52 Ancestors 52 Weeks #1–Julius Hill

Amy Johnson Crow has issued a challenge to genealogy bloggers – a blog post about an ancestor for 52 weeks. I eagerly accepted the challenge, if for nothing else, but to keep me on my toes about my family genealogy and to delve more deeply into one ancestor each week.

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I had to give this a lot of thought – who should I begin with first? I finally decided to start with the ancestor that I started with when I began my family history.
Julius Hill is my gggrandfather.  The line is this:
his son, James Pleasant Hill (1841-1912)
his son, Mallie Devotion Hill (1881-1956)
his son, Lonnie Clinton Hill (1919-1974)
me, Martha Elizabeth Hill Spivey
Julius Hill was the son of Mary Yates(Yeates) and, I think, John Hill. I have never been able to nail down who his father is, but oral family history gives his name as John and “thinks” he came here from England. Julius was born 10 January 1802 probably in Anson County NC (although some say he was born in South Carolina) and died 18 October 1876.
Julius was twice married. Little is known about his first wife Mary Hudson except that she died in 1836. She probably died in childbirth or shortly after because Julius’s son Hillsman was born 10 February 1836. Julius’s children with Mary are:
William Hill (1820-1863)
Eliza Ann Hill (1827-1904)
Allen H Hill (1833-1909)
Martha Hill (1833-1897)
Hillsman C Hill (1836-1860)
Julius’s second wife, Margaret “Peggy” Harward (1809-1898) was the daughter of Jacob Myrick Harward (1783-1866) and Milea Yates (Yeates) (1784-1863). It is said that Milea Yates was the sister of Julius’s mother Mary. Julius and Margaret were married 18 June 1836 – four months after Hillsman Hill was born.

1830 Federal Census, Anson County NC


Julius Hill here has two males, one less than five years of age and one five to ten years of age. He shows that he has two females age five years or less.  He gives his age in the thirty to forty year range and his wife in the twenty to thirty year range.

1840 Federal Census, Anson County NC

In the 1840 Census there has been an addition of three males, two females with one adult female age forty to fifty.
Henry Hill born 11 Oct 1837 and Hillsman Hill born 10 Feb 1836 would account for the two males age 0-5. The one male who is five to ten years old is Allen Hill who is seventeen in the 1850 census. Henry Hill is eleven years old in the 1850 census and Hillsman Hill is thirteen years old.
The one female age five to ten is Martha, who is sixteen in 1850. Is one of the two females age ten to fifteen in the 1840 census a Jane Hill born 23 Feb 1827 and died 3 Oct 1845? There is a Jane Hill fitting the age requirements who is buried in the Hill Family Cemetery. BUT who is the other female age ten to fifteen and the one under five years old?

1850 Federal Census, Meltonsville, Anson, NC

Enumerated with Julius Hill in the 1850 census are Margaret Hill age 37, Allen Hill age 17, Martha Hill age 16, HIllsman Hill age 13, Henry Hill age 11, Plesant Hill age 9, Mary Hill age 7, Mapey Hill age 5, and Sarah Smith age 55. Julius gives his age as 47. Another question: Who is Sarah Smith? According to some of James Pleasant’s sons, Julius’s mother Mary married an Evan Smith when Julius was young and had a daughter Rachel Ambrose Smith. So again Who is Sarah Smith?

1860 Federal Census, Burnsville Township, Anson, NC

Julius Hill                      age 61
Margaret Hill                 age 47
Henry Hill                     age 23
Plesant Hill                   age 19

1870 Federal Census, Burnsville Township, Anson, NC

Julius Hill            age 78 – discrepancy in age here (Julius was born in 1802)
Margaret Hill       age 65
Nathan Hill         age 21
Another dilemma:
Who is Nathan Hill?
Julius Hill died 18 Oct 1876 at the age of 74. He is buried at Rocky Mount Baptist Church, Polkton, Anson, North Carolina. His grandson, Julius Walter Hill, son of James Pleasant Hill, dictated some family history to his daughter. In the history he stated that Julius was killed by a runaway team of mules while hauling a load of fodder. His neck was broken. He was killed near Rocky River below the home place of Fulton Curlee.

Transcribed:Important Record
Grand Father Julius. Owned land and his old home place was located right this side off Rocky River where the Low Water Bridge Is he was killed by run away Team of Mules on Right side of road this side of River My Dady stayed With grand mother peggie at night untill she fell and broke her hip. Then she stayed with her Boys in their home James Plesant Hill and his family then part time at her other son Henry Hill she died at uncle Henry Hill and she is Burried philadelphia Baptist Church In Stanley county
She told my Dady lot of storys about her & Grand Father Julius Hill Life to gather and my Dady Lived to be her oldest Grandson He was the last oldest He passed away 1961 He was 84 years 2 month old at his Death. By J W Hill  Faye Daughter HistorianThe last paragraph appears to have been added by Faye, J W Hill’s daughter since he died in 1961.
Find A Grave has information about Julius Hill and some of his family.


There is a lot of mystery surrounding Julius Hill. First of all his father can’t be determined. Julius appeared to be able to buy land and to lend money to others. Where did that money come from? Mary Yates married Evan Smith early in Julius’s life, but I haven’t been able to find him. I am hoping that one day some of the questions will be answered if not by me, then another descendant of Julius Hill.