Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: User Home Page Book: The Hilliers & Related Families, Burin Peninsula: Register Report of JOHN HILLIER

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Descendants of John Hillier 1783

Generation No. 1

1. JOHN³ HILLIER (HILLIER FAMILIES OF BURIN² PENINSULA, THE HILLIERS OF¹ NEWFOUNDLAND) was born 1783 in England, and died 1863 in Lamaline, NF. He married (1) UNKNOWN BONNELL Abt. 1804. She was born Abt. 1790, and died in Lamaline. He married (2) DEBORAH MALZARD Abt. 1812 in Lamaline, daughter of ABRAHAM MALZARD and UNKNOWN. She was born Abt. 1794 in Jersey, Channel Islands?, and died 1875 in Lamaline, NF.

Notes for JOHN HILLIER:
John Hillier was born in 1783 in England 1) where several points of origin have been suggested by various Hillier researchers. The three locations most frequently mentioned are the counties of Somerset, Dorset and Devon - locations evidencing large numbers of the surname Hillier. Of the three, Somerset appears to have attracted most attention. No material evidence, however, has as yet been uncovered and the search for John's origin continues.
When and why John emigrated to Newfoundland is subject of speculative theories. Suffice it to say that John was growing up in a country engaged in wars with Napoleon and in extended efforts to achieve supremacy at sea. England also found itself amidst an economic turmoil of advancing industrial revolution and its impact on economic opportunities at home and overseas.
Judging from the date his first child was born, John probably arrived in Newfoundland before or about 1810. He was, according to court records, an agent and bookkeeper in the employ of Abraham Malzard of Jersey, Channel Islands, merchant in Burin in the 1810's. It is here that John may have met Deborah, believed to be Abraham's daughter, whom he married. 2) (For John's activities as agent in Burin, see footnote 5) further below.
John Hillier was one of the early settlers of Lamaline, a fishing settlement located about forty miles south of Burin. It is uncertain when and under what circumstances he arrived in Lamaline. An Archive entry dated 1816 shows John and wife Deborah as residents of Lamaline, with occupation given as planter 3). In Lamaline John participated in community activities by being one of the fifteen cosigners of Petition 1827 4). John Hillier's signature on this document attests to his literacy.
John and his wife Deborah apparently spent all of their lives in Lamaline. John died there in 1863 at an age of eighty years. He was buried in St. Mary's Cemetery, Lamaline, in a grave, today unmarked, covered with mossy grass and almost daily embalmed in mist and fog encroaching from the sea. The moss, in cushion-like formations, provides a cover which protects John's personal history as well as that of his wife Deborah put to eternal rest nearby.
John Hillier had at least ten descendants most of whom, if not all, were born in Lamaline. From here the male members expanded their family branches throughout the south of the peninsula:
- John, born about 1813 in Lamaline (?), lived and died in Lamaline. He married Susan Unknown with whom he had two daughters; John 1813 male line ends with the passing away of John.
- James, born about 1815 in Lamaline (?), is probably the most prominent of the first generation of Lamaline line of Hilliers. James spent his entire life in Lamaline East, married into the Bonnell line, and had a family of thirteen children. Of the seven sons in his family, six stayed in Lamaline and one moved to British Columbia.
- Edward, born in 1818, married into the Pike line, and moved to Point au Gaul where most, if not all, of his eleven children were born.
- Thomas, born in 1820, married into the Thornhill line and moved to Brunette Island as the founder of the Brunette line of Hilliers. There were eleven children in Thomas' family.
- Charles, born in 1822, married into the Lamaline Thornhill line and became a lifelong resident of Lamaline East, then locally named Muddy Hole. Charles had a family of eleven children.
- Henry, born about 1827, assumed to be John's son in the absence of any documentation or recording re himself or ancestors, was the only family member to marry into the Malzard line settling in Point au Gaul with his family of twelve.
- Emmanuel, born abt. 1834 in Point au Gaul, was the first Hillier of John 1783 line to be born away from Lamaline. Assuming Emmanuel is of John 1783 parentage, this circumstance raises the question whether John 1783 himself did not move, perhaps temporarily, to Point au Gaul. Or were there other reasons? Emmanuel's family consisted of ten children.
- Abraham, born abt. 1835, parentage uncertain and no data are available.

