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Hercules HILLS
1671 - 1745 (~ 73 years)
Has 10 ancestors and 24 descendants in this family tree.
Set As Default Person 
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Name Hercules HILLS Relationship 
with Teresa Ann GOATHAM Baptised 6 Sep 1671 St. Mary’s Church, Chartham, Kent, England 
- From FS
Gender Male Apprenticeship Bef 1696 Canterbury, Kent, England To Thomas Fowle, baker - From Freeman record.
Interestlingly, a Thomas Hills was also an apprentice to Thomas Fowle, becoming a freeman in 1711. Although Hills was quite a common name, it would seem more likely that this was due to a family connection than to chance. An apprenticeship would usually finish when a man was aged about 21, and he might become a freeman a few years after, around his mid twenties. I have not identified a likely Thomas. Could just about be old enough if a son of his brother Richard, born soon after the marriage (there is quite a gap between Richard's marriage and his first known child - seeing Richard's will may help).
(from Cowper, col. 201, "Hills, Thomas, baker, app. to Thomas Fowle.")
Freeman 1696 Canterbury, Kent, England - Became a freeman by virtue to being apprenticed to a freeman.
(from Cowper, col. 201)
Residence 1697 Canterbury, Kent, England At the time of his marriage Apprentice to 1709 Canterbury, Kent, England Gilbert John - One Gilbert John, baker, became a freeman of Canterbury in 1709 by virtue of being an apprentice to Hercules Hills.
(from Cowper, col. 193)
Occupation Baker Buried 1745 St. Alphege’s Church, Canterbury, Kent, England - * Date and place (parish) uncertain *
Five Hercules Hills were buried in Canterbury (including Harbledown) between 1731 and 1763:
1731/2 - St. Paul's, Canterbury
1732 - Harbledown
1736 - St. Mary Northgate, Canterbury
1745 - St. Alphege's, Canterbury
1763 - Harbledown
I am fairly confident that four of these were this Hercules, his son with the name and two grandsons. However, which was buried when / where is not so clear.
Hercules the son was probably still alive in 1746 as a daughter was baptised in 1747. That means his burial must have been in 1763. Since it was in Harbledown as were others with names unique (in Canterbury at the time) to his family e.g. two Mildreds. I therefore think the other Harbledown burial was his infant son.
Given the high rates of infant mortality the 1736 burial would seem to be probably the grandson born that year.
That leaves 1731/2 or 1745 for this Hercules.
The only Hercules I know of outside of this Hercules immediate family for whom I do not know of a burial was baptised in St. Lawrence in 1653, and still alive in 1683. His burial could be the extra one; if so, he is unlikely to have lived to 1745 so was probably the 1731/2 burial.
That leaves just the 1745 as the most likely burial of this Hercules.
(I have not yet seen the images of the PR entries for any of these; hopefully some at least will have extra notes. Images of the Canterbury PRs are on FMP; the Harbledown PRs aren't but a (true) transcript is on FamilySearch)
Siblings3 brothers and 2 sisters Patriarch & Matriarch 
William HILLS, [Children?], b. Est 1520, bur. 29 Feb 1587/88, Ss. Peter and Paul’s Church, Boughton under Blean, Kent, England (Age ~ 68 years) (2 x Great Grandfather) 
Sarah WOOD, bur. 18 Feb 1704/05, All Saints’ Church, Boughton Aluph, Kent, England (Mother) Person ID I31540 All Last Modified 17 Nov 2021
Father Hercules HILLS, bap. 9 Nov 1628, St. Laurence’s Church, St. Lawrence in Thanet, Kent, England , bur. 20 Apr 1694, All Saints’ Church, Boughton Aluph, Kent, England (Age ~ 65 years) Mother Sarah WOOD, bur. 18 Feb 1704/05, All Saints’ Church, Boughton Aluph, Kent, England Married 16 Feb 1657/58 St. Giles' Church, Kingston, Kent, England - From PR entry (image on FMP, viewed 27 Sep 2020)
"1657 February the 16 were married Hercules Hills of the parish of St Lawrence in the Ile of Thanet & Sarah wood of the parish of Kingston. The banes having beene published 3 several lords days and nothing objected against them. pr me Nic Dingley. Registr"
Family ID F1336 Family Group Page | Family Chart
Family Mary CLINTON, bap. 28 Jan 1676/77, St. Bartholomew’s Church, Goodnestone next Faversham, Kent, England , d. Yes, date unknown Married Abt 7 Sep 1697 St. Andrew’s Church, Buckland, Kent, England - Assumed from marriage licence, also from transcribed data on FMP
Marriage License 7 Sep 1697 Canterbury, Kent, England - "Hills, Hercules, of Cant., baker, and
Mary Clinton of Selling, spr. At
Selling or Buckland n. Faversham.
Sept. 7, 1697."
(from Cowper)
Children10 children Last Modified 17 Nov 2021 Family ID F1382 Family Group Page | Family Chart