William “Billy” Hill, ironworks proprietorship (1776) and a member of the South Carolina (SC) General (Gen’l.) Assembly. Hill was commissioned as a Whig Patriot militia captain (1775) and before 1780, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel at New Acquisition District, formed 1785 as York County, commanded by Thos. Neel (aka Neil).

SAR Patriot (Search) #: P-181645 and *DAR Ancestor #: A056161

Unforgotten were so many sacrifices of SC Upcountry Whig militiamen and officers, kindly consider this biographical work for remembrance. 

Colonel William “Billy” Hill’s historic, Whig Patriot service was found recorded, while the writer was researching and writing a separate biography about William McCarter, born (b.) 1758, York County (Co.) Pennsylvania (PA), commissioned (1780) a Whig militia company Captain, who died (d.) at age 85 during 1843 at SC. William McCarter, source: SAR Patriot (Search) #: P-338480 and his brothers, both militiamen, David (a blacksmith) b. in 1757, d. at age 60, buried at Bethany Associated Reformed Presbyterian (ARP) Cemetery, 1400 Hwy 161 North, Clover, York Co., SC, see: SAR Patriot #: P-338444 and Christopher McCarter, also born during 1758. A determination was made that William McCarter was in skirmishes with Tories (SC) while commissioned a Whig Patriot militia captain of a company of Horse (Dragoon) commanded by Colonels William “Billy” Hill and (Feb 1781) [LieutCol Peter Horry (SC) 4^th Regt., Light Dragoons]. The McCarter brothers were sons of Scots-Irish Presbyterian parents, Abraham McCarter (1738-1798), wife (w.) Elizabeth Carson, immigrants that were married at Pennsylvania (PA) after arrival from County Down, Northern Ireland.

William “Billy” Hill was b. 13 Sep 1741 at Ulster, Northern Ireland to parents John and Rachel Hill, who arrived from Ulster aboard a ship at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PA) during 1741. This ship’s passengers predominately, emigrated from Ulster as Presbyterian Reformed Protestants. A review of Land Warrants and Applications, 1733-1952 maintained by the Historical and Museum Commission of Pennsylvania disclosed that William’s father, John Hill bought a 50-acre tract (Chanceford Twp.) at York County, PA on 19 May 1752.  John’s signed will was recorded at Court prior to his death. At Court, held on 16 Nov 1754, at York County, PA, the father’s will was probated.  John’s wife, Rachel Hill was Executor.  Their children were recorded: Jane, Mary, Elizabeth, Rebecca, Margaret, Samuel, Edward, John, Robert, James and our subject, William.

A Hill Family Bible record that belonged to our subject, William Hill and his w. Jane McCall was a gift to their son, Solomon Hill and w. Nancy Cabeen. The preface stated, William “Billy” Hill married (m.) Jane McCall approximately 1764. This Bible reflected a record of Jane McCall’s birth during 1740 and death in York Co., SC on 30 Jun 1818, two (2) years after that of her husband’s…, at Clover, York Co., SC; source, Colonel William Hill (1741-1816), Find A Grave Memorial # 133260248.  [On 27 Mar 1765 a daughter of John Hill dec’d., prayed the Orphan’s Court at York Co., PA for liberty to choose a guardian. Being the age, 17, her brother William Hill, a cutler (a forgeman and blacksmith responsible for casting blades, cutlasses and forging knives) in York, was named as guardian by the Pennsylvania Court.]  By 1770, William, w. Jane and their children: Elizabeth, age 3; William Hill, Jr., age 2 and Robert Hill, an infant re-settled from Pennsylvania to the Catawba River Valley, SC by Ox and Wagon Party, where he had previously patented a tract of land mapped in northeastern York Co., Nanny Mountain, slightly less than 1,000 ft. elevation.

Our William and Jane McCall Hill family grew with additional children, Andrew b. 1774, d. 1840; Solomon b. 1776, d. 1825; Rachel b. 1779, d. 1821; and, John R. Hill, who m. Nancy Currier; sources, *DAR Ancestor (Search) #: A056161 and Find A Grave Memorial #, Ibid.   Well below the summit-built home, Hill established (1776) a robust ironwork foundry site, now submerged beneath Lake Wylie in York Co. Hill’s strategic foundry was burned in June, 1780 by British Loyalist detachment of horse dragoon led by a capable fighter, Captain, Christian Huck.

A SC York Co. Historical Marker (No. 46-24) for Hill’s Ironworks was set in 1988 to commemorate Hill’s iron Ore Furnaces and Foundry; source, Before They Were Heroes at King’s Mountain by Randell Jones, Copyright 2011, publ., by Daniel Boone Footsteps, Winston-Salem, North Carolina (NC) see: The Upcountry, pgs 267-69.  “Billy” Hill’s ironworks proprietorship (1776) attracted carpenters, blacksmiths, iron ore miners, and laborers. His popularity made it possible for election to the South Carolina General Assembly. William Hill was initially, commissioned as a Captain (1775) and before 1780, he was promoted to LieutCol for New Acquisition District (SC) Whig Patriot militia commanded by Thos. Neel [aka Col. Neil, fought beside LieutCol. “Billy” Hill but, Neil was KIA with seven (7) Whig Patriot militiamen on 30 Jul 1780 at the battle of Rocky Mount] and later, still -Wm. Hill made Colonel and he led Hill’s Regt. of Horse attached with Col. Thomas Sumter commander of (1^st) and (6^th) Bgde.; sources, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_South_Carolina_militia_units_in_the_American_Revolution      

and, see: Col. William Hill’s *Memoir http://revwarapps.org/scx1.pdf

Note: Gen’l. Sumter and LieutCol “Billy” Hill unsuccessfully assaulted Rocky Mount British outpost, simultaneously, and Whig Patriot Maj. William R. Davie successfully launched a dismounted rifle attack at nearby Hanging Rock, intended only as a diversion. Tories and British Loyalist fled the surprise attack but were struck down with sabers by Davie’s horse dragoon; see, Before They Were Heroes at King’s Mountain, Jones, 2011, pgs 292-295.

At age 75, Col. William Hill’s manuscript for his *Memoir (true copy) was completed in 1815 and delivered to Thomas Sumter in its original printed form. The following year, on 1 Dec 1816, William Hill died and he was laid to rest in a grave at Bethel Presbyterian Church Cemetery, designated on 10 Dec 1960 a Nat’l. Register of Historic Places mapped at 2445 Hwy 557, Clover, York Co., SC 29710 at GPS Coordinates Lat.: 35.1107500 and Long.: -81.1520300

At approximately age 77, Jane McCall Hill’s death occurred on 30 Jun 1818 and she was interred adjacent to her husband, William. After Jane’s 1818 burial, the cemetery graves for William and Jane Hill were lost. However, during 1958 school children of York Co., SC collected funds to place an inscribed, cenotaph, granite slab in the Bethel Presbyterian Church Cem., plot F2-16. The cenotaph, granite slab was set in a central site within the cemetery; source, Genealogy of Col. William Hill of York County, SC,” by William Boyce White, Jr. publ., for Yorkville Historical Society (SC) 1993, pg 3.