Person:Richard Miles (5)

Richard Miles was at Milford 1639. His name is sixth on the list of early settlers. He was added to the newly founded church at Milford 13 October 1639. On 20 November 1639, Richard Miles, William Fowler, Edmond Tapp, Zachariah Whitman and John Astwood were chosen Judges for Milford. On 24 November 1640, John Sharemen was named in place of Richard Miles. Richard had probably removed to New Haven by this time, although he remained a land owner at Milford until 1643.

He was dismissed to the church at New Haven, and was at New Haven with a family of seven in 1643. Richard served as Judge at New Haven from May 1648 to May 1652. He was Deputy to the New Haven Legislature May 1651, and Clerk of the Artillery Company May 1658. Early published material attributed all the children to the unknown first wife; more recent research shows that the youngest two children, Anna and John, are the children of Richard's second marriage to Katherine (Elithorpe) Constable, widow of Marmaduke Constable. There seems to have been a connection between the Miles family and the Axtell family, for a Nathaniel Axtell arrived in New Haven in the last part of 1639, and intending to return to England, left a will in the hands of Goodman Miles. The will was proved 5 March 1639/1640, for he died before he sailed. Axtell came from the parish of St. Peters, "nere the Burrough of St. Albans," Herts, and drew his English will 17 August 1639, before he traveled to New England, giving bequests to Thomas Buckingham of New Haven, Richard Miles of New Haven, Mr. Peter Prudden; residuary legatees Thomas Axtell and the testator's three sister: Joanne, Anne and Sarah; brother Daniel executor. The Probate Records of New Haven show: "Miles, Richard, husbandman. Will made Dec 28, 1666. Bequeaths to eldest son Richard, to the rest of chiildren living, and to children of deceased daughter Martha. Estate which came to him through wife Katherine to go to her children in England by a former marriage. Wife Katherine made executrix, and Capt. John Nash, John Cooper, and James Bishop to be overseers. Witnesses: Roger Alling and Abraham Dowlittle. Inventory, taken Dec. 8, 1669, by John Cooper and Roger Alling, L288:06:10." The will was proved 13 June 1667, according to Savage.

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Richard Miles, in Anderson, Robert Charles. The Great Migration Directory. (Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, Jun 2015)
   227.

   "Miles, Richard: [Origin] Great Munden, Hertfordshire; [Emigration] 1639; [Resided] New Haven [NHCR 1:31; MiTR 2; MiChR 1; TAG 31:24-29, 33:129-37, 34:216, 35:247-54, 75:72-73; NEHGR 81:128; Stevens-Miller 1:492-95]."

2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Miles, in Jacobus, Donald Lines. Families of Ancient New Haven. (Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1974)
   5:1182.

   "Richard (Miles), from Wormley, Co. Herts, Eng.; d 7 Jan 1666 (New Haven Vital Records); Dea.; …"

3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Coddington, John Insley. Katherine (Elithorpe) (Constable) Miles Ancestress of Certain Miles and Street Families. American Genealogist (D.L. Jacobus). (Jan 1955)
   31:28.

   We conclude, therefore, that Katherine (Elithorpe) Constable married second, at New Haven, perhaps in the winter of 1641-2, Deacon Richard Miles, who we believe to be the one of that name baptized at Great Munden, co. Hertford, 27 Aug. 1599, son of Richard and Alice (Cherry) Miles. He moved from Great Munden to Wormley, co. Hertford, about 1630, came to New England late in 1637, was in New Haven by 1639, briefly in Milford 1640-1, then back in New Haven where he was admitted a member of the General Court 29 Nov. 1641. He was deacon of the church and held many other offices in New Haven until his death there, 7 Jan. 1666/7.

4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2} Coddington, John Insley, and Donald Lines Jacobus. Richard¹ Miles of Hertfordshire, England and New Haven, Connecticut, and his Family. American Genealogist (D.L. Jacobus). (Jul 1957)
   33:129-137.
5. ↑ ^5.0 5.1 Alcorn, Winifred S. Abstracts of the Early Probate Records of New Haven, Book 1, Part 1, 1647-1687. New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (New England Historic Genealogical Society, Apr 1927)
   81:128.

   "Miles, Richard, husbandman. Will made Dec. 28, 1666. Bequeaths to eldest son Richard, to the rest of children living, and to children of deceased daughter Martha. Estate which came to him through wife Katherine to go to her children in England by a former marriage. Wife Katherine made executrix, and Capt. John Nash, John Cooper, and James Bishop to be overseers. Witnesses: Roger Ailing and Abraham Dowlittle. Inventory, taken Dec. 8, 1669, by John Cooper and Roger Alling, £288:06:10."