Sir William Hillary
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Sir William Hillary, 1st Baronet (4 January 1771 – 5 January 1847) was a British militia officer, author and
philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...
, best known as the founder, in 1824, of the
Royal National Lifeboat Institution The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest of the lifeboat (rescue), lifeboat services operating around the coasts of the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on s ...
.


Life

Hillary's background was
Quaker Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...
, from a
Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...
family: he was the son of the merchant
Richard Hillary Flight Lieutenant Richard Hope Hillary (20 April 1919 – 8 January 1943) was an Anglo-Australian Royal Air Force fighter pilot during the Second World War. He wrote the book '' The Last Enemy'' about his experiences during the Battle of Bri ...
and his wife, Hannah Wynne. He left Liverpool at age 26, and travelled to Italy. From his contacts there, he became
equerry An equerry (; from French language, French 'stable', and related to 'squire') is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attend ...
to Prince Augustus Frederick, the young son of George III, and spent two years in the post.
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from History of the British Isles, British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') ...
article by Thomas Seccombe, 'Hillary, Sir William, first baronet (1770–1847)', rev. Sinéad Agnew, 2004; online edn, May 200

accessed 8 June 2007
While Hillary was in Naples, the Prince and William Hamilton (diplomat), Sir William Hamilton sent him on a mission to
Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
. There Hillary saw the election (July 1797) of the last of the Grand Masters of the Knights of Malta,
Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim, O.S.I. (9 November 1744 – 12 May 1805) was the 71st Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, formally the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, by then better known as the Knights of Malta. He was the first G ...
. On this trip he also sailed round Malta and
Sicily Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
in an open boat. Hillary then travelled north with the incognito Prince, heading for Berlin. After a period there, he left the Prince's employ and returned to London in the autumn of 1799. Back in England, Hillary married in 1800. He had departed from Quaker beliefs, and his wife was not a Quaker. He had been left property by John Scott, his father's business partner and nephew; and then inherited West Indian estates from his elder brother Richard, who died in 1803. He quickly dissipated a large fortune, and had to sell properties including the old Yorkshire home of Rigg House. Hillary spent some £20,000, on creating the First Essex Legion of infantry and cavalry, recruited largely from the
Dengie Hundred Dengie is a hundred in the county of Essex, England. It corresponded to the Dengie peninsula, with the inland, western boundary running from North Fambridge to just west of Maldon Maldon (, locally ) is a town and civil parish on the ...
and present-day
Maldon District Maldon District is a local government district in Essex, England. The district is managed by ''Maldon District Council'', which is based in Maldon, the largest town in the district. The district also includes the town of Burnham-on-Crouch and ...
areas in
Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
, after the end in 1803 of the
Peace of Amiens The Treaty of Amiens (, ) temporarily ended hostilities between France, the Spanish Empire, and the United Kingdom at the end of the War of the Second Coalition. It marked the end of the French Revolutionary Wars; after a short peace it set t ...
, and was given the title Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant. The force numbered 1,400. He was rewarded with a baronetcy in 1805. After experiencing financial troubles, Hillary settled at Fort Anne near
Douglas, Isle of Man Douglas (, ) is the Capital (political), capital city and largest settlement of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,677 (2021) and an area of . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, Isle of Man, River Douglas, and on a sweepi ...
in 1808. The UCL Centre for the study of the legacies of British slavery lists Hillary as a known slave-owner in Jamaica.


Family


First marriage

Hillary married heiress Frances Elizabeth Disney Fytche on 21 February 1800; she was the daughter of
Lewis Disney Fytche Lewis Disney Fytche (9 October 1738 – 1822), originally Lewis Disney, often known after his marriage as Disney Fytche, was an English radical and landowner. Early life The son of John Disney of Lincoln, he was brother of John Disney the Unita ...
(originally Lewis Disney) of
Danbury Place Danbury Place was an English country house, first built by Sir Walter Mildmay in the time of Elizabeth I, dated to 1589. It is situated on one of the highest points of the county of Essex. The house was demolished and rebuilt on an adjoining sit ...
, Essex, and his wife Elizabeth, daughter of
William Fytche William Fytche (1716 – 10 August 1753) was an administrator of the English East India Company. He served as President of Bengal in the mid-eighteenth century. He was one of the last administrators before the Battle of Plassey allowed the comp ...
. In the same year, their twins were born: a son Augustus William Hillary (d. 30 December 1855), and a daughter Elizabeth Mary.


