Margaret Hodson (née Holford; c. 1778–1852): Poet and translator. Born in Chester, she was the eldest daughter of Allen Holford (c. 1755–1788) and his wife Margaret (c. 1761–1834), a poet, playwright and Minerva Press novelist. Margaret Hodson married, as his fourth wife, the Anglican clergyman, Septimus Hodson in 1826. She wrote prolifically as a child and published her first work, the anonymous metrical romance Wallace, or, The Fight of Falkirk, in 1809.

Thomas Hill (1760–1840): Book-collector and part-proprietor of the Monthly Mirror. Born in Lancaster in May 1760, he went at an early age to London, where for many years he carried on an extensive business as a drysalter at Queenhithe. He patronized Robert Bloomfield, whose The Farmer’s Boy he read in manuscript and recommended to a publisher. In his role as part-owner of the Monthly Mirror he befriended one of its contributors, the youthful Henry Kirke White. Southey believed that Hill owned probably ‘the best existing collection of English poetry’.

Robert Southey Hill (1817–1872): The youngest child of Herbert Hill and his wife Catherine; he was named after his first cousin Robert Southey. In later life he became a doctor and botanist.

Margaret (known as ‘Peggy’ and, occasionally, ‘Margery’) Hill (d. 1801): Southey’s cousin, probably the daughter of his mother’s brother Joseph Hill.

Herbert Hill, Junior, (1810–1892): Second son of Herbert and Catherine Hill. Educated at Winchester College and New College, Oxford, where he became a Fellow in 1832 and Sub-Librarian of the Bodleian Library in 1837–1838. He taught at Rugby School 1836–1839. In 1838 he was ordained and moved to the Lake District, where he was Curate at Rydal and also took on individual pupils. He married his cousin, Southey’s daughter Bertha, in 1839 and later moved to the Midlands, where he was Headmaster of King’s School, Warwick, 1843–1876.

Herbert Hill (c. 1749–1828): Southey’s maternal uncle. Hill was the product of a second marriage, and after his father’s death was left short of money (even having to ‘pay his own school bills when it was in his power’) and on extremely bad terms with his older half-brother. Hill was educated at Christ Church, Oxford (BA 1772, MA 1774). From 1782–1807, he was chaplain to the British factory at Lisbon. Hill took a paternal interest in his nephews, and helped finance Southey’s education.

Georgiana Hill (1816–1873): The only daughter of Herbert Hill and his wife Catherine.

Errol Hill (1812–1844): Third son of Herbert and Catherine Hill; a clergyman and Fellow of New College, Oxford. He was reputed to have proposed marriage to Southey’s daughter Katherine (Kate), but was turned down.

Edward Hill (1809–1900): Eldest son of Herbert and Catherine Hill. Educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford. Southey provided a stream of advice on Edward’s education, including the process of being elected a King’s Scholar at Westminster – an honour Edward achieved in 1823 – and whether he should proceed to Oxford or Cambridge. Edward was an excellent scholar and graduated with a First in 1830, becoming a Tutor at Christ Church. Southey liked and respected Edward and invited him to spend a number of holidays in Keswick, beginning in 1824.

Catherine Hill (1775–1848): Daughter of Lovelace Bigg-Wither (1741–1813), a Hampshire landowner. She and her sisters were friends of Jane Austen (1775–1817; DNB). In 1808 she married Herbert Hill and the couple had six children.