William moved from Little Compton, Newport Co., RI to Stonington where he farmed his father's homestead. He also was active in the real estate business.

Following is recorded the sale of the Hillard homestead in Stonington by David Hillard to his son William Hillard. Stonington Land Records. Book 6, page 145. 1743, 17th of December.

". . . in consideration of 900 pounds . . . unto sd William Hillard . . . a certain parcel or tract of land situate and lying in Stonington being ninety five acres more or less, beginning at a wallnut tree standing on the south side of Cousadok hill on the north side of a brook, and from thence running East and by North 80 rods to a black oak tree marked on four sides and from thence upon a straight line to a white oak tree markt on four sides, which tree, being the southeast corner of land laid out to James Dean, and from thence easterly to a black oak tree standing by the side of a rock being the northwest corner tree of Thomas Shaws land, then running southwardly by sd Shaws land to a chestnut tree marked, from thence running southwardly by Magduells land to a burch tree marked on four sides, from thence by Magduels land to a heap of stones, and then westerly by Magduels land to a white oak tree marked on four sides, from thence westardly by Jones land ten rods to a black oak tree marked on four sides, and from thence a straight line to the first bounds mentioned. . . . ." David Hillard Susannah Hillard

Following are two deeds where he sold the homestead to William, Jr.

". . . in consideration of the sum of four hundred pounds . . unto the said William Hillard, Junr. . . two certain tracts or parcells of land, with a Dwelling House thereon Standing, Lying in said Stonington aforesaid containing by Estimation About One Hundred and Eighty five acres and be the same more or less, with a Highway Running through the Premises & is Butted and Bounded as follows (viz) The first lot on which the House stands is Bounded as Follows (viz) Beginning at a Black Oak tree the NorthWest corner of said William Williams land thence westerly with the land belonging to the heirs of Robert Coats Deceased to a White Oak tree the northwest corner of the premises standing in the line of Jesse Billings land thence southerly with the said Jesse Billings land on the west till it comes to a heap of stones by the side of a brook thence westerly with said Jesse Billings land and ____ Charles Phelps land on the northeast till it comes to a walnut tree standing in the line of Collins Yorks land thence east 39° south 75 rods to a ____ stone, thence east 9 rods to a birch tree, thence east 27° & 1/2 north 84 rods to a ____ stone thence east 6° south 56 rods to the north bound of the highway in Jeremiah Brownings line, thence northerly with said Brownings land and Wm. Williams land on the east to the bounds first mentioned. The other tract butted and bounded as follows (viz) beginning at a stump being an original bound of sd Wm. Hillard land thence east 7° south 15 and 1/2 rods to a white oak tree, thence east 1° north 38 rods to a heap of stones in Jeremiah Brownings land thence north 11° & 1/2 west & 85 rods to a buttonwood tree, thence north 8¾ east 57 rods to a ____ stone thence west 29° south 133 rods to a ____ stone in the line of Collins Yorks land thence east 39° south 97 rods to the bounds first mentioned . . . . April 17, 1775. . ."
William Hillard

". . . fifty acres with a dwelling found thereon . . . of one thousand & fifty pounds . . . Beginning at the highway the north east corner of the premises by a ____ stone standing in the west line of Jeremiah Brownings land thence southerly with said Brownings land on the east to a heap of stones thence westerly with said Brownings land on the south untill it comes to a heap of stones in Collin Yorks east line, northwardly with said Yorks land until it comes to William Hillard, Jr land unto a heap of stones thence eastwardly with said William Hillard Jun land and the highway on the North until it comes to the bounds first mentioned. . . .April 9, 1779 . . ."
William Hillard

William left no will. From land transactions we learn that he had a son William, but little else can be discovered about his children. I am including the remaining children because I can not find their parentage and it is highly possible that they are daughters of William (Barbour thought it was a possibility also.). He was chosen as guardian by his nephew Isaac, son of Jonathan and Abigail (Wilbore) Hillard.

