Giles Hillier
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date: Cir 1787 Christening: Death: Burial: Cause of Death:
Parents
Father: James Hillier 168 Mother: Mary Thorne 168James Hillier
Sex: MAKA: James Halyer 5415, James Hellyar 5416
Individual Information
Birth Date: 10 Jul 1747 - Netherbury, Dorset, England 5415 Christening: 10 Jul 1748 - Netherbury, Dorset, England 5416 Death: 29 Nov 1814 - New Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada ( at age 67) Burial: Cause of Death:
Parents
Father: Jonathan Hillier 168 Mother: Christian Dawe 168
Spouses and Children
1. *Mary Thorne 168 Marriage: 12 Oct 1774 - New Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada 5415,5417Marriage Events
• Minister/Priest: J. Balfour, 12 Oct 1774, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Marriage Notes
180221 from NGB website:Children: 1. John Hillier 2. William Hillier 3. James Hellyer 4. Mary Hillier 5. Jonathan Hillier 6. Giles Hillier 7. James Hillier II 8. Richard Hellyer 9. Susannah Hillier
0/12/1774Trinity HALYER, James Netherbury, Dorset Netherbury, Dorset J. Balfour
THORN, Mary New Harbour New Harbour
Notes
General:
031221:
From Book by Willis P. Martin:
In the Beginning by L J Giovannetti
I have now reached the age of 76 years and I consider it is time I began to write by biography.
In the year 1866 my father Nicodemus left his home in Tereglia Italy, a town approximately fifteen hundred people, situated on one of the many and beautiful mountain tops of the Appanine Range in the province of Lucca, Tuscany.
During the occupation of the French at Louisburg, Cape Breton, Canada, after they were driven from Placentia Newfoundland (1713) they opened the first coal mine in North America at Cow Bay in the 1860's. By the 1880's the town was changed to Port Morien. In 1866 my father arrived on this side of the Atlantic, the most prosperous town in Canada. That was the place where he with three other brothers made his home. That too was my birth place. I thus well remember my boyhood days watching vessels of every description, from John Peaches' fishing boat, to full rigged ships sailing in the bay to anchor in the shelter of the quarter mile long breakwater, which incidentally the federal government granted yearly a sum of ten thousand dollars for repairs, which at that time was considered a large sum of money, and which gave the people, who were not coal miners, sufficient money together with their farming to tide them over from year to year.
Cow Bay during my boyhood had two mines operating Blockhouse and Gowrie. The business part was in between. Thus there was great riverly between the boys who attended the Blockhouse and Gowrie school when they met in Middletown where the business people and their shops were. Uncle Lorenzo was the oldest of the four brothers to leave Italy. For many days he was knocking about Genoa awaiting a ship to bring him to America, the land of promise. Then one day on a wharf there Lorenzo asked the captain of a salt laden schooner for a birth as a sailor. Never being at sea before so captain refused to have anything to do with a greenhorn for so long a passage across the western ocean to Newfoundland, the mecca of Europeans who fished the lowly cod. Salt to them was then as it is today almost as precious as gold. Not to be outdone Uncle Larry when the captain was absent from his ship induced the crew to hide him away on board their ship. This they did. Then after leaving Genoa and feeding him for three days they demanded he come on deck and give himself up to the captain who being a kindly man accepted him as a member of his crew without pay. Uncle Larry learnt so much on such a long voyage that he was not long in Newfoundland before he was considered capable of caring for a ship. Thus he soon became a captain and was the owner of a schooner, carrying coal from Cow Bay where he decided to make his home. Father followed him there in 1866. Uncle Larry on one of his trips to Halifax was acquainted that there was a young stylish Italian strolling about that city who knew no English and was always saying to parties whom he contacted the word " Giovannetti". At once Uncle Larry started to look for him. He proved to be Uncle Anthony who later accompanied him on the return voyage to Cow Bay in 1874. Another brother Uncle John came to Cow Bay in 1874. He being not very strong was unable to stand Canadian wintes. Thus after one year he returned to the lovely climate of his native Tereglia. Couisn Angelo whose god-father he ws as well as mine described him as a lovely gentleman. If one can judge what he was like from the home and gardens which I saw belonging to him in Tereglia, the it should be said of him that he loved grandeur, produced with his hands, from mother earth.
Father and the two brothers Lawrence and Anthony built their homes in Cow Bay and all married NS women and lived there until the Dominion Coal Co came to Cape Breton and bought up all the collieries. Some years previously the Blockhouse mine had to close for money of to pay the royalty placed on it. Balooni of 5th Ave in New York being the owner. Gowrie was closed by the Dominion Co because of the coal from it was salty. Thus Morien as it was renamed about that time began to be a Ghost town. My father had died in 1882 when I was eight years old leaving mother to care for us three children, I being the oldest. Father had left a store situated on Breakwater Road. It was well stocked with the merchandise of a general store. We children with mother had a nice eight roomed home. The store being filled with goods just previous to father's illness, mother, although being a strong woman was unable to care for it and us, her children. But like mothers the world over at least in those days she considered we came first. Thus she left the business to father's clerk to care for it. These were difficult times especially with the Scotch who farmed in the Back Land of Morien, then known as Cow Bay. Red headed Malcolm McAuley the clerk had a kind heart when he had other peoples property to give away to his hungry relatives. Thus after one year the business was wound up. Mother being a strong woman with a bit of determined scottish blood started a hotel. She succeeded so well that she was able to send us three children to colleges and universities where we, given the chance, graduated.
