AncestryUK

Hiltons of the Caribbean

Origin of the Name

The Hiltons in Britain
North East England              Westmoreland   Lancashire         London              Sussex                           Other locations

The Hiltons in America
Virginia
New England                  Bermuda                        Caribbean             Maryland        Carolina                                   New York                     Canada

Famous Hiltons
William de Hilton               1208
William Hilton 1367                         
Sir William Hylton 1457                                   Sir Thomas Hilton              1558
William Hilton                   1585
Anthony Hilton 1623                             William Hilton  1666                               Conrad Hilton

Helton Hylton Hilton International Family Reunion Hylton Castle May 2007

U.K. Heritage Tours

The Hiltons of Hylton Castle history in the Caribbean goes back to 1628 when Anthony Hilton was recorded as Governor of Nevis and St Kitts, and there is a record of John Hilton as being storekeeper on the islands. In 1633 Anthony Hilton is also recorded as Governor of Tortuga. which was approved in 1635

Anthony Hilton was recorded as Captain of the ship "Faith"
- Caribbeana Vol II

St Christopher & Nevis

In 1623 St Christopher (St Kitts) became the first British territory in the West Indies when Thomas Warner landed on the island.  He returned to England and brought a group of settlers with him in 1624. Thomas Warner was granted a Royal Commission from King Charles I in 1625 for the Islands of St. Christopher, Nevis, Barbados and Montserrat. Nevis was colonised by English settlers from St Christopher in 1628 and Captain Anthony Hilton was appointed first Governor of Nevis by Thomas Warner. Antigua and Montserrat were colonised by 1632. Thomas Warner died in 1648 and his grave can still be seen on St. Christopher. A Thomas Warner was recorded at Roanoke in Virginia in 1585.

Providence Island

"Apart from the occasional band of Dutch smugglers, nobody lived here until 1631, when 100 settlers sailed from London to Providence on the Seaflower, a sister ship to the Mayflower. The early settlers found fertile land for growing tobacco, cotton and indigo - and a perfect base for pirate raids against the Spanish fleet - but Britain never established a formal presence on the islands"

New Providence Island was strategically important to stop Spanish shipping on their way to Florida

Captain Hilton (Anthony Hilton) is also mentioned in British Colonial records in relation to Providence Island in 1635.

"on the motion of Sir Nath. Rich, it is resolved that a Council shall be appointed to govern the island, with a President, to be elected by themselves. The Negroes to be taken to Providence to discharge Capt Hilton’s debts."

Tortuga

1635 "Commission to Captain Hilton for Government of the island agreed upon". (British Colonial Entry Book Vol III, p.p. 210-211) 

Barbados

1643 - Jane Hilton, wife of James Denham. Sarah Hilton, her sister, daughter of Elias Hilton of Newton, Lancaster, England.

1647 - Rowland Hilton married to Elizabeth Pawtell, July 18 1647

1671 - William Hilton married Mrs Elinor Nory on September 28th 1671 in St Micheals Parish - 

1695 - James and Alexander Hilton, sons of Sarah Hilton above.

Thomad Manwaring is also recorded on the island

Source Barbados Records Vol 1 - 

Jamaica

"They now sail for Jamaica, towards the west, a pleasant island, even a garden of delights. This they quickly possess; the Spaniards capitulating to depart. But a plague, the avenger of wrong, violently attacks the English, and in six month's destroys the whole army, except two soldiers. Reinforcements arriving with supplies, they at length finally expel the Spaniards" -  ( Elenchus, (1676,) Part ii. p. 307.)

Governor Hutchinson says, that "Jamaica being conquered, Cromwell," who "had been very desirous of drawing off the New-Englanders to people Ireland, after his successes there, renewed his invitation to the colony of Massachusets to remove, and to go and people that island." 

To "the agent of the Colony in England, he was pleased to express, that he did apprehend the people of New England had as clear a call to transport themselves from thence to Jamaica, as they had from England to New England, in order to their bettering their outward condition. God having promised his people should be the head and not the tail: besides, that design hath its tendency to the overthrow of the Man of Sin. A few accepted the invitation." - See Harris's Lives, (1814,) iii. 382–387.

  Jamaica was described in this year, (1655,) as "of a rich and fertile soil, and in nothing less provided for the necessities of man's life, than either Hispaniola or Cuba; well stocked with cattle, and plentifully stored with fruits of all sorts; yielding abundance of cotton-wool, more than either of the other islands: only it wanteth the convenience of some good havens and ports, which it hath but few. And the sea round about it so shelvy, and full of rocks and broken islands, that the coast of it is held to be not a little dangerous: and therefore little frequented by merchants or others; there being, at present, only three small towns inhabited in the whole island." - See "History of Massachusets, (1761) pp. 190, 192.