Inscription: "In memory of Mr. William Hillard who died Oct 1783 in ye 80th year of his life.
Death is the . . . . ."

1. 2. William HILLARD   b. Abt 1731, Stonington, New London, Connecticut; d. 7 Jun 1815, North Stonington, New London, Connecticut; bur. North Stonington, New London County, Connecticut (Great Plain Cemetery).
2. 3. Esther HILLARD   b. EST 1735, Stonington, New London County, Connecticut; d. 26 Mar 1822, North Stonington, New London County, Connecticut; bur. North Stonington, New London County, Connecticut (Great Plain Cemetery).
3. 4. Priscilla HILLARD   b. EST 1737, Stonington, New London County, Connecticut.
4. 5. Phebe HILLARD   b. EST 1740, Stonington, New London County, Connecticut.
5. 6. Henry HILLARD   b. EST 1743, Stonington, New London County, Connecticut; d. Berkshire County, Massachusetts.

Following is the Will of William as proved in the Stonington Probate District in the year 1815. It is document 1667.

In the name of God, Amen - I William Hilliard of North Stonington in the County of New London - Although laboring at present under some indisposition of Body, yet being of sound and disposing mind, memory & understanding, through the Mercy of God, do make & ordain this my last Will & Testament in manner & form following -
First & principally I resign my Soul with the utmost humility unto the hands of Almighty God, My Creator, humbly hoping for a blessed Immortality through the Marvels & Medication of My Blessed Saviour & Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and my body I desire may be decently buried at the definition of my Executor herein after named.
And as for such Temporal Estate as the Lord has Intrusted me to be the Steward of I give _____ & dispose thereof as follows.
Imprimis - I will that all my debts & funeral charges be paid & discharged by my Executors herein after named out of my Estate.
Item - I give & bequeath unto my Loving Wife Mary Hilliard the use & improvements of the one third part of my Real Estate for her to enjoy so long as she shall remain my widow, and also my household furniture and indoor movables & also one good cow - to her & to her heirs and assigns forever.
Item - I give & bequeath to my Loving Son John Hilliard fifty dollars to be paid to him within one year after my decease by my Executor herein after named out of my estate, and I also do hereby relinquish all the obligations I hold against him - it's being together with that I have formerly given him his equal proportions of my Estate - to him & to his heirs &c forever.
Item - I give & bequeath to my Loving Son Azariah Hilliard fifty dollars to be paid to him within one year after my decease by my Executor herein after named out of my Estate which together with what I have formerly given him is his equal proportion of my Estate - to him & to his heirs &c forever.
Item - I give & bequeath Unto my Loving Son Gurdon Hilliard Twenty five dollars to be paid to him within one year after my decease by my Executor herein after named out of my Estate & also I do hereby relinquish & give unto said Gurdon all the obligations I hold against him is his Equal proportion of my Estate - to him & to his heirs &c forever.
Item - I give & bequeath unto my Loving Son Denison Hilliard twenty five dollars to be paid to him within one year by my Executor herein after named out of my Estate & also I do hereby relinquish & give unto the said Denison all the obligations I hold against him which together with
what I have formerly given him is his Equal proportion of my Estate - to him & his heirs &c forever.
Item - I give & bequeath unto my Loving daughter Polly York wife of Oliver York, twenty five dollars to be paid to her within one year after my decease by my Executor herein after named out of my Estate which together with what I have formerly given her is her Equal share of my Estate - to her & to her heirs &c forever.
Item - I give & bequeath unto my Loving daughter Phebe Hilliard forty dollars to be paid to her by me Executor herein after named within one year after my decease out of my Estate - to her & to her heirs &c forever, and also I give to my Sd Daughter Phebe the use & improvement of the east great room in my dwelling house where I now live for her to use & improve so long as she shall remain single & unmarried.
Item - I give & bequeath unto my Loving daughter Presilla Hilliard wife of Henry Hilliard twenty dollars to be paid to her by my Executor herein after named within one year after my decease out of my Estate - to her & to her heirs &c forever which together with what I have formerly given her is her equal share of my Estate.
Item - I give & bequeath unto my Loving Grand Son William Hilliard Son of Azariah Hilliard fifty dollars to be paid to him by my Executor herein after named within one year after my decease out of my Estate - to him & to his heirs &c forever.
Item - I give and bequeath unto my Loving Grand Son Hewit Hilliard Son of Denison Hilliard all the lands & buildings I own in the Town of Pharsalia, State of New York that I purchased of Gilbert Billings; his father & mother Denison & Olive Hilliard is to have the use and improvement of the same during their natural lives & after their decease the same is to decend to the Sd Hewit Hilliard & his heirs & assigns forever.
Item - I give & bequeath to my Loving Grand Son Robert Hilliard Son to Gurdon Hilliard a Lot of Land containing nine acres with the small dwelling house therein being in North Stonington and is to be Lot off at the south east corner of my home said farm adjoining Lands of Jown Brown___ and also one acre as a Wood Lot being to be Lot off at the NW corner of my house and farm adjoining Captain Gilbert Billings lands - to him & his heirs &c forever, under the incumbrance of my Son Gurdon & his wife Pecurah Hilliard Improving the same during their natural lives.
Item - I give and bequeath unto my Loving Grand daughter Lusinda York wife of Oliver York, Jr. who is daughter of my daughter Priscilla forty dollars to given to her by my Executor herein after named in one year after my decease out of my Estate to her & her heirs &c forever. and it is further my will that all the residue of my Estate that is not already disposed of in this will if any should remain after all just debts S__man's & Ex___ &c are first paid - shall be equally divided between my four sons (viz) John, Azariah, Gurdon & Denison to each of them & to each of their heirs & assigns forever.
___ I do make & constitute my good friend Elias Hewit Esq my Executor of this my Last Will & Testament . . . . .
William Hillard

