Thomas Hill

Thomas Hill JP (1825–1891) was a magistrate, alderman, mayor of the city of Bradford, businessman, and carpenter master.

Biography Hill was born on 11 January 1825 close to the Bradford Town Hall. He was the youngest of five brothers. His father was Jonas Hill, a builder and joiner, and his mother was Olive (nee Whitaker). He was baptised on 9 February 1825 at Bradford Cathedral. Hill joined the Freemasons in 1848. His father died in 1850 and with his brother Joshua Hill, he took over the family business. By 1851, he was employing 12 men. Around 1853, the partnership with his brother was dissolved and Thomas Hill took over the sole running of the business. In 1855, he became the Worshipful Master of the Freemasons Hope Lodge. He was an important figure in the West Yorkshire Province, including being a Warden of the West Riding Province and the Chairman of the Charity Committee. He was elected to be a member of the Peel Park Committee in 1860. He hosted a visit including a banquet in Bradford associated with the 1886 Colonial and Indian Exhibition that was held in London, supported the Prince of Wales. In 1886, as mayor, Hill opened a drinking fountain at Horton Park and also the Girlington Christian Mission Bazaar to raise funds for a new church in Thornton Road. In 1888, Hill was appointed a Justice of the Peace (JP). After declining health for two years, he died at the age of 66 on 2 October 1891. Hill left a personal estate of £24,845 1s 1d (the equivalent of over £3 million). He is buried in the Undercliffe Cemetery, Bradford.