Edward Hill Jr.
Edward Hill Jr. | |
---|---|
Speaker of the Virginia House of Burgesses | |
In office 1684–1684 | |
Preceded by | Thomas Ballard |
Succeeded by | William Kendall |
Member of the House of Burgesses for Charles City County | |
In office 1688–1688 Serving with Peter Perry | |
Preceded by | John Stith |
Succeeded by | Robert Bolling |
In office 1684–1684 Serving with James Minge | |
Preceded by | James Biss |
Succeeded by | John Stith |
Member of the House of Burgesses for James City County | |
In office 1679–1679 | |
Preceded by | Richard Lawrence |
Succeeded by | Thomas Ballard |
Member of the House of Burgesses for Charles City County | |
In office 1676–1676 Serving with Nicholas Wyatt | |
Preceded by | Robert Wynne |
Succeeded by | James Biss |
Personal details | |
Born | 1637 Shirley Plantation, Charles City County, Colony of Virginia |
Died | November 30, 1700 Shirley Plantation, Charles City County, Colony of Virginia |
Nationality | British |
Children | Edward Hill III |
Parent | Edward Hill, |
Occupation | planter, officer, politician |
Edward Hill Jr. (circa 1637–November 30, 1700) was a controversial Virginia planter, local official and politician, who like his father operated Shirley Plantation in part using enslaved labor, as well as briefly served as 20th Speaker of the Virginia House of Burgesses (in 1684), and several times represented Charles City County in that body.[1]
Early and family life
His grandfather, father, and son all shared the name Edward Hill. Of these, probably the most significant was his father Edward Hill who led Virginia forces against usurpers in Maryland and against Native Americans in Virginia, as well as established Shirley Plantation and served several times as Speaker of the House of Burgesses.
This Edward Hill married twice, both times within the First Families of Virginia, daughters of burgesses. In 1680, Hill married Anne Goodrich (1625–1696). Following her death, but in the same year, he married Tabitha Scarborough (1640–1717). One of his wives was the mother of Edward Hill III (died 1726) who continued to operate Shirley Plantation as well as also served in the House of Burgesses.
Career
Like his father (and as his son would later), Hill operated Shirley Plantation in Charles City County, using indentured and enslaved labor. He also commanded the militia of Charles City County and nearby Surry County and held a commission from Governor Chichely dated September 27, 1679.[2]
On the first day of Bacon's rebellion in 1676, some rebels attempted to get him to join them, but he was a friend of Governor Berkeley, who took an active part in suppressing the rebellion, although Bacon's friends expelled him from the house of burgesses in 1676.[3] Hill was accused of misappropriation of public funds before the royal commission investigating the rebellion, which recommended that he be left our of the new Governor's Council. The commissioners found Hill "the most hated man of all the county where he lived."[4] Hill was also the subject of the "Charles City Grievances" of May 10, 1677, which accused him of misappropriating county taxes for his own use.[5] Nonetheless, Hill represented Charles City County several times in the House of Burgesses, and after the reorganization of 1680, served a single term in 1684 as its Speaker.[6]
Another reorganization of the British colonial structure by the Lords of Trade occurred around 1690, which led to a power struggle between the Burgesses and the new Governor Francis Nicholson. The Burgesses elected Hill as the colony's treasurer in 1691, but the governor refused to acknowledge the Assembly's power to appoint that position, considering it his prerogative. Hill compromised by accepting the lucrative position of collector of revenue for the upper district of the James River. In 1697, Governor Edmund Andros named Hill as Judge of Admiralty for Virginia and North Carolina.
References
- ^ Lyon Gardiner Tyler, "Hill, Edward Jr." in Dictionary of Virginia Biography (1915) vol. 1, p. 141
- ^ Tyler
- ^ Tyler
- ^ Ulrich Troubetzkoy, "Welcome to Shirley", Virginia Cavalcade, vol. 9 (Autumn 1959) p. 13
- ^ Troubetzkoy p. 15
- ^ Cynthia Milller Leonard, The Virginia General Assembly 1619-1978 (Richmond: Virginia State Library 1978) pp. 37, 41, 44, 47, 49