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1) The name of John Hillier first appears in a hand drawn family tree entitled "Family Tree Record of James and Ann Hillier, Lamaline 1815-1904" recorded by John W. Bonnell (JWB), 27 Cornwall Hgts, St. John's, dated 23/10/81, Source of Record Info Obtained from Church and NFL Archives. John Hillier's name appears there along with that of Deborah as parents of James Hillier.
2) Per Margaret Mullins (MM), Hillier family historian, Fortune, Newfoundland: Deborah may have been John's second wife whom John married as a widower.
3) P8/A/14 N&L Archives) - dated Oct 23, 1816, baptism of Ann and James Hillier by Rev. Thomas Grantham, baptisms for the Lamaline area in Methodist Church, Burin. Courtesy of Violet Hillier Hann, St. John's (Sep 1999).
4) Petition of 1827:
Re: NLPA Provincial Archives, Colonial Building, St. John's, NFLD, CO 244/36, 1827
We the undersigned Inhabitants of Lamaline having suffered very considerable annoyance and injury from the French who are constantly in the habit of fishing on our shore, and insulting us Even in our Stages, humbly beg to lay our Complaints before your Excellency, and intreat that your Excellency will be pleased to interfere on our behalf.
We beg to represent to your Excellency, that the French constantly fish on our shore on Sundays, with boats from 60 to 100 in number, have taken our dry fish from the beach, stolen the pickets from our graves for firewood and even threatened to shoot our people on our own ground - have lately burnt a boat belonging to one of us and stolen his wharf posts which he had with difficulty procured at the distance of 3 miles -
Having long suffered these grievances, and being every day exposed to fresh insults, we beg to lay our case before your excellency, and humbly trust it may be considered worthy of your Excellency's consideration.
(Signed)
Thomas Pitman James Madigan Richard Cake James Caines William Pitman Robert Bonnel
Wm. Hooper John Hillier George Caines Stephen King John Harnet Robt. Hibditch, Constable Saml. Daw Thos. Purchase James Crews, Constable

(Courtesy of Ray & Hilda (Hillier) Benteau, St. John's, March 1999)
---------------------------

5) Notes from Burin Court taken by Margaret Mullins - (MM):

** A Mrs. Wagg claimed there was a certain amount of fish that she (or a member of her family) was not credited with by the firm of Abraham Malzard. (I think this was in 1816, so the transaction appears to have taken place a yhear or so before that). So John HIllier, Malzard's agent, was asked to open the books.

** Court of Sessions, Burin, Nov 27, 1817. Richard White vs. Abraham Malzard. John Hilllier produced books as agent and bookkeeper for Malzard - Pounds Eight in the year 1814 (do not recall what the amount meant - MM).

** Nov 29, 1817. Matthew Vigas of Burin sold Abraham Malzard fishing room situated on west end of island called Pardy's Island at the eastern side of the entrance to the Harbour of Burin called Bullsguts and adajacent a fishing room now in the occupancy of Thomas Foote (John Hillier agent for Abraham Malzard).

** Dec 4, 1817, John Hillier still agent.

** John Hillier, agent for the Estate of J. Villenufue & Co., versus Mr. G. Stephenson, 1816.

(So John Hillier was agent for Malzard and for the Estate of Villenufue). (Henry Butler was agent for Messers. John Villenufue & Co. in 1806 - spelling of name not clear).
(There was no other John Hillier in the area so this had to be our John the First, i.e. John Hillier 1783. I suppose he moved to Lamaline around that time (had children baptized) - MM).

The years 1799, 1817, and 1821 were economically devastating years and many settlers emigrated:

1. J. Brown, J.P. for Distr. of Burin, Pl. Boy to Gov. Waldegrave, Oct 21, 1799 - emigrants (illegal) to Nova Scotia and USA - harmful to trade and fishing of that part of island and H.M. Mary will be deprived of great number of usefull men. Governor replied: "...many must emigrate or starve..."
2. Burin, 31 Oct 1817: Petition by merchants of Burin area (named). Distressed planters referred to in the foregoing memorial (memo) - Distr. orf Burin 27,; within limits of Oderin, 32; within limit of Mortier, 10; Dist. of St. Lawrence, 10; - total 79 (many of whom have large families).
3. 26 Oct, 1821. Relinquishment of trade of Messrs. Harrison, Slade & Co. at Mortier and of Mr. Geoge Moulton at Burin, as well as failure of the fishery this season - left nearly one-half of planters and servants in Dist. of Burin without any supplies this fall and consequently no means of support - signed Stephen Lowler (he was J.P.).
4. Fortune Bay, 1817. Desparate circumstances - letter to Governor Pickamore - signed by T. Bristowe for Sam and John Clark; John Thorne, agent for Newman & Co.; John Anthoine for Philip Nicolle, Jr. Pickamore (or Pickmore) replied he had no instructions from his Majesty's Government or of the means to afford the relief required.
5. Nov 5, 1821 - to Stephen Lowler, Esq., Oderin - from Governor Hamilton - "can provide no protection to Placentia Bay" - 180 persons shipped from Burin area and many more.
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More About JOHN HILLIER:
Burial: June 11, 1863, St. Mary's Cem., Lamaline, Rev. A.E. Gabriel (SM records - VHH)
Note 1: Died at age 80 (VHH - Burial records transcript, St. Mary's Cem.)
Note 2: Age calculated: died age 80 in 1863 (record): YoB = 1783.
Occupation: John & Deborah, planter of Lamaline (P8/A/14 N&L Archives) From VHH 9/99

