Notes:
It is the contention of Carol Cramer that the birth place of James Lorenzo Miles was Canaan township, Wayne Co., OH, because his parents, John and Fanny Ward, lived there. Carol establishes that he came to Barry Co., Michigan with his parents and brothers and sister in 1835 or 1836. He attended school in Barry Co., but the records are no longer available. When he reached adulthood he was active in farming, stock raising and was associated with his brother John Alonzo in the stock business. They were among the first to drive cattle from Michigan to OH. The earliest record of Lorenzo buying land in Barry Co., MI is 1836. He had many land transactions recorded.
Lorenzo, as he was called, married Susan Cooper of Licking Co., OH, but the marriage location is unknown. Lorenzo and Susan and their two children, Kate Annis and LeRoy David, moved to Illinois by covered wagon some time before James Adelbert was born in 1866. They returned to MI by 1870 as Susan bought 40 acres for $1000 "subject to a mortgage of $200". This transaction in Allegan Co., took place 21 Jan., 1870 and Franklin Miles (brother of Lorenzo) was a witness. This land was an addition to the northeast section of the village of Wayland, Allegan Co. They also bought farm land several miles west of Wayland. Their residency in Wayland Village, MI was also recorded in a census taken 26 Jun 1870.
We know that Lorenzo loved to read, he apparently appreciated good livestock and he must have been an adventurer to head for Dakota Territory at what is considered retirement age (65) these days. In "History of Allegan and Barry Co., Michigan", is the following item: "At a meeting of the Board of Supervisors 28 Oct., 1841, $3.00 was added to the County Bounty". This produced the following results: "24 Dec., 1841, J.L. Miles, $5.00 Co. and $8.00 State wolf bounty". In 1843 there were five road districts in Yankee Springs, Barry Co. and J.L. Miles is listed in district three as having 160 acres and listed as charged for poll tax in district four. On page 62 of the 1860 US Census for Michigan, James L. Miles is listed as having real estate valued at $3000, and $200 in personal property. He also had Little John Baker, age 19, listed as a laborer, living in the household, so Lorenzo had hired help. There are no death certificates for either James Lorenzo or Susan in the Spink Co., SD records or the state records. His bible lists their deaths in what C. Cramer believes to be L.D.'s handwriting. James Lorenzo died 4 April, 1895, age 77. Susan died 4 Dec., 1899, age 66. They are buried in the Conde Cemetery. From the newspaper Doland Times Record, Doland SD, April 8, 1895: "On Thursday the 4th, James L. Miles, after a short illness of the grippe, died. He was seventy-seven years of age."
Notes:
C. Cramer writes that she "found little information on Susan and that no marriage record has been found for her and James Lorenzo.". Carol suggests that they may have met when he was driving cattle to OH with his brother Alonzo or that she may have been visiting relatives in Wayne Co., OH as James Lorenzo still had relatives there. Carol writes that after James Lorenzo died Susan went to bed, stayed there and got very fat until she died, 4 years, 6 months, later; the doctor then telling the family that she died because of her weight.
Frances Emogene ("Jean") Tackett
Notes:
Jean's life as a child was unsettled. Except for her years in Pascagoula, Mississippi during WWII when her parents were employed in the shipyard there, she never enjoyed two years in a row at any given school. She left home upon graduation from high school for employment with the FBI in Washington, DC. She and a friend of hers from Tupelo, "Dot" (Dorothy?) were greatly influenced by an FBI recruiter who came to speak to the graduating class. She left that employment to be with her husband, Lynn, in San Francisco while the ship to which he was assigned was being modified in the Hunter's Point naval yard. While there, they lived in very poor circumstances in pre-fab housing set up in a district called Candlestick Cove. When the ship put to sea for Korea, Jean left to stay with Lynn's parents in Sauk Centre, Minnesota for the duration of Lynn's service in the Navy. While there she became a close friend with Florence, Lynn's mother, and the two women remained in a virtual mother-daughter relationship from then on. When Lynn returned from the Navy, Jean took employment with the Minneapolis Honeywell Company. She became the sole provider for the family as Lynn attended classes at the University of Minnesota. Jean was a woman of high principles and was utterly devoted to maintaining the best possible home environment for her husband and children. She was struck down by cancer in the prime of her life in a period of otherwise perfect health.