Circumstances of second marriage

In 1813, Hillary married a local Manx woman, Emma Tobin, daughter of Patrick Tobin, or Amelia Toben of Kirk Braddan, his first wife having died, according to the ''
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from History of the British Isles, British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') ...
'', which is however contradicted by other sources. Lady Hillary obtained a Scottish divorce from Sir William in 1812. Hillary's second marriage took place in Scotland, at
Whithorn Whithorn (; ), is a royal burgh in the historic county of Wigtownshire in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, about south of Wigtown. The town was the location of the first recorded Christian church in Scotland, "White/Shining House", built by ...
, then in Wigtonshire. Lady Hillary, divorced from her husband by 1812, continued to live at Danbury Place until her father died, when she moved to
Boulogne Boulogne-sur-Mer (; ; ; or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Hauts-de-France, Northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Pas-de-Calais. Boul ...
.


After 1813

Of the twin children: *Elizabeth Mary married Christopher Richard Preston, of Jericho House,
Blackmore Blackmore is a village in Essex, England. It is located approximately 3 miles (5 km) east of Chipping Ongar and 4 miles (7 km) north of Brentwood, Essex, Brentwood. The village is in the parish of Blackmore, Hook End and Wyatts Green ...
, Essex, in 1818. Their son hyphenated his last name, becoming Charles Ernest Richard Preston-Hillary. *Augustus William joined the
6th Dragoon Guards The Carabiniers (6th Dragoon Guards) was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. It was formed in 1685 as the Lord Lumley's Regiment of Horse. It was renamed as His Majesty's 1st Regiment of Carabiniers in 1740, the 3rd Regiment of Horse (Carab ...
, and became 2nd baronet on his father's death. In 1829 he married Susan Curwen Christian, the eldest daughter of John Christian of Ewanrigg or Unnerigg Hall, Cumberland. Elizabeth Mary in later life stayed with her mother. Augustus William spent time with his father; he was childless. According to Mary Hopkirk, writing in the ''Essex Review'', Lady Hillary continued to live at Danbury Place until her father's death, in 1823; at which point she moved to
Boulogne Boulogne-sur-Mer (; ; ; or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Hauts-de-France, Northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Pas-de-Calais. Boul ...
. She met
Frances D'Arblay Frances Burney (13 June 1752 – 6 January 1840), also known as Fanny Burney and later Madame d'Arblay, was an English satirical novelist, diarist and playwright. In 1786–1790 she held the post of "Keeper of the Robes" to Charlotte of Mecklen ...
in Paris in 1817, while on a continental voyage with her children. From Boulogne she moved to Blackmore, where she had property from her marriage settlement from her uncle Thomas Fytche, and a married daughter. She died in 1828. Emma Tobin died in 1845.