Notes for UNKNOWN BONNELL:
Mullins : "...there must have been two early Bonnell girls: Eleanor (?), b. around 1798(?), who married the first James Cruse/Crews - she named a son Robert; and the other, name unknown, born cca. 1790, who was the first wife of John Hillier." (Ltr dtd. 1998, file)

More About UNKNOWN BONNELL:
Note 1: First wife of JOHN? (Not documented) (MM)
Note 2: DoB estimated by MM

Notes for DEBORAH MALZARD:
Deborah is presumed to have been a daughter of Abraham Malzard, trader in Burin in the 1810's to mid-1820's. John Hillier (1783) was Abraham's employee. "...thus it is probable that John met Deborah while in the employ of Abraham." (Mullins, ltr. dtd. 1998, on file). There is a presumption that Deborah was the second wife of John Hillier, then probably a widower. (Mullins - MM)

John W. Bonnell records only the given name "Deborah" in his hand drawn family tree.

MM: 'Mr. Sam Lake of Fortune, local historian who died at 101 in 1981 or 1982, was recorded on tape: "Old Granny Hillier was a Mosher" (Malzard in local dialect).' referring to a relation with the Malzard family (Old Granny Hillier = Deborah Malzard).

* Deborah's presumed father, Abraham, came to Newfoundland in about 1810 from Jersey, Channel Islands. Court records show that "....Abraham Malzard of St. Aubins, Jersey, but presently (1818) residing at Burin ...." served on Grand Jury there October 21, 1813, ... and is mentioned as residing there in 1824. (MM).

More About DEBORAH MALZARD:
Burial: November 14, 1875, St.Mary's Cem., Rev. Josiah Darell (SMC records - VHH)
Note re DoB: GS shows 1788, Jersey; so does an unknown researcher, Rootsweb.
Note re: Family name 1: Daughter of Abraham Malzard?
Note re: Family name 2: No maiden name in John W. Bonnell Fam. Tree
Note re: marriage date: DoM highly questionnable; shown is a raw estimate
Note re: spell name: Maluzard, Mulzard, Malzard.... to Mosher?
Source of DoB: JWB? MM?

Child of JOHN HILLIER and UNKNOWN BONNELL is:

UNKNOWN⁴ HILLIER, b. Abt. 1804.

Children of JOHN HILLIER and DEBORAH MALZARD are:

3.	ii.	JOHN⁴ HILLIER, b. Abt. 1813, Taylor's Bay, NF; d. February 06, 1899.
4.	iii.	ANN HILLIER, b. Abt. 1814, Lamaline; d. 1901.
5.	iv.	JAMES HILLIER, b. Abt. 1815, Muddy Hole, Lamaline, NF; d. October 08, 1901, Muddy Hole, Lamaline, NF.
6.	v.	EDWARD HILLIER, b. August 09, 1818, Lamaline; d. 1891.
7.	vi.	THOMAS HILLIER, b. September 09, 1820, Lamaline; d. June 10, 1886, Brunette.
8.	vii.	CHARLES HILLIER, b. September 03, 1822, Muddy Hole, Lamaline; d. January 03, 1894, Muddy Hole, Lamaline.
9.	viii.	KEZIA HILLIER, b. November 21, 1824, Lamaline; d. March 24, 1899, Lamaline.
10.	ix.	HENRY HILLIER, b. Abt. 1827, Lamaline; d. 1888.
11.	x.	MARTHA HILLIER, b. Abt. 1829; d. January 25, 1908.
12.	xi.	EMMANUEL HILLIER, b. Abt. 1834, Point au Gaul, NF; d. 1876.
	xii.	ABRAHAM HILLIER, b. Abt. 1835; m. MARY UNKNOWN.

More About ABRAHAM HILLIER:
Note: MM: Parentage?

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