Notes:
While working his part time job as the lone cashier for a check cashing business, Gregg was brutely murdered during a robbery of the business. His murderers were caught through exceptionally fine police work by the detectives of the Brooklyn Park Police but the heinous pair managed to plea-bargained a reduction of charges from first degree, premeditated murder to "second-degree intentional murder" in return for confessing to the crime. Their names are given in the following newspaper story.Star Tribune
Published Friday, August 28, 1998Twin Cities artist sentenced for fatally stabbing check-cashing clerk
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Twin Cities artist Carl Wesley was sentenced to 30 years in prison for fatally stabbing a check-cashing clerk.
Codefendant Kenneth Schendel, 35, of Brooklyn Park got 22 1/2 years in prison because he cooperated in the case. Authorities think Wesley, 40, of Minneapolis did much of the stabbing because Schendel had a broken right wrist. Both were sentenced Thursday for second-degree intentional murder.
The clerk, Gregg Gallup, 4 1, a musician from Brooklyn Park, was stabbed more than 60 times Oct. 13 at the Brooklyn Park Check Cashers Inc. during a robbery. About $12, 000 was taken, some of which was recovered.
Wesley had done work for City Pages, a Twin Cities alternative newspaper.
Copyright 1998 Associated Press.
Notes:
[The following note has been taken from the book "L.D. Miles" by Carol B. Cramer]
Timothy Miles, great-grandfather of L.D. Miles, was born 15 Oct., 1750. Research indicates that Timothy was the 7th son of John and Submitt Munger Mighell. Timothy married Theodia Blodgett daughter of James and Theodia (Wallbridge) Blodgett. Their first three children were born in Monson, Hampdon Co., MA, the next three in Hanover, Grafton Co., NH and the last five in Randolph, Orange Co., VT. Apparently Timothy and Theodia moved to New Hampshire when her parents and family moved around 1780.[Carol Cramer in "L.D. Miles" writes this about the change in spelling from Mighell to Miles:]
Although the pronunciation of the name is the same, the spelling change has been baffling and I have been most reluctant to concede to Timothy Mighell and Timothy Miles as one and the same son of John Mighell. However, after research of my own and much research by others, I have come to the conclusion that they are one. The evidence is listed below:
A deed, recorded 31 May 1775, at Brimfield, MA, for sale of land inherited from their father, John Mighell and signed by: Timothy, Abner, Aaron, yeoman of Brimfield; James, yeoman, late of Brimfield, and Thomas, yeoman of Monson. Timothy Miles in his petition to the Vermont Congress states, "That your petitioner, A.D., 1775, having sold his landed interest in Brimfield, Massachusetts for 200 pounds, and taken notes for the same . . . ".
Thomas Mighell, brother of Timothy, married Hannah Moulton as Thomas Miles 13 December 1738 as recorded in Monson, MA marriage record. Thomas Mighels and Hannah had six children recorded in the Monson vital records.
The 1790 Fed. Census of Randolph, Orange Co., VT, lists Hannah Miles immediately preceding Timothy Miles. The preceding land deed shows that Thomas, husband of Hannah was deceased.
Several members of the Mighell family of previous generations moved to Oyster River, Dover NH. According to Soldiers, Sailers and Patriots of the Rev. WarMaine page 541: Mighel. alias Miles, Moses, enlisted at Exeter NH b 1760.
In the marriage records of Sturbridge Vital Records is found: Solomon Miles (Mighills) and Lydia Chub (Chubb) married 1789. (Sturbridge, MA).
A Mary Mighell, b 1731, daughter of Samuel (bro. of Timothy's grandfather) married J. Alexander and named son Miles Alexander.