Lifeboat promoter

Hillary witnessed the wreck of HMS ''Racehorse'', in 1822, only two months after he had been a participant in the rescue of HMS ''Vigilant''. He drew up plans for a lifeboat service crewed by trained people, intended not only for the Isle of Man, but for all of the
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
coast. In February 1823 he published a pamphlet entitled ''An Appeal to the British Navy on the Humanity And Policy of Forming A National Institution for the Preservation of Lives And Property From Shipwreck.'' He proposed a national and voluntary organisation, and pointed out the potential of new techniques such as those introduced by
William Congreve William Congreve (24 January 1670 – 19 January 1729) was an English playwright, satirist, poet, and Whig politician. He spent most of his career between London and Dublin, and was noted for his highly polished style of writing, being regard ...
(rockets), Charles Cornwallis Dansey of the
Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
(kites),
Frederick Marryat Captain Frederick Marryat (10 July 1792 – 9 August 1848) was a Royal Navy officer and novelist. He is noted today as an early pioneer of nautical fiction, particularly for his semi-autobiographical novel '' Mr Midshipman Easy'' (1836). He is ...
(signal codes), and
George William Manby Captain George William Manby Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS (28 November 1765 – 18 November 1854) was an English author and inventor. He designed an apparatus for saving life from shipwrecks and also the "Pelican Gun", the first modern for ...
(life-saving apparatus). Initially Hillary received little response from the
Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong * Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral *Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings * Admiralty, Tra ...
. He appealed to London philanthropists including Thomas Wilson (MP for the
City of London The City of London, also known as ''the City'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and Districts of England, local government district with City status in the United Kingdom, city status in England. It is the Old town, his ...
) and
George Hibbert George Hibbert (13 January 1757 – 8 October 1837) was an English merchant, politician and ship-owner. Alongside fellow slaver Robert Milligan (merchant), Robert Milligan, he was also one of the principals of the West India Dock Company which ...
of the
West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...
merchants, and his plans were adopted. The
National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest of the lifeboat services operating around the coasts of the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. Founded in 1824 ...
was founded on 4 March 1824 at a second meeting in the
London Tavern The City of London Tavern or London Tavern was a notable meeting place in London during the 18th and 19th centuries. A place of business where people gathered to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, the tavern was situated in Bishopsgate ...
,
Bishopsgate Street Bishopsgate was one of the eastern gates in London's former defensive wall. The gate's name is traditionally attributed to Earconwald, who was Bishop of London in the 7th century. It was first built in Roman times and marked the beginning of ...
, London, with the king as Patron. Office premises were taken at 12 Austin Friars, in the City of London, and then moved in the same area. The first of the new lifeboats to be built was stationed at Douglas.


St. George rescue and legacy

At the age of 60, Hillary took part in the rescue, in 1830, of the crew of the packet ''St George'', which had foundered on
Conister Rock St Mary's Isle (also known as Conister Rock or the Tower of Refuge, Manx: or ) is a partially submerged reef in Douglas Bay on the Isle of Man. Prior to 1832 the rock was the property of the Quane family until John Quane, Attorney General of ...
at the entrance to Douglas harbour. He commanded the lifeboat, was washed overboard with others of the lifeboat crew, yet finally everyone aboard the ''St George'' was rescued with no loss of life. Following the heroic rescue, the
Master Master, master's or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles In education: *Master (college), head of a college *Master's degree, a postgraduate or sometimes undergraduate degree in the specified discipline *Schoolmaster or master, presiding office ...
of the ''St George'', Lieut. John Tudor (RN), wrote to Sir William expressing the gratitude of himself and his crew.''Manks Advertiser''. Tuesday 23 November 1830 At a Meeting of the Committee of the Isle of Man District Association of the Royal National Institution, for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck, held at the Courthouse, Douglas, 27 November 1830, presided over by the chairman,
High Bailiff The High Bailiff () is a legal position held within the Isle of Man. The High Bailiff is the head stipendiary magistrate. The current High Bailiff is Her Worship Jayne Hughes, who took office on 11 March 2019. The High Bailiff and their deput ...
James Quirk Esq, it was agreed unanimously that the following report be transmitted to the Secretary of the Royal National Institution:''Manks Advetiser. Tuesday November 30th, 1830.'' For the saving of the 22 crew members on board the ''St. George'', Sir William and Lieut. Robinson both received the Institution's
Gold Medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have b ...
(the second of three Sir William was to receive).''Manx Sun Tuesday December 28th, 1830'' William Corlett and Issac Vondy both received Silver Medals with a purse of 20 guineas also distributed to the crew in recognition of their gallantry.


Tower of Refuge

The incident prompted Hillary to set up a scheme to build the
Tower of Refuge The Tower of Refuge from Shipwreck, referred to as the Tower of Refuge, is a stone-built castellated structure which was erected on St Mary's Isle (also known as the Conister Rock) in Douglas Bay, Isle of Man, in order to afford shelter to ...
on Conister Rock. The structure, designed by architect John Welch, was completed in 1832 and still stands at the entrance to Douglas harbour; it was the subject of a poem by
William Wordsworth William Wordsworth (7 April 177023 April 1850) was an English Romantic poetry, Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romanticism, Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication ''Lyrical Balla ...
.


