James Giles (abt. 1626 - 1690)

Born about 1626 in Kent, England [uncertain]

Husband of Elizabeth Unknown — married [date unknown] in England

Descendants

Died 1690 at about age 64 in Bound Brook, Somerset, New Jersey

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Biography

James was 42 years of age when he immigrated to America in 1668, placing his birth around 1626, though his birthplace remains unknown. It's likely his family is from the county of Kent in England, but no baptism record is to be found. Based on his own first-hand account of his travels to America, he left Challock Parish in Kent in August 1668, headed north to Faversham before setting off to London and onward to Boston, where he arrived on 9 November 1668.

James Giles was married twice. The name of his first wife is unknown, but we know from his Last Will and Testament dated 7 June, 1688 that his second wife was named Elizabeth. (Documentation proves that he was not married to Elizabeth Tidd, daughter of Samuel Tidd and Sarah Burnap of Salem, as claimed by several sources. That Elizabeth Tidd married John Giles of Salem in 1671 and shortly thereafter, the couple removed to Beverly, Massachusetts, where they had several children.)

Land Records

The earliest land record in New Jersey for James Giles is a survey of 150 acres on Bound Creek/Raritan River, New Piscataway, Middlesex County, New Jersey. Survey dated "1679. Rent due from 1680".^[1] Subsequent records where he is a grantee or neighboring landowner are dated 1682-1689, one of which called him a Justice of the Peace.

Death and Legacy

In his will, he is referred to as Major James Giles of Piscataway (New Jersey) and mentions:

• Wife, Elizabeth
• Children:
  • Matthew
  • Elizabeth Olden
  • Mary Booth

He leaves land in Kinniebeck River, a house and farm in Pisacatway, NJ. Executors are wife and son-in-law, WIlliam Olden with Edward Slater as overseer. ^[2][3]

Posthumous Land Transfers

• On 21 Dec 1689, Matthew Gile sof Piscataway grants "to his brother-in-law William Olden and Sister Elizabeth Giles Olden of Middlesex Co., for 120 acres in Piscataway, N.W. the Bound Brook, Se.E. Ambrose Brook and grantee's father, N.E. unsurveyed land, part of the estate of their father, Major James Giles."^[4]

• On 12 April, 1693, "Deed. Matthew Giles of Piscataway as administrator of the estate of Major James Giles of the same place, to John Peterson Melot of Perth Amboy, blacksmith, for all the real property of said James Giles in Piscataway, 180 acres, as per patent of Jan 6, 1681; and 100 a. there, N. Matthew Giles, S. Benjamin Clerk, E. unappropriated land (Side patent of Apr 25, 1688, Liber B., p 375 supra)" (Benjamin Clerk is probably his brother-in-law, Benjamin Clarke, husband of his sister, Ann.) ^[5]

Disputed Parentage

In Part Five of First settlers of ye plantations of Piscataway and Woodbridge, Olde East New Jersey published in 1933, the author, Orra Monnette claimed that Matthew Giles of Dover, New Hampshire was James' father based on the fact that James named his son, Matthew, but very little proof was provided. There's no evidence that James ever lived in New Hampshire.

It's more likely that James was the brother to Thomas and John Gyles, and confirmed sons of Thomas Giles Sr. who died in Oare, a village in the district of Faversham, Kent, England in 1673 . As noted above, James traveled to Faversham before sailing to America in 1668. Additionally, all three brothers were living in Pemaquid, Maine around the same time. Thomas and James both left Maine and briefly lived in Staten Island, NY around 1680.

Given a Son?

In an interesting footnote in ‪“Contributions to the Early History of Perth Amboy and Adjoining Country,” William Adee Whitehead wrote, ^[6]

"On the 25th Nov 1682, William Sutton voluntarily gives his son Richard ( Richard Sutton (1676-1732) ) to James and Elizabeth Giles, until he shall be 21 — they agreeing to do for him "as for their own." William Sutton (abt.1641-1718). (A primary source for this information is being sought.)

Research Notes

See French's account of James and his family in Maine escaping from a skirmish with native people at Kennebec.^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ New Jersey State Archives. Early Land Records, 1650-1900s (database). https://wwwnet-dos.state.nj.us/DOS_ArchivesDBPortal/EarlyLandRecords.aspx Citing Liber 2, Part B : Folio 131 (PEASJ003)
2. ↑ Abstract of Will: "New Jersey, U.S., Abstract of Wills, 1670-1817"
   New Jersey, Published Archives Series, First Series; Vol XXIII, John L. Murphy Publishing Company; New Jersey State Archives
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 2793 #24604 (accessed 15 November 2022)
   Name: Major James Giles; Gender: Male; Residence Date: 1688; Residence Place: New Jersey, USA; Death Place: Piscataway; Will Date: 7 Jun 1688; Probate Date: Mar 1690-1691; Spouse: Elizabeth;
   Household Members (Name) Relationship:
   James Giles
   Elizabeth Wife.
3. ↑ Nelson, William (ed.), Calendar of Wills, Administrations, Etc. Volume I, 1670-1730. Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey. Trenton, NJ: Archives of the State of New Jersey, 1901, volume 23, page 184-185
4. ↑ Deed Giles - Olden 21 Dec 1689: "Patents and Deeds and Other Early Records of New Jersey 1664-1703"
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 48606 #419819 (accessed 15 November 2022)
5. ↑ Deed Giles - Melot 12 Apr 1693: "Patents and Deeds and Other Early Records of New Jersey 1664-1703"
   Ancestry Sharing Link - Ancestry Record 48606 #419730 (accessed 15 November 2022)
6. ↑ ‪“Contributions to the Early History of Perth Amboy and Adjoining Country” by William Adee Whitehead : D Appleton Company, NY 1856 p 403 Digital Copy at Archives.org
7. ↑ French, Howard Barclay. Genealogy of the Descendants of Thomas French (Philadelphia, 1909-1913) Vol. 2, pages 311-312.

See Also:

• Libby, Charles T. Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire, Vol. 3 (Portland, Maine: The Southworth Press, 1933), p. 260, digital images courtesy of FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ : accessed 13 July 2022).
• Vinton, John Adams. The Giles Memorial : genealogical memoirs of the families bearing the names of Giles, Gould, Holmes, Jennison, Leonard, Lindall, Curwen, Marshall, Robinson, Sampson, and Webb (Boston: H. W. Dutton & Son, 1864), digital image courtesy of Internet Archive (https://www.archive.org/ : accessed 11 July 2022); Giles Family detailed on pp 112-120.
• Monnette, Orra Eugene. First settlers of ye plantations of Piscataway and Woodbridge, Olde East New Jersey, 1664-1714 : a period of fifty years, Part Five (Los Angeles: The Leroy Carman Press, 1933), pp 701, 716-721, digital images courtesy of FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ : accessed 13 July 2022).

Acknowledgments

• Thanks to Scott Peters for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Scott and others.