Harry Hill was the son of Henry Hill, a labourer and his wife Mathilda. In 1901 the Hill family consisting of three sons and a daughter lived at Meeks Cottage, Upper Howsell Road.

At some point, Mathilda Hill must have remarried as in October 1915 the Malvern News reported: “Mrs Rowley of Greenfields, Upper Howsell received a communication that her son Cpl Harry Richard Hill LNLancs was killed on 25/9/15. Another son, Pte Thomas Hill of the same regiment was wounded on the 12/10/14 and missing ever since.”