William Hill

son of Blackleech Hill, was born at Cudworth in Warwickshire, at which time, his father, who in his younger years had been a petty Attorney, was then Bailive of Hemlingford hundred, which is one of the four hundreds in Warwickshire and the largest; by which employment gaining a considerable subsistance, lived in a fashionable condition, and bred up his children very well. This William being trained up in Grammar in his own Country, became a Student in Merton Coll. about the beginning of Mich. term, 1634, aged 15 years, being then esteemed a sober and ingenious youth, and soon after was made one of the Postmasters of the said Coll. After he had taken one degree in Arts he was a Candidate for a Fellowship of that house, and shewing himself a most excellent proficient in Greek, Latine and Physicks, was elected Prob. Fell. an. 1639. But soon after the time that he was admitted Bach. Fellow, he was prefer’d to be Master of the Free-school at Sutton Colfield in his own Country, and soon after to a rich Wife, tho the Daughter of a plain country man: which school he brought into great credit during his abode there. In 1641 he proceeded in Arts, and having not long after buried his wife, he removed to London, where, having obtained a considerable practice in Physick, he married a young lass, daughter of one Mr. Burges a Physitian, son of Dr. Joh. Burges sometimes Parson of Sutton Colfield before mention’d, who brought him forth a child that lived, within the seventh month after marriage. In 1649 and 52, he had leave from the Delegates of the University to accumulate the degrees in Physick; but whether he did so, it doth not appear in our Registers. Afterwards, (as before) being a man of those times and a sider with factious people, he was prefer’d to be chief Master of the great school at Dublin in Ireland, where continuing till the Restauration of K. Ch. 2, was then, as it seems, forced to leave that place. So that removing to Finglass a Village near to that City, taught there privately to the time of his death. He hath writen,

Dionysii orbis descriptio Graec. Lat. commentario critico & geographico (in quo controversiae pluraeque quae in veteri Geographia occurrunt, explicantur, & obscura plurima elucidantur) ac tabulis illustrata. Lond. 1658. 59. 1663. 1679. &c. in a large oct. used in many schools, and by most Juniors of the University of Oxon. He hath also epitomized some of the works of Laz. Riverius a Physitian, which I have not yet seen; nor a certain MS. of his which he wrot to justifie his lawful begetting of the aforesaid child by himself: which MS. he shewed to two Physitians for their approbation before it went to the press; but they looking upon the work as done by a meer scholar, unknowing in the world, returned it with seeming content, and afterwards jeer’d him behind his back for an antidated Cuckold. He died of a pestilential fever, which took away most of his family, in the month of November, in sixteen hundred sixty and seven, and was buried on the 29 of the said month,1667. just before the Ministers seat in the Church at Finglas before mentioned. I find another Will. Hill, of Merton Coll. also, (the son of a Committee-man, a notorious Schismatick of Herefordshire) who became one of the Bible-Clerks of that house in the latter end of 1647, and afterwards did all, or most of his, Exercise with much ado, for the degree of Bach. of Arts, and so abruptly left the College. But while he continued there, he shew’d himself a Dunce, a Tale-bearer to the Parliamentarian Visitors that then acted in the University, and a factious person. Soon after his Father provided for him a Parsonage that had belonged to an honest man, and a wife: the first of which he keeping till his Majesties Restauration, was then ejected and put to his shifts. At length repairing to London, he fell into the company of desperate Fanaticks, as Fifth-Monarchy men, Anabaptists, Independents, &c. and did seemingly plot with them to surprize the King at Whitehall, the Lord Chancellor Clarendon, George Duke of Albemarle, Major Gen. Sir Rich. Browne, &c. to have the Tower, Windsore Castle, and other Holds delivered to them, and of reducing the Kingdom to a free state. These things being freely imparted to him by one, or more of the said Fanaticks, knowing that he and his Father had been Vil [•] ains in the time of Usurpation, he secretly betrayed a [•] to the said Sir Rich. Browne. Whereupon the said Sir Rich. putting him into a way to gain more intelligence, which he accordingly did, draw’d them on, till almost the time that they were to rise and be in Arms, which was to be on the Vigil of Allsaints day, an. 1662. But two days before that time, when all things were in a manner made ready, some of the principal Actors were seized on by the said Sir Rich. Browne, and Sir Joh. Robinson L. Mayor of London, according to the directions of the said Will. Hill, viz. Tho. Tonge, George Phillips, Franc. Stubbs, Jam. Hind, Joh. Sallers, and Nath. Gibbs. All which coming afterwards to a Trial at Justice [•] Hall in the Old Baily, four of them were condemned and afterwards suffer’d at Tybourne, on the 22 of Dec. following, viz. Tongue, Phillips, Gibbs and Stubbs. Soon after came out a Pamphlet in qu. intit. A brief Narrative of that stupendious Tragedy late intended to be acted by the satanical Saints of these reforming times, humbly presented to the Kings Majesty, &c. Before which is printed and set A Narrative of the said plot, written by the said Will. Hill to the Kings most excellent Majesty: and in the Pamphlet following, wherein is the trial and condemnation of the said persons, Hill is one of the principal speakers, as being a chief witness. Afterwards for a reward of his Loyalty, he had a considerable Benefice bestowed upon him in Glocestershire; but being hated by one party for his falsness, and by another for his factiousness, did enjoy it but few years, he dying upon the place.