The first recorded Hilton living on Jamaica is Ralph Hilton babt. 20^th March 1710-11 at South Shields ( after of Jamaica) who married Mehetabel, 2^nd daughter of Daniel Flushing on Long Island, New York on 27^th Dec. 1741. 

His father was John Hilton, babt. 8 June 1686 who married Hannah Moore, widow on 22 Feb 1709-10 

His grandfather was Henry Hilton, babt. 23^rd June 1661, styled of Hylton Castle, Sailor, on his marriage licence 1682-3 who married Sarah Clerke 

His great grandfather was Robert Hilton, underage in 1637, of South Shields, Master and mariner who married Isabel Selby at South Shields 8^th May 1659. 

His gggrandfather was Henry Hilton of South Shields, Gent, will dated 6^th May 1637 who married Elizabeth………executor. to her husband., and brother of Nathaniel Hilton (at whose house Henry, Baron of Hilton, lived many years and died at Michelgrove, adjoining 1640, bur 16 July 1655). 

His ggggrandfather was Henry Hilton, younger brother of Sir William Hilton and Anne Yorke (of Hylton Castle), and brother of Sir Thomas Hilton, a Captain in the States service under Maurice, Prince of Orange, sometime of South Shields will dated 31^st May 1630.   

Ralph Hilton, born at South Shields 1710 after of Jamaica married Mehetabel, 2nd daughter of Daniel Lawrence, of Flushing on Long Island, New York on 27th Dec. 1741. She was born Jan 6, 1719

The had three sons and 1 daughter;

1. John Hilton who had a son Ralph Hilton living in 1772 and 1788

2. Daniel

3. William Hilton of the Island of Jamaica, Esquire, born 19 Feb 1749-50 who married Mary, 4th daughter of Jacob Johnson, of Springfield in Westmoreland in Jamaica, married 4th June 1771

4. Margaret

William Hilton and Mary Johnson had 2 sons and 2 daughters;

1.Jacob-Johnson  born 10th March 1772

2. George-Robert, born 7 Dec 1775

3. Mehetabel, born 23 Dec 1773

4. Mary, born 7 Feb 1777

Source; Surtees History and Antiquities of Durham, Monkwearmouth section.

Hiltons from Yorkshire

There were several different Hilton families from Britain who
settled in Jamaica and established plantations there during the 18th
Century. I am descended from the Hiltons who
owned Seven Oaks Plantation in St. Ann Parish, Jamaica.

My branch of the Hilton family was founded by Capt. James
Hilton (1710-1757), who was the first of the family to settle in Jamaica. He
was born in Scarborough, Yorkshire, England, the son of a certain John
Hilton, who died in Scarborough, Yorkshire in 1723. I know nothing of his
earlier ancestors.

Capt. James Hilton (1710-1757) married in Jamaica, on 27
August 1742, Rebecca Whitehorn Robison, the widow of Lade Robison, and the
daughter of John Whitehorn and Elizabeth Lade. She was born in 1707 and died
in 1804.

Their son, John Preston Hilton, was born in Jamaica in 1744
and died at Hilton Hill Plantation, St. Ann, Jamaica in 1805. He married at
Dun Robin Plantation, St. Ann, Jamaica, on
1st March 1776, Sarah Allen Lawrence, daughter of William Whitehorne
Lawrence and Frances Allen.
She inherited Seven Oaks Plantation in St. Ann, Jamaica, from her mother's
family, the Allens, who originally came to Jamaica from Seven Oaks in Kent,
England. She died in 1805.

John Preston Hilton (1744-1805) and Sarah Allen Lawrence (d.
1805) had a son, the Hon. James Lawrence Hilton, who was born on 6th August
1778 and died 15th March 1836 in Jamaica. He inherited Seven Oaks Plantation
and also owned Scarborough Plantation, St. Ann. He was Colonel of the St.
Ann Regiment of Foot Militia 1828-1832 and later became a Major-General of
the Jamaica Militia in 1832. In 1800 he married Ann Norris Flemming, the
daughter of William Tenley Flemming and Mary Norris of Trelawny Parish,
Jamaica. They had nine children, four sons and five daughters.

Their 4th daughter, Frances Lawrence Hilton, was born on the
20th July 1812 and in 1828 she married the Hon. Thomas Ashmeade II
(1794-1839), Custos of St. Ann, who owned Albion and Charlton Kings
Plantations, St. Ann, Jamaica. They were my
Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandparents, which is how I am descended from the
Hilton family.

Hylton Castle --
A cadet branch of the family lived at South Shields on south bank of the River Tyne

Hiltons of South Shields recorded as sailors and Master mariners

Hilton Flag flying over Hylton Castle

The Shipwrights Arms Inn on the river Wear at North Hylton in the City of Sunderland. Over 350 years old and still known as the "Pirates Pub"

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