This name has been subjected to so much change and variation of spelling that it is hard to determine its original form. Under such headings as Wilds, Wyles, Wylds, Wile, Willey and an infinite number of variations, it is impossible to trace descent beyond family records, which are meagre.
(I) The ancestor in the Mohawk Valley was Henry Wiles, born of Scotch parentage. He was a soldier of the war of 1812-14. He settled in Canajoharie, New York, where most of his days were spent, and died in the town of Glen. He married, and had a family: Catherine, Eva, Timothy, Moses and Peter. They all are deceased, leaving issue.
(II) Peter, son of Henry Wiles, was born in the town of Canajoharie, in 1812, died June 13, 1881, in Fultonville, New York. He was in successful business there from 1839 until his death. He established in the year mentioned an undertaking and furniture business that was prosperous and was one of the oldest houses in the county continuously in business and under one ownership. He was active and aggressive in his business methods and employed all his wonderful energy and sagacity in building up a profitable and substantial enterprise. He succeeded so well that now after seventy years and the founder in his grave for over a quarter of a century the house is still in healthy existence and under the management of the second generation. He married Christianna Haight, born in Glen in 1815, died in Fultonville, July 2, 1893, daughter of John Haight, an early settler of the town of Mohawk, later of Glen, dying at Batavia, New York. Children:
- John H., married Julia Godfrey; they reside in St. Johnsville, New York; had issue.
- Alexander, married Evaline Wagner; both deceased; no living issue.
- William, see forward.
- Jane M., deceased; married Charles Canfield and had Elmer E., married Lottie Pryne (or Pruyn).
- Elizabeth, married George Turnbull, of Fultonville; children:
- Elmer, of Detroit;
- George, of Ilion, New York.
- Timothy, died in infancy.
- Hannah, married John Scott, of Jersey City, New Jersey.
- Rebecca, married Abraham A. Yates, a retired farmer; children:
- Marcia, married Henry J. Kling, justice of the peace;
- Viola, married John B. Singer;
- May Yates.
(III) William, third son of Peter and Christianna (Haight) Wiles, was born November 21, 1838. He grew up with the business that was established the year following his birth, and he has been identified with it from his earliest boyhood. In 1860 he became associated as a partner, and since the death of the founder has been sole owner. The history of this firm and business is a remarkable one and deserves more than passing notice. In the seventy years of its existence there have been but the two owners, father and son, and both secured from it a competence. William Wiles has been active, in village affairs; for five and a half years he was postmaster; served for many years on the village board of trustees and on the school board. He is a Republican in politics. Both father and son have been pillars of strength in the Methodist Episcopal church of Fultonville. Peter Wiles (father) was one of the founders and during his life a generous supporter of all its interests. William Wiles (son) has been a trustee since 1882.
He married (first) September 21, 1861 in New Orleans, Louisiana, Lucinda B. Wilson, born in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1840, where she was reared and educated; died December 25, 1894, in Fultonville, which had been her home for thirty-three years. She was the daughter of Peter and Nancy (Lane) Wilson. Peter Wilson was born in Georgia; Nancy Lane was born in Glen, Montgomery county, New York; they were married in New Orleans and established their homestead on a plantation in Louisiana, where he died. His widow returned to Glen, New York, where she died many years later, leaving an only daughter, Lucinda B. Wilson, who married William Wiles. Children:
- Emma J., born October, 1862; married G. H. Edwards, of Pittsburg, assistant superintendent of the Pullman Car Company; children: Laura, Wiles and Helen Edwards.
- William W., born 1864; now of the firm of Wiles & Smurr, manufacturers of brass beds, Los Angeles, California; married Jennie Tremper; children: Douglass, Margaret and Lew W. He married (second) in Fultonville, October 20, 1897, Anna H. Abel (see Abel V).
(The Abel Line)
There were Abels in New England and in New York at an early date, and the New Jersey family may have descended from them, but the trend of population and collateral evidence compels the belief that the Morris county family were of German birth and their progenitor landed in Philadelphia in 1728, and was Andreas Ablin, as written. This is a quite common termination in German, and presents no difficulty in being translated, Abel.
(I) Andreas Abel bought land in Morris county, New Jersey, three hundred and eight acres, price 103 pounds, which was paid the same day, and Andreas put in possession. His will was probated in June, 1751. It divides his property into three parts, one hundred and twenty acres for each of his two sons, Michel and Paul, the remainder to his widow. Paul sold his share to Michel, and June, 1784, Michel gives mortgage on the whole tract for 1308 pounds (New York money), which was a substantial increase.