Douglas Breakwater

As well as the Tower of Refuge, Hillary was instrumental in recommendations for the construction of a
Breakwater Breakwater may refer to: * Breakwater (structure), a structure for protecting a beach or harbour Places * Breakwater, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia * Breakwater Island, Antarctica * Breakwater Islands, Nunavut, Canada * ...
at
Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals * Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking * Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil ...
, to afford the harbour greater shelter and to provide a haven to ships plying the
Irish Sea The Irish Sea is a body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel and to the Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland in the north by the North Ch ...
. Hillary had written a paper on the proposal before 1835, when formal proposals were put forward, and design plans drawn up by Sir John Rennie. Construction was long delayed, and it was not until 1862 when work finally started.


Smelt Monument

Following the death of
Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
Cornelius Smelt Cornelius Smelt (August 1748 – 28 November 1832) was an administrator who served as Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man from 1805 until his death in 1832, the longest governorship in the history of the Island. An officer in the British Army, ...
in 1832, Sir William was instrumental in the erection of a monument commemorating Governor Smelt. The Smelt Monument was designed by John Welch and is situated in the market square,
Castletown, Isle of Man Castletown (, pronounced ) is a town in the Isle of Man, geographically within the historical parish of Malew but administered separately. Lying at the south of the island, it was the Manx capital until 1869. The centre of town is dominated by ...
, facing
Castle Rushen Castle Rushen () is a medieval castle located in the Isle of Man's historic capital, Castletown, in the south of the Island. It towers over the Market Square to the south-east and the harbour to the north-east. The castle is amongst the best e ...
.


Knight Hospitaller

Hillary belonged to the precursor in the United Kingdom of the
Order of Saint John The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), is a Catholic Church, Catholic Military order (religious society), military order. It was founded in the Crusader states, crusader K ...
, created a Knight (K.J.J.) in 1838. This group has been described by
Jonathan Riley-Smith Jonathan Simon Christopher Riley-Smith (27 June 1938 – 13 September 2016) was a historian of the Crusades, and, between 1994 and 2005, Dixie Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Cambridge. He was a Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Ea ...
as consisting of "romantics and fraudsters". It failed to obtain recognition from the
Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, and commonly known as the Order of Malta or the Knights of Malta, is a Catholic Church, Cathol ...
(the "Sovereign Order" of which it was putatively a part, or ''langue''), leading to a break in relations in 1858. A fresh start was made in 1871, and a Royal Charter for the new group was obtained in 1888. Hillary was one of the founders of the Order, and pressed for
Sir Sidney Smith Sir William Sidney Smith (21 June 1764 – 26 May 1840) was a British naval officer and politician. Serving in the American Revolutionary War, American War of Independence and French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, he rose to the rank of Ad ...
to be given a major post. After Smith died in 1840 he took on the roles himself. He became a Knight Grand Cross (G.C.J.J.) of the order, and at the time of his death held the position of Lieutenant Turcopolier. What Hillary envisaged was a Christian reoccupation of Palestine, led by the Order of Malta. The background was of a revolt in Syria against Ibrahim Pasha, and a British naval intervention under Charles Napier on behalf of the Ottoman Empire in 1840, leading to the occupation of
Beirut Beirut ( ; ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, just under half of Lebanon's population, which makes it the List of largest cities in the Levant region by populatio ...
and
Acre The acre ( ) is a Unit of measurement, unit of land area used in the Imperial units, British imperial and the United States customary units#Area, United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one Chain (unit), ch ...
. Illness confined Hillary to his home on the Isle of Man, and in 1841 he began to sell off his possessions; but he kept up a correspondence on his ideas with Sir Richard Broun, 8th Baronet, secretary of the order. Hillary wrote on the project in the ''
Morning Herald The ''Morning Herald'' was an early daily newspaper in the United Kingdom. History The newspaper was founded in 1780 by the Reverend Sir Henry Bate Dudley, former editor of ''The Morning Post''. It was initially a liberal paper aligned with ...
'' for 25 November 1841, as an "Address", published also as a pamphlet. Hopes were placed in a German translation of the pamphlet by
Robert Lucas Pearsall Robert Lucas Pearsall (14 March 1795 – 5 August 1856) was an English composer mainly of vocal music, including an elaborate setting of " In dulci jubilo" and the richly harmonic part song '' Lay a garland'' of 1840, both still often performed ...
of the Order, in
Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart a ...
. When
Frederick William IV of Prussia Frederick William IV (; 15 October 1795 – 2 January 1861), the eldest son and successor of Frederick William III of Prussia, was King of Prussia from 7 June 1840 until his death on 2 January 1861. Also referred to as the "romanticist on the th ...
indicated that the concept of a sovereign state under the order was unacceptable, the idea had to be dropped, though a similar plan in Algeria was mooted in 1846.


