William Hill was born in Surry County, North Carolina on September 23, 1777. The son of a chaplain for the Patriot cause during the American Revolution, he was a longtime public servant for the State of North Carolina. The State Librarian from 1812 to 1827 and from 1831 to 1842, he also served as the state's Secretary of State from 1811 to 1857. He died in Raleigh, North Carolina on October 29, 1857.