Dorothy Ferman Mighell, widow of Nicholas (cousin of Timothy's father) left a will mentioning her daughter, Sarah Miles Rott.
Samuel Miles, third son of Thomas and Hannah Moulton Mighell used spelling, Miles. He was a nephew of Timothy Miles.
Found in the Massachusetts, Hampton County Land and Property, Grantors Index, Volume L-2, Years 1636 - 1800. LDS film # 844477: Meeker au or av Meaker; Meekins au Meakens; Melven au Melvin; Merrick au Merick; Merrifield au Merryfield; Merriman au Merrman; Mighell au Miles. Listed below Mighel au Miles are: Aaron, Abner, James, John, Thomas, and Timothy. This is the convincing evidence, I [CBC] feel.Additional evidence supporting the contention that these Mighell people changed the spelling of their surnames came to me in an e-mail from John E. Stafford (President of The Stafford Society). He wrote that his 2nd greatgrandfather appears in the censuses of 1850, 1860, and 1870 as Randall Miles yet his headstone gives his name as Randall Mighell.
(The following paragraphs are taken from the Vermont Historical Gazetteer, Vol II by Abby Maria Hemenway; self-published, 1871 )
Timothy Miles lived on the farm now occupied by Ira Lamson, in a log-house with no chimney. His wife's name was Theoda (sp), a daughter of Esq. Blodgett, then living in Hanover, NH. At the time the Indians burned Royalton, her husband being gone to the east part of the town, and not returning as early as she expected, and fearing the Indians would come up the branch and take her prisoner, she took her two daughters with some blankets and went out under the bank near where Ira Lanson's house now stands, and having got them to sleep, she returned back towards the house. Seeing a light within, but hearing no noise, she very cautiously crept up and looking through the cracks between the logs in the back of the house, she saw a dark man whom she supposed to be an Indian quietly awaiting the return of the family. She then went carefully back and staid (sp) with her children till morning though she was unable to sleep. As soon as day began to break, before her children awoke, she again ventured towards the house, and very unexpectedly saw her husband in the door-way, whom she had taken for an Indian in her excitement the night previous. That day he again went to the east part of the town, and not returning at night, she concluded he had been taken by the Indians as proved to be the case. The next morning although in a critical state of health, she took her daughters and started on foot for her father's, in Hanover. Passing the fort in Bethel and arriving at the junction of the east branch of the White River, near what is now known as Foxville, she was perplexed for some means for crossing the stream, which was deep, but on casting about she saw a horse feeding near by. With true Yankee ingenuity, she immediately made a bridle of her garters, caught the horse, adjusted her bridle upon him and with her children with her on his back, he faithfully carried them across. Traveling on, she got somewhat below "Sharon meeting-house", when in consequence of exposure, or over exertion, she was taken too ill to proceed further. Fortunately finding an opportunity to send word to her father, she did so, and he immediately came after her with two horses, saddles and pillions and took her and her children home with him to his house.
Soon after arriving there she had a son born, who was named Timothy who died at 17 years of age, having always manifested singularities, and scarcely ordinary intelligence. Mrs. Miles remained in her father's family in a low and desponding state of mind in consequence of her husband's captivity, and in poor health, until his return, about 2 years after, when she was so feeble that it was not thought prudent to let her know of it abruptly; but afterwards she recovered, and with her husband and children returned to their farm in Randolph, where they lived many years, raised several children and died.
The "Burning of Royalton" states that the Indians carried 26 prisoners to Canada but gives names of only 22 of them, among which the name of Timothy Miles is not found, and there can be no reasonable doubt that Mr. Miles was one of the four whose names were not given. The above facts were derived from Capt. John Tiffany, who came into Randolph in July, 17, being 10 years old and has lived from that time to the present within a short distance of the farm on which Mr. Miles lived and was acquainted with the family.
We are told from other sources that the capture of Timothy Miles is incorrect. Mr. Miles did not live on the West Branch till some time afterwards. His wife spent the night as above stated, near the house (or ashes of the house) of Experience Davis. The general account of her flight to Hanover is correct, but the idiocy of her son Timothy was in no way connected with this Indian performance, but was owing to a kick upon his head from a horse. The boy was bright enough till then.
