Hillhouse, William, 1728 - 1816

William Hillhouse (August 25, 1728-January 12, 1816) was the son of Rev. James Hillhouse of New London, Connecticut.  He was a cavalry major in Connecticut's 2nd Regiment during the Revolution, a member of the Continental Congress (1783-1786), and judge of the Court of Common Pleas for forty years.  Hillhouse also served thirty years in the Connecticut Lower House (1755-1785) and then advanced to the Governor's Council until his death.   He was first appointed as overseer to the Mohegan Indians in October 1769 and spent thirty-seven years in that position, resigning in 1806 in favor of his son John.  During that time as agent, he was authorized to sell Mohegan land from 1790-1808.  He was guardian to the Western Pequot in 1799 and 1804.  In 1785, Hillhouse owned at least one slave, Nancy.  He emancipated her son Lewis Isell by a provision in his will.  Around 1810, Hillhouse purchased the indenture of William Apes from David Furman.  After Apes had run away from him several times, Hillhouse then sold interest in the boy to William Williams of New London. Margaret Prouty Hillhouse, Historical and Genealogical Collections Relating to the Descendants of Rev. James Hillhouse (New York, NY: Tobias A. Wright, 1924), 46-47. PRSC  11:1-2.  Brown and Rose, Black Roots, 537.  IP 1.2.286-287, 292-294, 303, 310, 334, 392-394; 2.1.40, 50, 52, 57, 58, 61, 63, 68, 69, 72, 73, 76, 77; 2.2.30, 32-35, 140.  Barry O'Connell, ed., A Son of the Forest and Other Writings (Amherst, MA: The University of Massachusetts Press, 1997), xiii.