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Generation No. 6
6. JAMES6 HALYER (JONATHAN5 HILLIER, JAMES4, JOHN3 HELLIER, WILLIAM2, WILLIAM1) was born July 10, 1747, and died November 29, 1814 in New Harbour, Newfoundland. He married MARY THORN October 12, 1774, daughter of JOHN THORN and MARY THORN.
Notes for JAMES HALYER:
Seary's "Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland" indicates an early instance of Hillier as one James Halyer of New Harbour in 1774. We are going on the premise that this is the earliest Hillier ancestor, although we are still attempting to link him with Richard Hellier, fisherman of St. John's, 1794-5 "31 years in Nefoundland" (Census 1794-5/as per Seary)
Preliminary information on early Hilliers and their offspring has been provided by Joyce (Hillier) Gregory. Sources still have to be documented.
In interview with Rex Hillier of New Harbour on September 9, 1998, he provided me with "tree" (as compiled by David Hillyer of England) for James Halyer which confirms names of James' children, although some of the birth dates vary.
Note that the early reference to James Halyer is dated 1774 and coincides with the recorded marriage date to Mary Thorne and the birth/baptismal date for their son John. Birth places of all children is assumed to be New Harbour. James Halyer (Hellyer) is as on the headstone.
Children of JAMES HALYER and MARY THORN are:
i. John HELLYER, b. Abt. 1774.
ii............. JAMES HELLYER, b. Abt. 1782; m. ELIZABETH ELFORD. Begin Trinity Bay Hilliers.*)
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iii. Mary HELLYER, b. Abt. 1782; m. WILLIAM BISHOP, October 16, 1799, Gadstouk Dorset England.
iv. Jonathon HELLYER, b. Abt. 1785.
v. Richard HELLYER, b. Abt. 1788; m. ANNE HILLIER.
vi. Sussanah HELLYER, b. Abt. 1800.
*) Begin of James Hellyer branch of Trinity Bay Hillier (ed.)
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More About JAMES HELLYER:
Note: Not to be construed as related to other surnames in the Trinity Bay group.
Source: October 1999, Ross Hillier (RsH): Entire James Hellyer family tree w. ancestors
Children of JAMES HELLYER and ELIZABETH ELFORD are:
47.i. JAMES JR4 HELLYER, b. 1815. ii. WILLIAM HELLYER, b. 1824.
James Hillier II
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date: Cir 1788 - New Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada Christening: Death: Burial: Cause of Death:
Parents
Father: James Hillier 168 Mother: Mary Thorne 168John Hillier
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date: Cir 1774 - New Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada Christening: Death: Burial: Cause of Death:
Parents
Father: James Hillier 168 Mother: Mary Thorne 168John Hillier
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date: 28 Jan 1748/49 Christening: Death: 5 Apr 1752 - Netherbury, Dorset, England ( at age 3) Burial: Cause of Death:
Parents
Father: Jonathan Hillier 168 Mother: Christian Dawe 168 Marriage Did Not MarryJonathan Hillier
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date: Cir 1711 - Netherbury, Dorset, England Christening: Death: 28 Aug 1791 - Netherbury, Dorset, England ( about age 80) Burial: Cause of Death:
Spouses and Children
1. *Christian Dawe 168 Marriage: 3 Jan 1746/47 - Netherbury, Dorset, England Children: 1. James Hillier 2. John Hillier 3. Ann Hayler 4. Giles Hayler 5. Sarah Hillier 6. Susannah Hillier 7. Martha HillierJonathan Hillier
Sex: M
Individual Information
Birth Date: Cir 1785 - New Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada Christening: Death: Burial: Cause of Death:
Parents
Father: James Hillier 168 Mother: Mary Thorne 168Martha Hillier
Sex: F
Individual Information
Birth Date: 16 Oct 1763 - Netherbury, Dorset, England Christening: Death: Burial: Cause of Death:
Parents
Father: Jonathan Hillier 168 Mother: Christian Dawe 168Mary Hillier
Sex: FAKA: Mary Bishop, Mary Hillier 168,2059
Individual Information
Birth Date: Cir 1782 - New Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada 2091 Christening: Death: Burial: Cause of Death:
Parents
Father: James Hillier 168 Mother: Mary Thorne 168
Spouses and Children
1. *William Bishop 168,582 Marriage: 16 Oct 1799 - Trinity, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada 2059 Marriage NotesSarah Hillier
040909:Children: 1. Joseph Bishop 2. George Bishop 3. Henry Bishop
The PANL transcript is sketchy not giving details like their age, whether they were previously single, his occupation, who married them, who witnessed the marriage or the name of the registering officer. The original record may give these additional details and should be examined.
Sex: F
Individual Information
Birth Date: 20 Sep 1761 - Netherbury, Dorset, England Christening: Death: Burial: Cause of Death:
Parents
Father: Jonathan Hillier 168 Mother: Christian Dawe 168
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