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Showing posts from June 7, 2014

159. Miles Family Origins (Pal's maiden name) Puritans from England, in 1630s.

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My maiden name was Miles -- I am Paralee Miles (Eckman) and my father was Orson Pratt Miles, my grandfather William Gustavus Miles, and my great grandfather Samuel Miles.  Each of their histories are in this blog, and can be found listed under their names.  Today I will give a brief history of the Miles (Myles) line back as far as we have information.                                               THE MILES FAMILY ORIGINS       The name is said to date back to the Roman Occupation of the British Isles in the 500's, and was originally Miles-itis, meaning a soldier – (hence militia, military, etc.)     It also is generally accepted that the origin of the family was in Wales, and from which all the families in other parts of the British Isles descended.     The first Miles (Myles) we know of is William Miles or Myles of Great Munden, Hertfordshire, England, who was a yeoman, and probably lived in the first half of the 1500's.   Yeomanry was a class of small freeholders w