#9375. 4. AYRES. A. R. H., July 30, 1923. You are giving undue weight to the statement in the history of Seymour, Conn. that Theophilus Miles (Samuel 2, Richard 1) married Mary Buel. The last history of Seymour is known as “Seymour Past and Present,” the genealogies in which were compiled by Mr. Frank G. Bassett, now deceased. In it he included such material as he found in the earlier history of this town by W. C. Sharpe, and also that in the History of Derby. This data, it would appear, he supplemented from other printed sources, family Bibles, inscriptions on tombstones and independednt research. However, many children, mentioned in the church records of Derby, to which Seymour originally belonged, and in wills, distributions and deeds, are omitted. The work done by Mr. Bassett is very valuable, but the errors are not infrequent. Personally, I think it a waste of time to surmise where he obtained the marriage of Theophilus Miles to Mary Buel, as I will presently show.
If you will examine the article on the “Descendants of Edward Wooster,” by Donald Lines Jacobus, in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register for July 1921, you will find that the parents of Jonathan Miles are there given correctly as Theophilus and Bethia (Pettit?) Miles. The History of Goshen, Conn., also gives Theophilus a wife Bethia, and no Mary Buel. This may suffice for printed authorities.
As stated before, Theophilus Miles was born March 17, 1676-7, at New Haven. His mother, Hannah Wilmot, married, second, Miles Merwin of Milford, Sept. 20, 1681. At or about this time he probably moved to Milford. From noncupative will of Sarah Merwin, to which he was a witness, we know that he was there March 3, 1695 (probably 1695-6). he was baptized and received into full communion in the First Church, Milford, April 3, 1698. The Milford records give him only a son, named Jonathan, baptized March 24, 1700. On Oct. 28, 1700, Theophilus was admitted as an inhabitant of Derby, where he acquired property and took up his residence. The inventory of his estate was taken at Derby, May 13, 1801. His widow, Bethia, was the administratrix of his estate.
Milford records give the marriage of Josiah Tibbals to Bethia Miles, Oct. 24, 1705. She died March 21, 1714-15. That she was the widow of Theophilus Miles is capable of exact proof. On Oct. 22, 1705 (Vol. 4, New Haven Probate Records, page 398), Josiah Tibbals and Bethiah Miles “widdow and Relict of Theophilus Miles” “there being between the above said Josiah Tibbals and Bethiah Miles A purpose of Marriage” entered into an agreement that Josiah should not have anything to do with estate of Theophilus Miles. The Derby records have a deed from Samuel Nickolls of Derby to Joseph Treat of Milford, which describes a tract of land bounded in part by land of “widow Bethyah Mils now wife of Josiah Tibbals of Said Milford.” Ond further citation: On March 26, 1741 (Vol. 9, Mildord Land Records, page 374) Jonathan Miles of Derby conveyed to his brother, John Tibbals of Milford. Josiah Tibbals, by his first wife, Bethia, had son John, born Jan. 25, 1708 (probably 1708-9). Hence Jonathan Miles and John Tibbals were half-brothers. It would seem that these references fully establish the fact that Theophilus Miles had a wife Bethiah and that she was the mother of Jonathan, in whom you are interested.