Death and burial

Hillary died at Woodville, near Douglas, Isle of Man, on 5 January 1847. He was buried in St. George's Churchyard, Douglas.


Memorials and awards

There are three memorials to Sir William Hillary in Douglas, Isle of Man: * Sunken Gardens, Loch Promenade, with inscription. * St George's Church, with inscription added at the time of restoration by the RNLI, after World War I *
Douglas Head Douglas Head (Manx: ''Kione Ghoolish'') is a rocky point on the Isle of Man overlooking Douglas Harbour, Douglas Bay and harbour. Views extend to include Snaefell Mountain and Laxey. General Until 1870, the headland was owned by The Nunnery, ...
, with inscription. In his lifetime, Hillary was awarded a gold medal by the Institution he had founded, in 1824. In 1825, he suggested his part in the wreck of the ''City of Glasgow'' (see List of shipwrecks in 1825) merited a further award; but was rebuffed. Further awards were made to him in 1828, for aid to the ''Fortrondoert'', and in 1830. In 1938, the king, George VI, asked for a modification of the original RNLI medal by
William Wyon William Wyon (1795 – 29 October 1851) was a British engraver who was official chief engraver at the Royal Mint from 1828 until his death. Biography Wyon was born in Birmingham and, in 1809, was apprenticed to his father, Peter Wyon who ...
, from 1824. The
obverse The obverse and reverse are the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ''obverse'' ...
from that time onwards had shown the head of the sovereign; but it was then replaced by Hillary's head, as founder, engraved by Allan G. Wyon.


Works

*''Appeal to the British nation, on the humanity and policy of forming a national institution, for the preservation of lives and property from shipwreck'' (1823) *''Plan for the construction of a steam life boat: also for the extinguishment of fire at sea, &c.'' (1825) *''Suggestions for the improvement and embellishment of the metropolis'' (1825), proposing a metropolitan board for London *''A Sketch of Ireland in 1824'' (2nd edition 1825) *''The National Importance of a Great Central Harbour for the Irish Sea, accessible at all times to the largest vessels proposed to be constructed at Douglas, Isle of Man'' (1826) *'' A Letter to the Trustees of the Academic Fund'' (1830) *''Observations on the Proposed Changes in the Fiscal and Navigation Laws of the Isle of Man addressed to the Delegates from that Island to His Majesty's Government'' (1837) *''The Naval Ascendancy of Britain'' (1838) *''A Letter to the Shipping and Commercial Interests of Liverpool on Steam Life and Pilot Boats'' (1839) *''Suggestions for the Christian Occupation of the Holy Land, as a Sovereign State, by the Order of St. John of Jerusalem'' (1840) *''An Address to the Knights of St John of Jerusalem, on the Christian Occupation of the Holy Land, as a Sovereign State under their Dominion'' (1841) *''A Letter to the Right Honourable Lord John Russell, Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Home Department, on the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck'' (1842) *''A Report of Proceedings at a Public Meeting held at the Court House, Douglas'' (1842) *''The National Importance of a Great Central Harbour of Refuge for the Irish Sea, proposed to be constructed at Douglas Bay, Isle of Man'' (4th edition 1842)


Notes and references


Further reading

*R. Kelly, ''For those in peril: the life and times of Sir William Hillary, the founder of the RNLI'' (1979) * Gleeson, Janet (2014) ''The Lifeboat Baronet – Launching the R.N.L.I.''. (Stroud: The History Press).


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hillary, William 1771 births 1847 deaths Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Hillary,William Royal National Lifeboat Institution people