The following petitions of Timothy Miles and Zadock Steele are of interest as perhaps the oldest written accounts obtainable of the latter part of the Royalton Attack. The petitions were presented to the legislature Oct. 13th 1784, and may be found in Vol. 19, pp 147-8 of VT state papers in the Secretary of State's Office.
"To the hon., the General Assembly of the State of Vermont to be convened at Rutland the second Thurs. in Oct. next. The petition of Timothy Miles of Randolph in the county of Orange in said state of V humbly sheweth. That your petitioner, A.D. 1775, having sold his landed interest in Brimfield, Mass., for 200 pounds, and taken notes for the same to be paid in continental money, not doubting but said money would continue as it then was equal to silver and gold, entered immediately into the public service in the then present war with Gt. Britian, and was in the service and a prisoner with the enemy the greatest time part of the time until the fall of the year 1779. "When finding my interest reduced to a very trifle, merely by the depreciation of continental money, I removed with my family (a wife and 3 children) and household furniture in May A.D. 1780 to this town, even before the General Assembly had granted it, in hopes of becoming a grantee, and in that way lay a foundation on which I might, with industry, get a future living, I entered my name among the petitioners for this town, and immediately went to work in it."
And your petitioner further sheweth that on the 16th of Oct. 1780 the enemy from Canada, having destroyed the town of Royalton, on their return homeward, passed Mr. Experience Davis' house in Randolph where I had but just removed with my family for winter quarters; and burn't the house with my furniture and carried me and Mr. Davis, together with sundry others, to Canada, where I was a prisoner until the last of September following, nearly one year. In the meantime, the grant and charter of Randolph was obtained; and as I was absent and had nothing left to pay the Charter fee of my right; James Blodget, Esq., by the consent of the General Assembly, gave his note for the charter fee for my right to lie a time, yet unknown to your petitioner, which note your petitioner's friends, after his return, induced him to believe would not be called for by government.
And your petitioner not doubting that he out to be in some measure compensated for the loss of his goods by the enemy's fire, and for the loss of nearly one year's time in captivity by the enemy of our common cause, as well as others in similar circumstances, humbly prays that the honorable legislature would consider his cause and grant to your petitioner, at least so much as the contents of that note and the cost that has already arisen theron, in such way as that your petitioners worthy friend James Blodgett, Esq., may be discharged therefrom, and your petitioner will consider himself satisfied for all his above mentioned losses and troubles, although in his opinion it can be but a very small compensation. Or grant your petitioner relief in some other way, as in your wisdom may seem best.
And your petitioner is in duty bound will ever pray. (signed) Timothy Miles
Mr. Miles' "worthy friend, James Blodget, Esq", got rather stubborn over this matter and they "took him to Chelsea" but let the old gentleman go in a short time. The result of the above petition was the passage Oct. 21, 1794 of "An act discharging James Steel and James Blodget from the payments of 2 notes of hand therein mentioned."(The Vermont Historical Gazeteer continues with the following additional information on Timothy Mighell/Miles)
He sold landed interest in Brimfield in 1775. He went immediately into service [Revolutionary Army] & was a prisoner most of time until the Fall of 1779. His record to March 1780 states:
Timothy Mighells, Monson, Private, Capt. R. Munn's Co. Col. N. Dike's regt; pay abstract for mileage, dated Roxbury, 17 Sept. 1776 also same co & regt.; pay abstract for mileage, etc, dated Boston, 26 Nov., 1776; mileage 81 miles allowed said Mighells. Timothy Mighls, Private, Capt. D. Winchester's Co., Col. Ruggles Woodbridge's regt.; enlisted 24 Sept 1777; disch. 29 Nov 1777; service 2 months, 14 days with Northern army.The "Weekly Wanderer", pub. Randolph Vt., Oct 1, 1803 printed a List of Letters remaining in the Post Office at Randolph, among those listed is Timothy Miles (also a Stephen Miles). While the letter for Timothy could be for Timothy Mighell's son, Carol Cramer believes the letter was for Timothy Sr. because this was during the time he was selling his land and spending time in Canada.
