Notable Hileys

The Oxford English Dictionary defines notable as ‘worthy of attention or notice’. This is a collection of people with the Hiley surname who might be described in this way. Only deceased persons are listed.

Future Blogs will give some more details about these people but please contact me with your own suggestions, and provide a short biography if you wish.

Peter Haviland Hiley 1921-2008

A theatre company manager, Peter Hiley devoted himself to Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, and, after their deaths, to their estates and families. Olivier called Hiley his "fixer of fixers". He was a director of the Olivier Foundation, the Old Vic Trust Ltd and of the Royal Victoria Hall Foundation.

Joseph Hiley 1902-1989

A Conservative party politician and M.P. for Pudsey for 15 years and previously Lord Mayor of Leeds.

Sir Ernest Haviland Hiley 1870-1943

Usually went by his middle name of Haviland. Father of Peter above. He was general manager of New Zealand Railways during WW1 and later chairman of the Rhodesian Railway Commission.

Sir Thomas Alfred (Tom) Hiley 1905-1990

Accountant and politician. He was treasurer of the Australian state of Queensland and leader of the Liberal party in Queensland.

Richard Hiley 1798-1872

Author of a number of school books on Arithmetic, English, Latin and Geography. Lived in Leeds and opened his own schools.

Captain Frank Hiley d. 1918

The most highly ranked Hiley killed in the First World War. From Pontefract in Yorkshire. He died in 1918 aged 24. Served in the Yorkshire Regiment and rose from the ranks and became Captain through his own efforts.

Peter Hiley 1598-1675

Twice mayor of Poole, he entertained Charles II at his home in 1665.

Mary Hiley 1722-1778

Great granddaughter of Peter above, Mary married Dr Anthony Addington, a Royal Physician, and was the mother of Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth, the U.K. Prime Minister from 1801 to 1804.

Wilfred Hiley 1886-1961

A forestry economist, he received an OBE in recognition of his services to forestry. Manager of the Dartington Hall woodlands, he wrote a number of books and lectured on woodland management.

Sir Ernest Varvill Hiley 1868-1949

Born in Yeadon, Yorkshire, a solicitor and town clerk, and also M.P. and a member of Royal Commissions. Knighted in 1918.

Dead Man's Penny

This plaque was sold at an auction in April 2018.

Dead Man's Penny for John Henry Highley

It's called a 'Dead Man's Penny' or 'Death Penny'. A Memorial Plaque was issued after the First World War to the next-of-kin of all British and Empire service personnel who were killed as a result of the war. It came to be known as the 'Dead Man’s Penny', because of the similarity in appearance to the much smaller penny coin.

John Henry Highley was from Walsden near Todmorden in West Yorkshire, and one of 3 brothers who lost their lives in WW1.

John Henry Highley

This photo was taken on the sands at Blackpool and appeared in the Todmorden Advertiser and Hebden Bridge Newsletter, 4th December 1914, and is included courtesy of the British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk). Image © Johnston Press plc. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

A future Blog will tell the story of John Henry and his brothers.

WW1 Deaths

One of my projects last Autumn, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of WW1, was to research all the Hileys and Highleys who lost their lives in the War. The Hiley One-Name Study provides short biographies of the 39 Hileys and Highleys, and a number of others with family connections, who were killed.

From time to time the Blog will feature some of these men, starting with:

James Highley

James Highley was a Rifleman with the Rifle Brigade (8th Battalion). He was born in Halifax and on the night of the census in 1911 was living at home with his 2 brothers and 2 sisters. His mother Emily Caroline, recently widowed and working as a Charwoman, spent the night elsewhere. James was working as a Painter’s Labourer.

The 8th Battalion was part of the 14th Division, 41st Brigade and was involved in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette in the Somme in September 1916. James was killed in action on 15th September 1916. His name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial near Albert in northern France. His effects were sent to his sister Elizabeth Stott (nee Highley).

James's name on the Thiepval Memorial

 (courtesy of Steve Rogers, the War Graves Photographic Project)

Welcome

Welcome to the Hiley Family History Blog.

The Blog will contain stories, photos, histories and other material relating to the family history of Hileys and Highleys, and families related to them. It supplements my Hiley One-Name Study, registered with the Guild of One-Name Studies.

The Blog is for anyone who is a Hiley (or Highley), or is related to one, or has an interest in family history and genealogy. I would be pleased to include anything that other Hileys would like to contribute.

I hope you will find something of interest. Your input would be most welcome.

5 young Hileys - from L, Henry, Mary, Agnes, Edith and Sam

photo taken about 1922