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Henry Hugh Hill | / | ||
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Joseph William Hill | / | ||
= Mary Alberta Bourke | | | \ | |
Maria Holmes | / | ||
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Joseph William Hill, son of Henry Hugh Hill and Maria Holmes, was born in Rockhampton, Queensland about 1869.
He moved to Sydney and by 1901 Joe was employed as an accountant by the NSW Mont de Piété Deposit and Investment Company Limited. The Mont de Piété was essentially a pawnbroker located in Castlereagh Street, Sydney. Joe was to remain with the company for the rest of his working life. He was most likely living at 225 Forbes street, Darlinghurst.
At 31 years of age he married Mary Alberta MacCallum Bourke on February 11th, 1901 at St. Peter's Church in Wooloomooloo, just around the corner from his house .They moved to "Thalaba" in Muston St., in Mosman in early 1902. This house was near the corner of Raglan Street, just off Military Road. Joe and his young family were to stay there for about five years before moving to Manly. Joe and Mary became the parents of Argyle Hill in April 1902 in the Sydney suburb of Mosman (the child being named after Mary's younger brother).
However, Joe and Mary's son Argyle died on May 24th, 1902, at their home at five weeks of age. This cause of death was a loss of consciousness due to a drop in blood pressure that was part of a general wasting away. From the first, Argyle must have been a weak baby, most likely due to being premature.
Joe and Mary became the parents for the second time with the birth of Geoffrey John Hill on December 20th, 1905. By 1908 they had moved to Addision Road Manly, but only stayed there a short time before moving to 51 Wood Street, just around the corner. By 1909 Mary's younger brother and sister were also living with them. Joe, at 42 years of age and Mary, at 32 years of age became the parents for the last time with the birth of Donald Nicholson Hill in 1911. They moved to "Woniora", 78 Osbourne Road, in the Sydney suburb of Manly in 1913. His extended family, which at that time included his wifes sister Susie until she moved to London, were to live in this house until about 1917.
By the middle of 1915 Susie had gone to London to work in the NSW Agent-General's office, and Argyle had joined the AIF. After the war, Gyle probably lived with them for a while. Joe was promoted to acting General Manager in 1920 (an appointment that was confirmed two years later, and he was to hold for about a decade).
The turn of the decade and the early 1920's must have been rich in family life for Joe; his sons were at home, Mary's older brother Don was living with his family next door, and Susie was living around the corner with her husband and young son. However, in 1924 tradgedy struck - Mary's sister Susie was diagnosed with cancer and spent her last two months living with the Hills.
Joe, as the father of the groom, most likely attended Margery Jean Smith and Geoffrey John Hill's wedding on November 2nd, 1929 in North Sydney. Joe became a widower at 62 years of age with the death of his wife Mary.
Joe died on February 24th, 1933 in the Sydney suburb of Manly, at 63 years of age. The cause of death was two-fold. Enlargement of the prostate gland was the main reason, but also there was a heart problem associated with the mitral valve and a narrowing associated with it.
His body was interred in the C of E cemetery on February 25th, 1933 in the Sydney suburb of Manly. Joe's estate was probated on 16th May 1933. As there was no will, Joseph's sons Jack and Don had the estate paid into trust with the Permanent Trustee Company of NSW. The estate was valued at £763.14.0. Joseph was a small man with a large moustache. His grandson recalls being told that he would cook up herbs on the stove in the kitchen.
Joseph William Hill and Mary Alberta MacCallum Bourke had the following children:
Argyle Hill was born in the Sydney suburb of Mosman in April 1902. Argyle died on May 24th, 1902 in the Sydney suburb of Mosman, at less than one year of age of syncope & asthenia premature. This cause of death means a short loss of consciousness due to a drop in blood pressure that was part of a general wasting away. From the first, Argyle must have been a weak baby, most likely due to being premature. His body was interred at St. Thomas' Church of England on May 25th, 1902 in North Sydney.
Geoffrey John Hill was born on December 20th, 1905.
Donald Nicholson Hill was born in 1911.