So far, all I have on William Hill is what I gleaned from his daughter, Jane Hill's records and that is not at all clear. According to Jane Hill's Marriage and Death certificates, Jane's father was William Hill, an Agricultural/General Labourer. However, the two certificates record different mother's names for Jane - the Marriage certificate gives it as Isabella Hodge, while the Death certificate has it as Jane Stewart.

I have searched Census records for William with both Jane Stewart and Isabella Hodge, without success; I've searched Birth records for children with parents called William and Isabella and William and Jane, without success. Given that Jane was obviously present at her own wedding and that she would surely have known her own mother's name, and that her death was reported by her grandson, who might not have been completely familiar with his progeniture, it seems likely that the correct one is Isabella Hodge. On the other hand, one might have expected Jane Hill to have named one of her children after her mother - she has a daughter called Jane, but not one called Isabella. Who knows.

Regarding William's death, I have searched for it both pre and post 1873 (his daughter's Marriage certificate states he was deceased at that time, but might as well have tried), but without any success.

Given, William's daughter Jane's likely period of birth, it seems likely that William would have been born before 1816.

So, William is a bit of a black hole. I'll keep trying, but as at the time of my latest searching (May 2020), I have still found nothing.

KEY EVENTS AND DATES

Birth

No idea when this was. Given his daughter, Jane's likely period of birth (see below), William would certainly have born before 1826 and probably before 1816.

1832 - 1840

From the various ages ascribed to William's daughter, Jane, in the 1861, 1871, 1881 an 1891 Censuses, Jane would have been born in this period, although the age shown on her Marriage certificate suggests she would have been born a couple of years earlier. Either way, I have no direct record of her birth. The Censuses show Jane's place of birth as Cramond.

19th August 1873

William's daughter, Jane, married William Begley at the Free Church College on The Mound, Edinburgh. Unbelievably, this was some 17 years after the birth of their first child, Ann, (William's grandchild). Jane was aged 43. Jane and William still lived at 1 Chalmer's Close. Jane's parents were recorded as being William Hill, an Agricultural Labourer and Isabella Hodge (deceased). Their witnesses were Hugh Walker and Robert Begley (probably William's brother?).

3rd June 1894

William's daughter, Jane, died at 8.10 a.m. at 1 South Foulis Close, High Street Edinburgh. Her parents are recorded as being William Hill (deceased) and Jane Stewart (deceased), which is different from Jane's Marriage certificate which records her mother as being Isabella Hodge. Jane's cause of death was Cardiac Lynosse and Chronic Bronchitis and it was reported by her son, "W. Begley", who was present at her death.