James Hill (antiquary) facts for kids

James Hill (died 1727) was an English lawyer and a person who studied ancient things, known as an antiquary. He spent his life researching and collecting old documents and information about history.

About James Hill

His Early Life and Studies

James Hill was born in Herefordshire, a county in England. He became a lawyer, which means he was "called to the bar" as a member of the Middle Temple. This was a special place where lawyers were trained.

In 1718, James Hill joined the Society of Antiquaries of London. This was a group of people who loved to study history and old objects. A year later, in 1719, he also became a member of the Royal Society, which is a famous group for scientists.

His Work on British Coins

At a meeting of the Society of Antiquaries in 1722, they decided to try and write a complete history of British coins. James Hill agreed to describe the old Saxon coins that belonged to the Earl of Oxford. He also had his own collection of coins, which was to be cataloged by another historian, George Holmes. However, this big plan was never fully completed.

Moving Back Home

A few years before he passed away, James Hill moved back to his home county of Herefordshire. He still kept in touch with other antiquaries, like Roger Gale and William Stukeley. They would write letters to each other about their historical discoveries.

He also had a collection of 35 old legal documents, called deeds, from Herefordshire. Many of these documents had his name on them. These papers were later given to another historian, Andrew Coltée Ducarel.

What He Left Behind

After James Hill died, his father showed his collections from Herefordshire to another historian, Samuel Gale, in 1728. Samuel Gale thought the collections were interesting but couldn't be published as a book.

However, James Hill's papers were still important. In 1752, a man named Isaac Taylor bought them. The papers were then passed to John Roberts, who organized them and added more information. After Roberts died, the collection, which had grown to about 20 volumes, eventually ended up at the Hereford City Library. This means James Hill's hard work is still available for people to study today.

James Hill also enjoyed writing poems. He wrote a poem about hearing a parent scold their child. Another poem was mentioned in a letter by Maurice Johnson in 1719. After his death, some verses about James Hill were published in a book of poems in 1731. These poems suggested that he even wrote some lines about "Eternity" just hours before he died.

His Writings and Drawings

Between 1715 and 1717, James Hill tried to publish a history book about the city of Hereford. He also planned to write another book about the entire county. His plan was even printed in a book called English Topographer in 1720. But unfortunately, these projects never came to be.

In 1718, James Hill showed the Society of Antiquaries many drawings and plans. These were from his travels in the west of England that summer. One of his drawings was a detailed view and floor plan (called an ichnography) of Tintern Abbey in Monmouthshire. This drawing was later used in a book called History of Antient Abbeys in 1723. In 1722, he also showed the Society his surveys of Ariconium and Hereford.