The Derbyshire Hills

The Hill family left much documentary evidence of their presence in Derbyshire for at least five hundred years. They prospered, lived through harder times, worked the land, and left their mark.
This is their story.

My mum came from Derbyshire, England and grew up in the ancient parish of Old Brampton near Chesterfield. Although we lived further South in Northamptonshire, we enjoyed our visits to grandparents and great grandparents, and became familiar with Chesterfield and it’s surrounding areas.

In my first genealogy and family history site, mosleyfamilies.net I am researching my paternal family and all those associated with them down the centuries, including of course, my mum’s own Hill family. That research is ongoing and the site is being added to daily. So why this second site?

When I began my research, I had no idea of the history of the Hill family. But, with the aid of others, I quickly discovered that the Hills had left much documentary evidence of their presence in Derbyshire for at least five hundred years. They prospered, lived through harder times, worked the land, and left their mark. Some travelled further afield and can be traced as far as New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the United States. Others remained local to the area which has been home to the family for so long.

The evidence for all these families requires that the story be told as fully as possible, and that everything be presented in one place. The objective of this site will be to document the genealogy of the families, and where possible to add a little of the history surrounding them. There is much work to be done to add source material and documentary evidence. That work is ongoing and there is new material added almost daily.

I encourage you to browse this ever growing content, and if you are linked to anyone, or to any of the events recorded here, then I’d love to hear from you.

A Tribute

Mum was proud of her family heritage and I still have the small notes she made to help me get started on this voyage of discovery.

She told of family mysteries, of the myths passed from generation to generation, but also helped identify some of the key characters who were the starting point for my research.

This one’s for you mum.

Meet the Family

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Alice Hill

1895 - 1937

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Joseph Hill

1838 - 1925

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Ellen Hill

1894 - 1918

" The grandson wants to remember what the father wished to forget. "

What You Will Find

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It is surprising how much documentary evidence can be found, even for our humblest ancestors.

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Parish records can sometimes be difficult to verify. They are, however, vital to learning more about our families.

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The information on this site relates to my extended maternal family tree.

Some of our sources

The information on this site has been verified using contemporary documents and today's technology.

Memorials

Headstones placed by family or friends on the death of a loved one can give an insight into the lives of those who lived before us.

Civil Records

Almost everyone born after the early 19th century has left a trail of civil records. They can help us gain an insight into family life.

Parish Records

Since the mid 16th century, parishes have maintained more or less detailed records covering all the major events in life.

Dusty Documents

Family bibles, letters, newspaper articles... There are endless mundane items which document the lives of our ancestors.

Lest We Forget

We remember those from these families who gave their lives in conflict

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