Notes:
[Adapted from "L.D. Miles" by Carol B. Cramer] James served in the Rev. War and is listed as Lieut. Blodgett. Several of his sons also served. The family lived in Monson, Hampden Co., MA until 1780 when, with his wife and ten children, they moved to Hanover, Grafton Co., NH. They resided there for several years before moving to Randolph, Orange Co., VT, where several of their sons and their daughter, Theodia (Mrs. Timothy Miles) lived. Esq. Blodgett became a prominent citizen in Randolph, besides representing Randolph in the State Legislature he held many other offices of honor and trust. He had acquired a good education for the times, and had a literary turn of mind. He told his grandchildren that in his early days he decided to go to Woburn, MA from Monson, MA to see what he could find out about his ancestors and, as he had no horse or conveyance, he walked [65 miles as the crow flies!]. He prepared a package of his poetry on slips of paper and made up tunes along the way to sing the poetry, hoping to sell some on the way to obtain money for food and lodging. On his arrival at Woburn he asked an elderly man if he had known any Blodgetts and the old man remembered several but said that they'd rather sing than work! This did not upset Esq. Blodgett as he felt the same.
At the age of 93 he mounted his horse without help and rode to Barre, VT, to visit a daughter and then he rode on to Ascot, Canada [about 25 mi. north of the Vermont border] to visit his son James. He died at his son's house 20 Mar 1817, age 94. It is believed that he is buried in Ascot, although there is a stone erected to his memory in the Randolph Center Cemetery. (James' birthdate has also been recorded as 21 Dec 1723.)
Notes:
Johnny was highly thought of by all the children of L.D. Miles. When L.D. died, Johnny was the only person all the kids could agree upon for the honesty and integrity to be executor of L.D.'s estate.
Notes:
Later in life, Hazel began to write her name "Hazelle" and it appears this way in her obituary. However, her sister Florence said the real spelling of her name was "Hazel". I corroborated this with Carol Cramer who told me her mother, Mabel, also a sister of Hazel, had said the same thing.
Notes:
(From "L.D. Miles" by Carol B. Cramer.) John, second son of Deacon Thomas, the emigrant, was born in England about 1634. He was fined in 1658 for "taking tobacco". "Thomas Leaver deposed that on a dry, windy day before the snow fell in the beginning of last winter, I came into the yard of Widow Mighell and found John Mighell between the house and barn smoking tobacco near a dung hill full of hay or straw". "I blamed him for smoking contrary to law and showed the danger. I went away, he said nothing, and when I returned he was still smoking." John Pearson testified, "That he saw the pipe in Mighell's mouth". (Occurred in Rowley, MA - Essex Court Record and Files, 6 May 1658 Salem, MA)
In 1662 he sold his dwelling house and three & three-quarters acres of land in Rowley. He lived for a time at Oyster River in Dover, NH and was constable there in 1674. In August, 1676, he had three children baptised in Newbury, MA. He died in Suffield, CT in 1702 about age 68.
Notes:
Thomas, was born and married in England. He came to Roxbury, MA, with his wife, Ellen and two sons, Samuel, born abt. 1632 and John, born abt. 1634. Family tradition gives the birth date of Thomas as 1606 and Ellen as 1610. Thomas was admitted to the church in Roxbury in 1637. He removed to Rowley, MA, together with Rev. Miller in 1639 where he was ordained Deacon on 3 Dec 1639. He was made a freeman on 13 May 1640. His wife, Ellen, was buried on 12 May 1640, the first death in Rowley. Thomas married second, Ann Parrat. He had a three acre houselot on Wethersfield Street in 1693 which remained in the family name until 1928.
