Middlesex-Somerset County NJ Archives Biographies.....Giles/Gyles, James 1629 - May 20, 1689 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nj/njfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Judy Stevens rbsjudy@aol.com October 3, 2005, 11:31 am Author: Judy Stevens James Giles, along with his wife Elizabeth and infant daughter Elizabeth left England in September of 1668 on the "Peter". They arrived in Boston harbor on Nov. 9th, 1668. Their first winter was spent in Braintree, Ma where they "hired" a house. During the winter James actively sought suitable land to purchase and on which to settle. By spring another daughter was born but no suitable land had been purchased. Most sources feel that James had two brothers who had either immigrated before, with or soon after James. Thomas Giles believed to be one of the brothers, purchased land in Maine in May of 1669. James and Thomas and probably their famlies, sailed for Maine in May of 1669, a few days after the land purchase. The next seven years James and his family move numerious times within the Kennebec River valley of Maine. The main intent seems to be safety from Indian harassment. Most of the Indian tribes of that area of Maine seemed to be allied to the French during this period in history. James purchased land on the Muddy river at some point in time and had a home but again the Indians plagued the settlers and to have safety in numbers many of the settlers house together for protection. Then in Aug of 1676, James with his family had a narrow escape from the Indians where they escape by canoe. That must have been a final straw for this family and within the month they have gone back to Boston to join his other brother John. Only Thomas and his family remained in Maine and would later become history with the Pemmaquid massicure which killed or captured all of Thomas's family with the except of two. After James with his family returned to Boston, they spent the next several years trying to find suitable land as they moved from one friend's home to another. During those years James purchased property but it did not prove suitable and not until 1681 did he find property at Bound Brook on the Rariton River near what in now Piscataway, in New Jersey, and purchase. He lived out the remainder of his life of another eight years on his place at Bound Brook. When he passed away his will still showed him owning property on the Kennebec River in Maine. Additional Comments: Sources used which bring questions to history are as follows; New Jersey Wills, Vol 1670-1730, Part I, Page 184, Location Piscataway, NJ states; will of. Wife Elizabeth. Children--Mathew, Elizabeth Olden, Mary Booth. Land in Kinniebeck River, house and farm in Piscataway. Person property. Executors--the wife and sone (in law) William Olden with Edward Slater as overseer. Witnesses-- Edward Slater and William Tharp. Proved third Tuesday of Mar. 1690. Documentation: New Jersey Colonial Documents, Ser. 1, V. 21 (LDS Fiche #6051369), p 204. "1693, April 12. 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. unapprpriated land (Side patent of Apr 25, 1688, Liber B., p 375 supra)" (Benjamin Clerk is probably his son in law Benjamin Clarke). Next: Source: Calendar of New Jersey Wills 1670-1760 Page: 198. Name: James Major Gyles, Date 17 June 1688, Location: Piscataway wiff of: N.J. Archives, XX1., p 177 24 Jul 1690 Resignation of William Olden of Raraton River as executor of the last will of. Middlesex Wills 25 Jul 1690 Bond of his son Mathew Gylkes of the same place, planter, as administrator of the estate. Benjamin Hull of Piscataway fellow bondsman. The above sources have brought on some questions which are as follows; 1. All of these references point to a son, Matthew. Why doesn't this son show up in my family letter or other sources I have run across. When I do a family search source I find a Matthew born to James and Elizabeth born in 1669 the same birth year as their daughter Ann. 2. I also have some weakly documented references that give a 5th daughter but am still chasing that information. Hope an upcoming trip to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City will finalize the above questions. Photo: http://www.usgwarchives.net/nj/middlesex/photos/bios/gilesgyl4gbs.jpg This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/njfiles/ File size: 4.8 Kb