Abraham Hill

Abraham Hill was a British merchant, secretary of the Royal Society and cultural dilettante. His father was a cordwainer and a prosperous merchant who was the Master of the Cordwainers’ Company in 1655.

It seem that Abraham followed his father’s steps in becoming a merchant. In 1660 he inherited a moderate fortune at his parents' death and bought Sutton Manor at Sutton-at-Hone, Kent, and he rented chambers at Gresham College, right in the heart of the social and intellectual world of the Royal Society of London.

Hill was elected to the council of the Royal Society for the sessions 1663 to 1666 and 1672 to 1721. He was also its treasurer (1663–6, 1677–99), and for two years he was secretary (1673–5). From 1691 until 1694 Hill was comptroller to John Tillotson, archbishop of Canterbury. Between 1696 and 1702 he was a member of the Board of Trade.

In his old age he retired to Sutton-at-Hone where he died on 5 February 1722 and was buried at Sutton-at-Hone church.