st.

At the early age of five Hill was sent to England to reside with his
father's relations then living at Cheshunt, there to remain till his
fourteenth year when he was sent to the Elizabethan Grammar School at
Horncastle to finish his education. Upon the death of his father in
1818 Hill returned to Jamaica. Although his property came into the
possession of his son and two daughters the father's death in some way
involved Richard Hill in irksome money obligations which harassed him
for many years, and even after he had discharged them left a gloom
over his life.

His father was a man in advance of his times, hating and deploring the
intolerance and the tyranny that grew out of slavery as it then
existed in Jamaica. On his death-bed he made his son solemnly pledge
himself to devote his energies to the cause of freedom, and never to
rest until those civil disabilities, under which the Negroes were
laboring, had been entirely removed; and, further, until slavery
itself had received its death-blow.

The time and opportunity for fulfilling this pledge soon came, for in
the year 1823 the Negroes in Jamaica commenced their agitation for
obtaining equal privileges with their white brethren. It does not
appear that Hill attached himself openly to any of the societies that
were formed for the purpose of carrying on this agitation. But he
freely gave them the benefit of his abilities, helping the whole
movement with his advice and with his pen.[2]

In the year 1826 Hill visited Cuba, the United States and Canada, and
then went on to England, landing there in September. In 1827 he was
deputed by the organization in Jamaica to use his efforts in England
to secure the assistance of the leading members of the Anti-Slavery
party. During his stay there he was on terms of close intimacy with
Wilberforce, Buxton, Clarkson, Babington, Lushington and Zachary
Macaulay,[3] all members of the Anti-Slavery Society, as well as
Pringle and other men eminent for their philanthropy and talents and
noted for the deep interest they took in all that related to the
elevation and welfare of the Negroes of the British West Indian
colonies. The petition from the people of color of this island to the
House of Commons for the removal of their civil disabilities, was
entrusted to Hill, who upon the occasion of presenting it was
permitted "within the bar" of the House. On that occasion Canning
delivered his last speech a splendid effort in favor of the