Thomas and Deborah Hiland lived in Tenterden, Kent, England, where five of their children were born from 1629 to 1636. They came to America sometime after 1635/6 and settled in Scituate where he was a proprietor in 1637 and a freeman in 1638. In 1647, he was a grand juror and in the same year he was one of three grand jurors fined twenty shillings each for not attending court. In 1648, he was chosen, but not sworn in, as a constable. His farm was on the fourth cliff, principally, but his house was on Kent street, nearly opposite to the lane called "the drift way."

Thomas left to his son, Thomas, lands in Waldron, Sussex, England, and a house in Tenterden, Kent, England. In 1912, there was a "Hyland Farm" in Waldron and a Hyland was keeping a small dry-goods shop in Tenterden.

Thomas and his wife Deborah Hiland had eight children:

• Thomas, Jr., bpt. at Tenterden, England, 15 Nov. 1629; was still living in 1683; m. in New England, 1 Jan. 1660/1, Elizabeth Stockbridge, daughter of John Stockbridge. Their children, Thomas and John, were mentioned in their grandfather Hiland's will. This grandson, Thomas, died in the 1690 Canadian Expedition.
• Mary, bpt. at Tenterden, England, 27 March 1631; m. (1) in Scituate, MA, April 1664, as his third wife, John Bryant, Sr. Their children, Benjamin and Elizabeth, were mentioned in their grandfather Hiland's will. Mary (Hiland) Bryant married (2) as his second wife, Cornet Robert Stetson.
• Elizabeth, bpt. in Tenterden, England, 23 Sept. 1632; was still living in 1688; m. probably in Scituate, MA, Francis James of Hingham, MA. They had at least one son, Philip, who was mentioned in his grandfather Hiland's will.
• Sarah, bpt. at Tenterden, England, 9 March 1633/4; died in New England, Nov. 1688; m. probably in Scituate, MA, 6 Jan. 1651/2, Thomas Turner of Scituate, who died in Nov. 1688, son of Humphrey Turner. This couple did have children.
• Anna, bpt. at Tenterden, England, 17 Jan. 1635/6. Not mentioned in her father's will.
• Samuel, died 1676 in King Philip's War; m. Isabel ----. Samuel's widow married (2) Samuel Witherell.
• Deborah, living in 1683; m. in 1666, Sgt. William Ticknor as his second wife.
• Ruth, died in Scituate, MA, in 1667; not mentioned in her father's will; m. Joseph Stetson, son of Cornet Robert and his first wife, Honor (Tucker) Stetson. Ruth's and Joseph's son, Joseph, Jr., was born in Scituate, MA in 1667 and was mentioned in his grandfather Hiland's will.