(II) Michel, son of Andreas Abel, married and had children:
- Mary, married William Fritts.
- Anna Elizabeth, married George Fritts.
- John, married (first) Sophia Trimmer; (second) Mrs. Mary Cripps; eight children.
- Andrew, see forward.
- Matthias, married Catherine Fritts, sister of William and George Fritts, aforementioned; nine children.
- Jacob, married Charity Pickle; nine children.
(III) Andrew, son of Michel Abel, was born in Morris county, New Jersey, August 13, 1757, died in the town of Glen, Montgomery county, New York, August 9, 1830. He married (first), Christina or Mary C. Schuyler, daughter of Philip Schuyler. This marriage occurred in Morris county, New Jersey. The family came to Montgomery county, New York, and purchased a tract of unbroken land, two hundred acres in extent in the town of Glen near the line separating that town from Root. This they cultivated and improved, making it one of the substantial properties of the town; title remaining in the family at the present time (1910) . The first Mrs. Abel died there September 5, 1819, and is buried in the Wyckoff cemetery of the Wyckoff Dutch Reformed Church, of which she was a member as was her husband, who lies beside her. He married (second) Catherine Winne, born in Glen, April 12, 1772, died 1819. Children, all by first wife:
- Philip, see forward.
- Dorothy, born August 18, 1781.
- Jacob, June 20, 1784.
- John, October 19, 1786; married Effie Schuyler.
- Andrew, May 10, 1789.
- Matthias, February 15, 1792.
- Eva, April 12, 1797.
(IV) Philip, eldest son of Andrew and Mary C. (Schuyler) Abel, was born July 18, 1779, in New Jersey, died in Glen, New York, December 3, 1866. He grew up on the home farm, and after his marriage settled on a farm of his own adjoining the homestead of his father. He was remarkable for his great strength and untiring industry. He lived to be eighty-seven years of age, and was unusually active until within a short time before his death. He married Hepsibah Conover, of Charleston, New York, who preceded her husband to the grave many years. Children:
- Mary A., married John Clute; both deceased; children: Francis, Leslie, Margaret, Mary, Hepsibah, Maria and Jennie Clute.
- Sarah, married ———— Rickard; children: Charles and William; deceased.
- Jane, died at age of eighty years; unmarried.
- Margaret, married Alexander Rickard and had issue.
- Abram, see forward.
- Andrew, married Mary Groat; child, Anna; married Professor Briggs Bradshaw, a teacher of music in Boston, and has a son, Abel Bradshaw, with whom she resides in Glen.
- Elizabeth, became the second wife of her deceased sister's husband, Alexander Rickard; no issue.
- Catherine, married Daniel Huett.
- Malinda, married William Baird.
(V) Abram, fifth child of Philip and Hepsibah (Conover) Abel, was born in Glen, Montgomery county, New York, May 12, 1811, died June 10, 1884. He was a farmer of Glen all his days. He married, September 20, 1836, Margaret Ann Hall, born in Glen, March 26, 1819, died there August 11, 1895, daughter of Peter and Ann (Van Horne) Hall, both born in Montgomery county, where they died, leaving two children:
- Margaret Ann, married Abram Abel, and
- Cornelius Hall, married (first) Maria Schuyler, (second) Phoebe Bennett, the latter the mother of his children: Peter, Schuyler, William, Jacob, Marian, Anna and Delphine, all living and the heads of families.
Abram and Margaret Ann (Hall) Abel had six children:
- Maria V., born September 19, 1837; married Samuel Irish, a merchant of Skaneateles, New York; no issue.
- Philip, born November 19, 1839; a retired farmer of Fultonville; married Elizabeth Gardinier, born in 1844; no living issue; had a son Enders, died at age of twenty, and Ada Blanche and Peter, died young.
- Peter H., born June 30, 1844, died March 7, 1897; unmarried.
- George T., born February 15, 1849; resides in Fultonville; married Mary Edwards and has Florence B. Abel.
- Eugene, born December 9, 1852, died at age of thirty-two; unmarried.
- Anna H., born April 30, 1856; married William Wiles (see Wiles III). She was educated at the schools of Glen and at Poughkeepsie.