The Denison mentioned in the will does not appear in the Stonington Vital Records; the Polly mentioned is Mary; William is not mentioned as he is deceased. Following is a deed found in the Stonington Court Records where part of the original land that David purchased is sold to William's son William, Jr.

". . for the consideration of eight pounds . . . unto the sd William Hilliard, Jr. . . one certain tract or parcile of land lying of land & being in sd Stonington bounded as follows. Beginning at a walnut tree in the N.W. corner of the premises & a corner of ____ Phelps, Esq. land, thence southwesterly by Collins York's land to the Mill Brook thence easterly by sd brook to heap of stones, thence northerly to heap of stones in the line of sd Phelps land then westerly with sd Phelps land to the first mentioned bound containing about one & 1/2 acres of land more or less . . .Sept. 22,1804 . . ."
William Hillard

William was credited with service in the Revolutionary War in Captain Eliezer Prentice's Company, CT Militia. He is buried Great Plains Cemetery, North Stonington. The date of death and burial place of Mary, his widow, is not known.

1. 7. John HILLARD   b. 4 Oct 1756, Stonington, New London, Connecticut; d. 1 Mar 1826, North Stonington, New London, Connecticut; bur. North Stonington, New London County, Connecticut (Hillard Cemetery).
2. 8. William HILLARD   b. 10 Jan 1759, Stonington, New London County, Connecticut; d. 23 Jun 1809, North Stonington, New London County, Connecticut; bur. North Stonington, New London County, Connecticut (Great Plain Cemetery).
3. 9. Azariah HILLARD   b. 25 Jan 1761, Stonington, New London County, Connecticut; d. 25 Mar 1847, North Stonington, New London County, Connecticut.
4. 10. Mary HILLARD   b. 13 Apr 1763, Stonington, New London County, Connecticut.
5. 11. Phebe HILLARD   b. 24 Oct 1765, Stonington, New London County, Connecticut.
6. 12. Prescilla HILLARD   b. 11 Mar 1767, Stonington, New London County, Connecticut; d. Berkshire County, Massachusetts (possibly).
7. 13. Gurdon HILLARD   b. 10 Feb 1771, Stonington, New London County, Connecticut; d. 5 Jan 1829, North Stonington, New London County, Connecticut.
8. 14. Denison HILLIARD   b. Abt 1778, Stonington, New London County, Connecticut; d. 14 Jul 1850, Pharsalia, Chenango County, New York.

