Parish Council serves 4.5 villages these being Gomshall, Holmbury St. Mary, Peaslake, Shere and a large part of Abinger Hammer (excluding the village centre).'


Shere museum website

http://www.sheremuseum.redhouseservices.com/collection.html

West Surrey Family History Society hold monumental inscriptions and offer a search

http://www.wsfhs.org/Monumental.htm


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Regards

Valda

[monkeyman]

Many thanks Valda for your quick response to my enquiry. I had already found these details [and more] on Arthur Hill - my aim was, as I hoped to have made clear, to find more on his descendants in the next generation or two.
My reference to 'Gomshall cemetery' was taken from the contemporary newspaper account of the funeral of Mrs Harriet Hill and, later, a brother of The Rev. Fred. - I don't know the locality.
Perhaps someone living more locally can find gravestones for the Hill family around 1900-1920 at one of St James' churchyards, or else I shall need to come and hunt myself.  Any offers please?
~ Phil

[Valda]

Hi

St James Shere churchyard gravestones

http://www.forum.gravestonephotos.com/public/cemetery.php?cemetery=497&limit=1



Regards

Valda

[monkeyman]

Thank you Valda. I had already tried that online resource, but failed to find 'my' Hill family at St James'.  When the funeral reports of 1901 and 1906 both said 'Gomshall Cemetery' perhaps they meant somewhere else, but that is strange because the minister conducting both funerals was the vicar of Shere, Rev. F C Hill; the 1901 funeral was his mother, the 1906 one his brother. It's also possible that there were no gravestones to record, or they were illegible, or the researcher failed to see them.  Perhaps I shall have to put some 'boots on the ground' to see for myself!
Best regards ~ Phil

[Valda]

Hi


Considering the number of servants the family had and the amount Arthur left in his will, by today's standards into the millions it is unlikely there were no gravestones and not prominent ones and that they are now illegible.
Though Arthur was the Vicar of Shere no Hills (unless this is the case for his brother) actually died in Shere. Sonning and Shere are just under 30 miles apart. You might expect Arthur and Harriet to be buried in a cemetery in the Reading area. Parishioners had the right to be burial in their local churchyard.


Regards

Valda

[monkeyman]

Thank you again Valda, for your efforts in sorting this one out.
The vicar of Shere was not Arthur [as you have it], but Frederick Charles Hill. Although Arthur's last residence was in the parish of Sonning, it was reported in the Reading Standard of 20.2.1909 - in a very full report - describes Arthur's funeral at Shere, with the Rev F C Hill officiating. It recounts that his wife [died 1901] was buried 'there', and in adjacent graves were their sons Arthur William Hill, died 1896, and [the Rev. Harry] Ernest Hill, died 1906.  We know that there is, in St James', a large memorial window to Mrs Hill - so where are these graves?  The R. Standard was capable of getting facts wrong, e.g. it states "St Paul's Church, Shere" which it  equates with "Gomshall" in an ambiguous way; but we know from other sources that the Rev F C Hill was vicar at St James', not "St Paul's".  Yes, I must get down to Shere and look at the graves for myself - do you know if it is open to visit at all times?

[Valda]

Hi


They may very well be there, just not ones photographed on the website given. You can check with West Surrey Family History Society who will have made a full transcription of the churchyard (link given). The churchyard will always be open certainly in daylight hours. Churches are usually open during the day unless they have suffered vandalism in which case there is a notice saying where to obtain the key or who to enquire of.


http://www.achurchnearyou.com/shere-st-james/



Regards

Valda