Beside Samuel and John, born in England, Thomas and Ellen were parents of Thomas, born in Rowley, Timothy, Nathaniel, Mary, Stephen and Ann. [see below]
Thomas spelled his surname "Mighell" but his sons Nathaniel, and John spelled it "Mighill". It is not known when the spelling reverted back to 'e' by some of the family. The 'e' spelling was used in Brighton in the 16 and 17th centuries and 'e' is found now in the London phone book.
Thomas was buried 14 May 1654. He would have been about 48 years old. His will, recorded I I Jun 1654, approved 27 Jan 1655, mentions, beside his wife and children, his sister Ann Tenney and Faith Parrat, Sr. The inventory of his estate amounted to 571 pounds, 14 shillings and I I pence. (Essex Probate records). His widow, Ann, died 17 Nov., 1694.
(from L.D. Miles by Carol B. Cramer)
[Probably the last four children assigned by Carol Cramer in "L.D. Miles" to Thomas and Ellen were actually children by Thomas and his second wife Ann. There would not have been enough time for Ellen to have had four more children after the birth of her son Thomas in 1639 because she died in 1640.]
Notes:
In the book "A History of Hampden County Massachusetts" by Alfred Minot Copeland the record is reproduced of the original land grants of 31 December 1701 from which the new township of Brimfield, MA was formed. A John Mighill is among the 80 or so people each of whom was awarded 120 acres. (A Samuel Munger is as well.) Since these grants pre-date the birth of this John Mighill, one wonders if his father, Thomas, was not actually named John and this grant was his. John Mighell is also reported as being born about 1709.
Notes:
Thomas, grandson of the emigrant, Thomas, was most likely, born at Oyster River, Dover, NH. His father sold his land in Rowley, MA in 1662. Thomas married Abigail MacLaflin of Suffield, CT, 12 Dec., 1700. He, with his father and brother, John, were given land giants in Suffield, CT in 1681. He lived there until 1708. His three brothers, John, Nathaniel, and Nicholas of Dover, NH, purchased land near Lake Masapaug, CT, which is not far from Killingly, CT, in 1708. They sold it in 172 1. Thomas was active in church work in Killingly.
("L.D. Miles" by Carol Cramer)
The birthplace of Thomas used in this compilation is taken from the research of Carol Cramer ("L.D. Miles") but Latter Day Saints Church records Thomas' birthplace as Newbury, Essex Co., Mass. This birthplace has been picked up and widely used in family genealogies, e.g., The Prouty Family Genealogy and the Boyd, Alberthal & Denny Genealogy.
Carol Cramer has reported that John Mighell, Thomas' brother, married an Elizabeth Fairman, b.11 Dec 1674, Salem, MA; d. 3 Apr 1753, Killingly, CT. There is very little evidence supporting this marriage but it is reported that this Elizabeth Fairman married a John Michell. This similarity in spelling could be the source of confusion with John Mighell. The sources which list Thomas as husband of Abigail also list Elizabeth Ferman as the wife of his brother John so we have not one but two sources of confusion over John's wife, "Ferman" has a similarity in spelling with "Fairman".
To further confuse the issue, it is often reported that Abigail Claflin, the daughter of Robert MackClaflin (who changed his name to "Claflin"), married John Mighell, not Thomas as used here. These same sources report that Abigail's marriage took place in Wenham, MA rather than Suffield, CT. While none of these contentions can be confirmed or denied on the basis of primary source records, the preponderance of lore favors the John => Thomas => Abigail => Robert line as ancestors of L.D. Miles. Nevertheless, there is a reasonable possibility that this Thomas was actually John, and this possibility is recognized by Carol Cramer as well. (See notes for John, the son of this Thomas.)
Notes:
As with all the members of this family line, Abigail's surname appears in many variations, e.g., MackClothlan, MacClothlan, McClothlin, MacLaflin, McLaflin, MackClaphlan. She was residing in Suffield, Hartford Co., Connecticut from 1681 to 1708. As her marriage to Thomas Mighell was recorded in 1700, he also must have resided there from 1700 to 1708.