Probable daughter per Barbour.

1. 15. Phebe MINOR   b. 30 May 1762, Stonington, New London County, Connecticut; d. 23 Apr 1808.
2. 16. James MINOR   b. 4 Oct 1764, Stonington, New London County, Connecticut; d. 8 Jan 1833, Guilford, Windham County, Vermont.
3. 17. Andrew MINOR   b. 8 Sep 1766, Stonington, New London County, Connecticut; d. May 1848, Brattleboro, Windham County, Vermont.
4. 18. Prudence MINOR   b. 8 Jul 1768, Stonington, New London County, Connecticut; d. 1854.
5. 19. Lois MINOR   b. 30 Mar 1772, Stonington, New London County, Connecticut.
6. 20. Eunice MINOR   b. 18 Feb 1775, Stonington, New London County, Connecticut.
7. 21. Denison MINOR   b. 28 Aug 1777, Stonington, New London County, Connecticut; d. 27 Feb 1865, North Stonington, New London County, Connecticut; bur. North Stonington, New London County, Connecticut (Great Plain Cemetery).

Probable daughter per Barbour.

1. 22. Lucy FITCH   b. 2 Dec 1756, Stonington, New London County, Connecticut; d. New Lebanon, Columbia County, New York (possibly).
2. 23. Dyer FITCH   b. 18 Oct 1758, Stonington, New London County, Connecticut; d. 3 Dec 1819, Richmond, Berkshire County, Massachusetts.

Probable daughter per Barbour.

The following inserted in the Stonington Records.

Henry Hillard "of Stonington, Connecticut made a deed dated 30 APR 1770 to 'my nephew Dyer Fitch of Richmont in the county of Berkshire and in the province of Massachusetts Bay in New England in America.' This deed was executed in Great Barrington, Mass. See Berkshire County and land records. Middle district, Pittsfield, v.8, p. 88." Signed Col. Arthur C. Rogers, 1886 E. 97th St. Cleveland, Ohio, Aug. 18, 1925.

The Barbour Manuscript did not include Henry Hillard as a son but a Henry Hillard of Stonington, made a deed 30 APR 1770 to his nephew Dyer Fitch of Richmond, Berkshire Co., MA (Berkshire County Land Records, Middle District, Pittsfield, V8 P88). This makes Henry a brother of Priscilla Hillard.

1. 24. Henry HILLARD   b. Aft 1765, Stonington, New London County, Connecticut (probably); d. Berkshire County, Massachusetts (possibly).

John was a corporal in Captain Hyde's Company, Fourth Regiment, Connecticut Line, Formation of 1777-81. He enlisted for the war, 1 JAN 1777, and was honorably discharged 1 JAN 1780.

They moved to Marlborough, VT in 1807 and returned to Stonington in 1816.

Will witnessed by Stephen Avery, Elias hewitt and Prudence Smith. Adminstered 7 MAR 1826 to William M. and Elias Hilliard by David Coats. Invt., 11 MAR 1826 by Stephen Avery and David Coats.

1. 25. Elias HILLARD   b. 30 Oct 1800, Stonington, New London, Connecticut; d. 14 Nov 1868, North Stonington, New London, Connecticut.

He signed a will on 8 JUL 1810 in North Stonington, New London Co., CT. Witnessed by Juh. Halsey, Phebe Brown and Prudence Miner. Adminstrated 6 NOV 1810 to wife Mary & John S. Hewitt by Stephen Avery. Distributed 19 NOV 1811 by Stephen Avery, Elias Hewitt and Gilbert Billings. Heirs: Mary and only daughter Mary Hewitt.

