William Hilton, Jr. was born in May 1708. He was the son of soldier-turned-innkeeper William Hilton and his first wife, Anna Van Berkhoven. His father passed on in 1749 but this adult son was known as "William Jr." for the rest of his life.

He married one Margaret Jones at the Albany Dutch church in October 1736. By 1747, five children were baptized there and he sometimes served as a baptism sponsor. In March 1758, another son was christened at St. Peter's Anglican church. In 1768, the name of William Hilton, Jr. appeared on a list of subscribers at St. Peter's.

He was a carpenter who set up his home in the first ward. He served as constable in 1733; high constable in 1734; and firemaster in 1740. He worked for local people and was reimbursed on several occasions by the city government. Beginning in 1742, his name appeared on lists of qualified freeholders. First ward assessments showed that his holdings were modest.

After the 1760s, the name of William Hilton, Jr. dropped from Albany rolls.

Sources: The life of William Hilton, Jr. has not yet been assigned a CAP biography number because we cannot completely isolate information on several namesakes. This profile is derived chiefly from family and community-based resources.