George Francis Hill
Encyclopedia
Sir George Francis Hill KCB
(1867–1948) was the Director
and Principal Librarian of the British Museum
(1931–1936). He was a specialist in Renaissance
medals.
, India
. His grandfather, Micaiah Hill, founded the London Missionary Society
's outpost there and his father, Samuel John Hill, was stationed and where he was born. He attended Blackheath College
(later known as Eltham College
) followed by University College, London
, and finally Merton College, Oxford
. He studied under Percy Gardner
at Merton College, Oxford, with a first class degree in classics. There he also gained an interest in numismatics
.
coins. Hill subsequently produced catalogs on many of the British Museum's collections in his area. In 1912, he became Keeper of the Department.
In 1931, he was appointed Director and Principal Librarian of the British Museum. Whilst director, he purchase the Codex Sinaiticus
from the Soviet Union
and, with the Victoria and Albert Museum
, the George Eumorfopoulus oriental antiquities collection.
Hill was editor of the Journal of Hellenic Studies
. He was knighted in 1933.
, Italy
.
He retired in 1936 and died in London
in 1948.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(1867–1948) was the Director
Director of the British Museum
The Director of the British Museum is the head of the British Museum in London, a post currently held by Neil MacGregor. He is responsible for that institution's general administration and reports its accounts to the British Government...
and Principal Librarian of the British Museum
British Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
(1931–1936). He was a specialist in Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
medals.
Early years
George Hill was born in BerhampurBerhampur
Brahmapur , nicknamed "The Silk City", is a city located in the eastern coastline of Ganjam district of the Indian state of Orissa, about south to state capital, Bhubaneswar.It is also dubbed as "The Dance City" of Orissa after Prince Dance Group and Harihar Das made the state famous in India's...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. His grandfather, Micaiah Hill, founded the London Missionary Society
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa...
's outpost there and his father, Samuel John Hill, was stationed and where he was born. He attended Blackheath College
Eltham College
This article is about the school in London, England. For the school in Research, Australia see Eltham College of Education.Eltham College is an independent school situated in Mottingham in south-east London...
(later known as Eltham College
Eltham College
This article is about the school in London, England. For the school in Research, Australia see Eltham College of Education.Eltham College is an independent school situated in Mottingham in south-east London...
) followed by University College, London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
, and finally Merton College, Oxford
Merton College, Oxford
Merton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to...
. He studied under Percy Gardner
Percy Gardner
Percy Gardner was an English classical archaeologist.Percy Gardner was born in London, and was educated at the City of London School and Christ's College, Cambridge...
at Merton College, Oxford, with a first class degree in classics. There he also gained an interest in numismatics
Numismatics
Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, and related objects. While numismatists are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, the discipline also includes the broader study of money and other payment media used to resolve debts and the...
.
Career
In 1893, Hill joined the British Museum in the Coins and Medals Department. At that time, the Department was the center of study of Greek coins. Hill continued the work of Barclay Head and Reginald Poole; in 1897 published the first volume of a catalogue of GreekAncient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
coins. Hill subsequently produced catalogs on many of the British Museum's collections in his area. In 1912, he became Keeper of the Department.
In 1931, he was appointed Director and Principal Librarian of the British Museum. Whilst director, he purchase the Codex Sinaiticus
Codex Sinaiticus
Codex Sinaiticus is one of the four great uncial codices, an ancient, handwritten copy of the Greek Bible. It is an Alexandrian text-type manuscript written in the 4th century in uncial letters on parchment. Current scholarship considers the Codex Sinaiticus to be one of the best Greek texts of...
from the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and, with the Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
, the George Eumorfopoulus oriental antiquities collection.
Hill was editor of the Journal of Hellenic Studies
Journal of Hellenic Studies
The Journal of Hellenic Studies is a peer-reviewed academic journal which contains articles that pertain to Hellenic studies, i.e. the language, literature, history, and archaeology of the ancient Greek world, and reviews of recent books of importance to Hellenic studies. It is published annually...
. He was knighted in 1933.
Personal life
In 1924, he married Mary Paul, whose parents lived in RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
He retired in 1936 and died in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1948.
External links
- Books by George Francis Hill
- Digital Library Numis (DLN) Online numismatic books and articles