Azariah enlisted in the Revolutionary War in the year 1778 AD for the term of one year in a company commanded by Captain William Whitney of Preston, Lieutenant Chemiah Smith, Lt. Isaac Geer and Ensign George Gallup of Groton and participated in Sullivan's Expedition in Rhode Island. He enlisted a second time in the month of May 1780 for the term of six months and was present when Major Andre was executed as a British spy. In the year 1782 he was drafted and performed two months service in Fort Griswold in a company commanded by Captain Eleijar Prentice, Lieutenant Amos Gallup in repairing the fort. Azariah was given a pension.

At the time of his pension request, Azariah was residing in North Stonington. In the pension request he stated he had been residing in the state of New York.

In 1800 and 1810 he is found living in Saratoga Co., NY. In 1790, 1820 and 1830 he is found in North Stonington. In 1800 and 1820 he is recorded as Ezra. First four children born Stonington.

Azariah's widow, Lucretia (Brown) Hillard requested a widow's pension (R1321), 9 NOV 1847 from her marriage to Charles F. Brown. In this pension request she stated that Azariah died in the poor house in Voluntown, New London Co., CT and that a Mr. David Holmes made the coffin. The North Stonington Congregational Church records state that Azariah died March 25, 1847, æ 86 at Mrs. Halletts.

Following is a land transfer found in the North Stonington Land Records, Book 2, page 249.

Azariah Hilliard of N.S. $140 to John Hilliard q c al right and title have in tract or parcel of land with buildings being in N.S. on the east by Col. Isaac Williams and John Browning, on the south by Gurdon Hilliard, and said John Browning, on the west by Elisha Talmage and Robert Miner and the land formerly belong to Jesse Billings, and on the north by Jonas Hewitt and said Col. Isaac Williams, being the farm which our honored father William Hilliard left to his heirs including the widow's third. 23rd Feb. 1819.

Azariah died Mar. 25, 1847, age 86 at Mrs. Hallett's.

Phebe Hilliard of North Stonington for $34 to William M. Hilliard and Elias Hilliard. Quit claim interest in dwelling house same my honored father William Hilliard gave me in his last will. Witnessed by Lathum Hull and Levi Walbut, July 3, 1827 and approved by Chester Smith, overseer of Phebe. North Stonington Land Record, book 3, page 278.

Does the fact that she had an overseer mean she was incompetent for some reason or another? She was unmarried.

Following is a land transfer found in the North Stonington Land Records, Book 2, page 407.

Gurdon Hilliard $78 to John Hilliard 21 of Feb. 1821
Seven acres, on the south by lands of John Browning, west on land of said John Hilliard and north on said John's land and east on land given to said Gurdon during his said Gurdon's life by the last will of his father, William Hilliard, being and including the land I purchased of said John.

The record states he was 'about 60.'

He died of consumption.

Power of Attorney
Know all men by the presents that I Denison Hilliard of the Town of Pharsalia County of Chenango State of N.Y. do constitute and appoint Denison H. Hilliard of the same place my true and Lawfull Attorney for me and in my name to grant bargain and sell let out or lease all and any land to wich I have title or claim by devine gift grant or otherwise, lying and being in the State of Connecticut and make entry on the same and to give and execute deed or deeds leas or leases receive rents and do all necessary things in my name by such or otherwise as fully and absolutely as I myself could or might do In which where off I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 22d day of June 1829. Denisan Hilliad

Dyer served in the Revolutionary War. He died intestate and his widow Hannah submitted a list of her children to the Berkshire probate court. The judge ordered that 30 acres of land from Dyer's farm be set off for son Ersastus, daughter Lois, and the parents of Dyer's first wife. There appeared to be friction between Hannah and her step-children. They had to petition the court for their share of Dyer's farm. Hannah had William jailed until he paid $964 she claimed he owed her, and in order to pay her, he apparently had to sell everything he owned.

1. 26. Albert Clinton HILLARD   b. 10 Oct 1832, Stonington, New London, Connecticut; d. 25 Apr 1916, Stonington, New London, Connecticut.