Son of Thomas Hill and Edith Bell of England.

Educated at the Bluecoach School, connected with Christ Church Hospital.

He emigrated to America in 1722 and lived first at Tappahannock, then called Hobbe’s Hold in Essex Co. He afterwards settled a place, which he called Hilsborough, in King and Queen Co., VA. There he was a successful merchant, dealing much in tobacco, which he shipped in his own vessels.

Humphrey Hill was guardian of Carter Braxton, who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. At age nineteen in 1755 Braxton married Judith Robinson. Both Hill and Speaker Robinson gave consent to the marriage since Braxton was a minor and his father deceased.

Humphrey owned vessels that brought goods from all parts of the Altlantic. No doubt he had etensive mercantile trade. The remains of two wharves, one of wood and one of ballast rock can be seen at the upstream corner of the Hillsborough yard today. Evidence that at some point there was extensive trans-Atlantic tobacco trade from this site on the property. They used to weigh down the nearly empty ships which returned from England bringing goods to the colony in return for the heavy hogsheads of tobacco.” 44 Records show that he brought direct from Africa one vessel loaded with 400 Negroes which he advertized to sell. His ad said: “Few died in transit, and all are in remarkably good condition.”

He is called in most of the records a prosperous, trusted and public spirited citizen.

He was buried at Hillsbourough and an acnient walnut tree stands at the head of his grave.

Will was dated 2/8/1774 and probated 3/13/1776.45