The Hiley Y-DNA project

The Hiley Y-DNA project, hosted by Family Tree DNA, was set up in November 2020 by Susan Meates, the DNA Advisor for the Guild of One-Name Studies.

In recent years DNA testing has become a major benefit to family history researchers, providing additional information to that which we can find out from traditional paper-based records.The Y-DNA test tells you about your direct male line, which is your father, his father, his father and so on back in time. You must be male to take this test, and to join the Hiley project you should have the Hiley or Highley surname.

The test is a harmless genealogy test of locations on the Y chromosome, called markers, which are passed from father to son, typically unchanged. The test result is a string of numbers and contains no personal information. You will be an exact or close match to those men to whom you are related.

We have assembled a number of different Hiley/Highley family trees and one of the aims of the project is to find out which trees are connected.

The project is still in its early stages but already we are making discoveries about the origin and evolution of the Hiley/Highley surnames.

So far we have found 4 distinct genetic groups:

1 The 'Yorkshire Hileys' originated in the Upper Calder Valley just west of Halifax in Yorkshire. Most of the posts in this Blog up to now have been about members of this group. The earliest confirmed ancestor in this group is David Hiley who married Dorothy Maud in 1725.

2 This group can be traced back to a convict William Highley who was transported to Maryland in 1760. William sailed from Liverpool and was from the 'West of England' but we haven't yet been able to establish his origins.

3 Georg Heyle emigrated from Germany and arrived in Philadelphia in 1732. The family adopted the Hiley surname.

4 James Hiley married Mary Learoyd in Bradford Cathedral in 1775. We don't yet know any more about James from before that year. A lot of early records for this family use the surname Iley as well as Hiley.

Some more tests are currently being processed.

If you have the Hiley or Highley surname, or if you are related to someone, or know of someone, with this surname, then please get in touch to find out more about taking the test and joining the project. You can use the email address shown on this page or Post a Comment below.

This is an exciting opportunity to find out about the origins of the various Hiley/Highley families.

Haviland Hiley, wealthy merchant of Poole

Haviland Hiley (1601-1669) was the father of Peter (see post of 4th March ) and son of William Hiley (see post of 12th February).

Haviland served three times as Mayor of Poole. His first spell in 1641 coincided with the outbreak of the Civil War and Haviland was therefore Poole's spokesman when the town allied itself with Parliament.

Copy of portrait of Haviland Hiley
Poole History Centre, origin unknown

In 1645 there was an outbreak of the plague in Poole and the people faced starvation. Some townsmen, including Haviland, rode to neighbouring towns to ask for help and donations in money and kind. Later that year the town clerk of Poole, Richard Bramble, wrote a letter of thanks to the parishioners of Christchurch for their charitable gift to Poole during the plague. Haviland Hiley was one of the signatories of the letter:

In 1652 Haviland and George Phillips bought Upton Farm near Poole. The estate at Upton is one of the oldest sites in Poole and the Hileys were to remain owners for the next 150 years. The final owner was William Hiley (1761-1819) who sold the estate to William Spurrier, a Poole merchant.

A tax assessment of 1662 shows that Haviland Hiley was probably one of the richest men in the town. Brewing was probably his main business. In High Street he owned a mansion house, brewhouse and garden, the Bull Head Inn, and another house down the street at Cole Corner. He also owned tenements in Market Street and Strand Street, three closes and other land, besides any property holdings outside Poole which would not be included in the assessment.
(The National Archives (TNA) PRO E179/245/24)

There are two memorials to Haviland in St James's church in Poole. At the east end of the south aisle:

                                                                

Underneath lyeth buried Havelland Hiley, Esquire

Mayor of this towne and county

of Poole,

Obit anno Domini 1669

On the South wall a black marble monument:

Here resteth in hope of a joyful resurrection the body of Havelland Hiley, merchant, who was three times mayor of this town and county, and chosen a fourth, left this life for a better the 19th day of September, in the 69th year of his age, A.D. 1699 Memento mori

With thanks to Jenny Oliver for her help and permission to use some of her research on Haviland Hiley.

Peter Hiley, who entertained King Charles II

Peter Hiley (1631-1672) was the son of Haviland Hiley (1601-1669), and a grandson of William Hiley who featured in the post of 12th February 2022.

Peter was Mayor of Poole in 1662 and 1669. His father Haviland had been Mayor in 1641, 1649 and 1660.

The plaque in Poole to commemorate the visit of Charles II
 

In 1665 King Charles II honoured the town of Poole with a royal visit. Because of the plague Charles's court had removed from London, first to Hampton and then to Salisbury. A great many local people and dignitaries attended and the visit was well received. A dinner was provided for the King at the house of Peter Hiley which was set apart for that purpose. The house was situated in the cornmarket but it is no longer standing. 

King Charles II, the 'Merry Monarch'

John Sydenham in  'The History of the town and county of Poole', first published in 1839, writes that :

A part of his wardrobe was left by his majesty on this occasion, which has now been preserved by the Hiley family, and is now in the possession of its lineal representative, Charles Hiley, esq., of Planefield Lodge.

Peter Hiley was a merchant, shipowner, property owner and brewer. When he died in 1673, an inventory was taken of his High Street house and its contents. The total value of his assets was nearly £1600, a huge sum in those days. Among the items listed in the inventory were:

five fat pigs  £10/0/0

five sixteenths of the ship 'Happy Return'  £100/0/0

forty old beer casks  £3/0/0

two bedsteads, one bed and covering, and four bushels of beans £1/10/0

twenty dozen of worsted stockings  £20/0/0

due for fish on the ship Rachel  £47/9/5

With thanks to Jenny Oliver for permission to use some of her material from the Poole High Street Project.