#52 Ancestors 2024 Week 42 Full House: Alexander Penn Hill

 The topic of Full House could cover a lot of families in my ancestry, but for this blog, I'm going to focus on a line I haven't written about before: the family of my 2X-great grandfather, Alexander Penn Hill of Prince George's County MD.

Alexander Penn Hill was the second of five children of Joseph Benedict Hill and Sarah Darnall Heiskell, born 12 October 1823 at his father's estate, Prospect Hill, in Prince George's County MD. He was the grandson of Revolutionary War patriot, Captain Henry Darnall Hill, Jr. 

Alexander married Mary Elizabeth Childs, the daughter of Samuel Childs and Elizabeth Ann Lamar, 26 April 1845 in Prince George's County MD.  By the time of the 1850 Census, Alexander and Mary Eliza, living next to Alexander's parents, had three children: Sarah Elizabeth (1846), Samuel Childs (1848) and Joseph Benedict (1850). The Census also showed 11 enslaved people in Alexander's household, ranging in age from 90 to 8 years old. 

The 1860 Census showed the Hills living in the Brandywine District of Prince George's County with eight children: Sarah (14), Samuel (12), Joseph (10), Peter (8), Mary (6), Alexander (4), Ann, my great-grandmother and namesake (1) and Alfred (2). Alexander Hill was a planter. 

Although he shows up on the Army's draft records in 1863 in Prince George's County, I have no record that he ever served in the military. 

In 1864, Alexander administered his father's estate and inherited part of Prospect Hill, which he named Moss Side. 

In 1870, the 48-year-old farmer was living in the Nottingham District, with six of his children: Joseph (19), Mary (16), Regina Ann (12), Alexander (10), Emily (8), and Robert E. Lee (6). His real estate was valued at $2525. 

In the 1880 Census, Alexander, farmer and planter, age 58, was again shown in the Brandywine District with his wife and four children: Mary (23) with a note that she suffered from "nervous prostration," Emily (17), Alexander (19) clerk in a store, Robert E.L. (15) attending school. 

Mary Elizabeth Childs Hill died in Prince George's County 7 August 1885. 

Although the 1890 Census record is missing, the 1890 Directory for the District of Columbia shows Alexander Hill with a business at 1338 F Street NW and an occupation of "real estate." 

Alexander Penn Hill died of pneumonia in the District at the home of his son, Peter Henry Hill, 12 December 1898, at the age of 75. He was a devout Catholic. 

Both Alexander and Mary Elizabeth Hill are buried at St. Ignatius Cemetery in Oxon Hill. 

Children of Alexander Penn Hill and Mary Elizabeth Childs:

1. Sarah Elizabeth Hill (1846-1935). Married Thomas Sprigg Blandford in 1865 and had six children with him: Alexander Hill, Elenora, Bertha Blandine, Richard Gantt, Caroline, and Thomas Sprigg.

2. Samuel Childs Hill (1848-1928).  Married first Lillian Bowie in 1874 and had nine children with her: William Alexander, Ann Bowie, Samuel Childs, Lillie May, Lillie May, Ellen Ann, Peter Henry Heiskell, Rosa Bowie, and William Bowie. He married secondly Emma in 1895. He was a real estate broker in the District. In 1893, he received a patent for an improvement in railroad spikes. 

3. Joseph Benedict Hill (1850-ca. 1930). Married Mary MNU about 1879 and had one son with her, Richard S. Hill.  In 1930, the widowed Joseph Benedict Hill was living at the John Dickson Memorial Home in the District of Columbia. 

4. Peter Henry Hill (1852-1893). He married Nora Mary Young in 1873 at Gisborough Manor and had nine children with her: Nora May, Rosalie Clifton, Ignatius Fenwick, Clementina Carroll, Theresa, Louise, Peter Henry, Margaret Mary and Elizabeth Livingston.  He was a broker for a flour mill. 

5.  Mary Hester (Mamie) Hill (1854-1904.  She never married.  She is buried at St. Ignatius with her parents.

6. Alfred Hill (1857-?).  Shown in Alexander Hill household in 1860.  No further information. Probably died young.

7. Mary Regina Ann Hill (1858-1932).  My great-grandmother, for whom I was named. She married John Kostka Summers (about whom I have previously written) at Holy Rosary Church in Cheltenham, Prince George's County MD 28 October 1878 and had fifteen children with him: John Lamar, John Kostka, Emily Louise, Alexander Hill, Joseph Mary, Mary Joseph (twins), Eliza Mary, Regina Agnes, Gretchen, Mildred Elizabeth, Dorothy Lucile, Paul Francis (my grandfather), Olin Jerome, Emily Ruth, and Michael Jerome. 

AP Hill Jr.

8. Alexander Penn Hill Jr. (1860-1915). He married Mary Katherine Munro in the District of Columbia in 1883.  They had no children.  He moved to Seattle WA about 1900 where he was an insurance salesman.  He died by suicide. 

9.Emily Riddle Hill (1862-1959).  She married George Washington Young in 1887 at Rosaryville Chapel, Prince George's County and moved to Milwaukee WI shortly after.  They had six children: Robert Lee, Joseph Casanave, Joseph Nicholas, Parke George, George Washington, and Johanna Howle.  George Washington Young was a well-known patent attorney who helped patent the Evinrude outboard, and the Harley-Davidson motorcycle among other things. 

10. Robert E. Lee Hill (1864-1934). He never married.  He worked as a farm manager for his cousin, Jesse Heiskell in Prince George's County.  He is buried at St. Ignatius with his parents.