After establishing a fishing settlement in what is now called Dover Point, Edward Hilton, Sr. (1596-1671) settled in the "New fields" section of Exeter in the 1630s. Hilton's first known residence was located near the Hilton Burying Ground, where many of his descendants are buried. The oldest surviving inscription is for his grandson, Col. Winthrop Hilton (1671-1710), who was the principal military commander in New Hampshire at the time of his death. A Hilton family home built in the early 18th century stands on what is now Exeter Road.