Judge William Morgan GILES

Individual Information

Birth: 19 Feb 1870 - Roane County,
Tennessee
Death: 6 Mar 1953 - Harriman, Roane County,
Tennessee
Burial: Mar 1953 - Harriman Cemetery,
Harriman, Roane County, Tennessee

Father: James Calvin "Calvin" GILES (1844- 1932)
Mother: Dica "Dicy" Ann SMITH (1833- 1895)

Spouses and Children

1. * Cora Pickens ELLIS (29 Jan 1881 - 23 Mar 1961)
Marriage: 22 May 1898 - Roane County,
Tennessee
Children: 1. William "Bill" Houston GILES (9 Apr1899 - 12 May 1958)
2. Smith GILES (Abt 1899 - Deceased)
3. Mzee  Allen "May" GILES (30 Mar 1901- 21 Nov 1984)
4. Hugh GILES (25 Nov 1902 - 27 Oct 1973)  
5. Robert Haggard "Haggard" GILES (4Oct 1904 - 26 Jun 1905)
6. Sudie Ellis GILES (12 Sep 1906 - 17Apr 1979)
7. Henry GILES (17 Apr 1909 - 12 Jul1964)
8. Rhea Lee GILES (Abt 1912 - 4 Jan1961)
9. Hobbs GILES (18 Feb 1914 - 10 Oct1943)
10. Charles Calvin GILES (2 May 1917 -2 Jul 1980)
11. LIVING [as of 3 May 2004]

Birth Notes:

That Wm. M. GILES was born in Roane Co.relies on inferences
made from his obituary text and from his father, James Calvin
GILES' civil war questionnaire. 

Census reports:

---

1. 1870: He appeared on the District 4, Philadelphia PO census on 20 Jun 1870 in Monroe County, Tennessee. lines 25ff
hh 145/145

definitely "G"iles
All listed as b in TN except William Cobb, b NC
No personal or real estate values noted for the family.

JC Giles, 25, m, w, farm laborer, b TN, Male citizen 21 or over

Annie, 35, f, w, keeping house, b TN [this is Dicy Ann -- here it doesn't say she is b in NC, but she undoubtedly was]
Mary, 17
Margaret, 15
Eliza, 13
Amanda, 11
Harriet, 9
Alice, 7, f
Sarah, 4
Dicie, 2, f
William 4/12, b Feb
Cobb, William, 28 m, w, farm laborer b NC, male citizen over 21

The farm worker William Cobb is likely related to the two families from NC enumerated before the Giles family in this census (Cobbs are families 143, 144).

2. 1880: He appeared on the District 1 census in 1880 in Roane County, Tennessee.
Calvin JILES Self M Male W 35 TN Laborer TN TN
Dice JILES Wife M Female W 46 NC Keeping House NC NC
Amanda JILES SDau S Female W 19 NC NC NC
Sarah JILES Dau S Female W 14 TN NC NC
Dice JILES Dau S Female W 11 TN NC NC
**William JILES Son S Male W 9 TN NC NC
Nancy JILES Dau S Female W 7 TN NC NC

The nine year old Will is with his parents for the 1880 census. Though his parents are reported on his line to have both been born in North Carolina, his father Calvin's line of information indicates that Calvin was born in Tennessee. There are many curiosities and discrepancies in this family's 1880 census entry.

3. 1900: He appeared on the 10th Civil District, Decatur PO census on 18 Jun 1900 in Meigs County, Tennessee. Willi is near his father Calvin, who is also in Decatur, living with Nannie Giles, listed as Calvin's daughter. Will's household was ennumerated 18 Jun 1900. (Sheet 7B). It consists of Will, who is now 30; Cora, and Bill Giles. Bill Giles is a year old, born, the census says, Apr 1899. The 19 year-old Cora, it's reported, has had two children, one of whom is living. She and Will have been married two years. Will is farming, but he rents his home.

4. 1910: He appeared on the Spring City census in 1910 in Rhea County, Tennessee. 1910 Spring City TN census (Rhea Co) w/ Cora, Wm, May, Sudie, Henry. He's 40, Cora 29. They've been married 12 years. Cora has given birth to 7 children, 5 of whom are still living. His occupation is given as a salesman in a general merchandise store. They rent their home.

5. 1920: He appeared on the District 1, Harriman census on 2 Jan 1920 in Roane County, Tennessee.
Harriman, Roane Co, TN
Civil District 1
Enumerator: M.F.D. Wallin
Orig sheet 1 A

Clifty Street
2 Jan 1920
418/2/2
Line 6 ff

GILES, William M, head, 0, f, m, w, 49, m, - yes, yes, tn, tn, tn, yes, Bookeeper [sic], oil works, w
Cora, wife, f, w, 38, m, - yes, yes, tn, tn , tn, yes, none
Will H, son, m, w, 20, s, no, yes, yes, yes, tn, tn, tn, yes, none [Is this Hugh Giles, or was Bill Giles enumerated twice? William Houston Giles - "Bill" - is head of his own household for this census -- same district in Harriman, on Trenton Street, with his wife Grace. Hugh, however, was barely 17 in 1920. Bill Giles was 20 years old (20 and 8 plus months. If Bill was counted twice, where is Hugh for this census? I know that he served in the military for a time. Could that be where he was for this census? Research is needed.]

Susie, daughter, f, w, 13, s, yes, yes, yes, tn, tn, tn, yes, none
Henry, son, m, w, 10, s, yes, yes, tn, tn, tn, tn, yes, none
Rhea, son, m, w, 8, s, yes, [line through "yes"], [lined through "yes"], tn , tn, tn, -, none
Hobbs, son, m, w, 5, s, yes, [do], [do], tn, tn, tn, -, none
Charles, son, m, w, 2, s, - - -, tn, tn, tn, -, none
Margaret, dau, f, w, 2 [or3?]/12, s, - - -, tn, tn, tn, -, none

6. 1930: He and his family appeared on the District 1, Harriman census on 7-8 Apr 1930 in Roane County, Tennessee.

7 April 1930
418 Clifty St
Dist 1
Harriman
Roane Co, TN

Oliver D French [?], enumerator

Fam 151/188
line 47 ff
GILES, William G. [sic] , head, 0, 2000, no, m, w, 60, m, 28, no, yes, TN TN NC - 81 - - - - yes manager, grocery store, 9x91, w, yes - no - -
Cora P, , wife-h, - - - check, f, w, 49, m, 17, no, yes, TN TN TN , - 81, yes, none [all else blanks]
Sudie E, daughter, - - - checkmark, f, w, 23, d - no, yes, TN TN TN- 81, yes, none [all else blanks]
Hobbs, son, - - - , checkmark, w, 16, s, - no, yes, TN TN TN - 81, yes, none [all else blanks]

William Giles family continues on the next census sheet:

date: 8 April 1930

line 51ff

GILES, Charles C, son - - - , no, m, w, 12 s, yes, yes, TN TN TN - 81 - - - - yes none [all else blanks]
...Margaret A., daughter, - - - checkmark, f, w, 10, s, yes, yes, TN TN TN - 81 - - - - yes none [all else blanks]
HUNLEY, Mildred F, granddaughter, - - - checkmark, f, w, 9, s, yes -, KY West VA TN- 81 - - - - - none [all else blanks]

Will and Cora's oldest son, Bill, is next door to his parents:
420 Clifty St
Family 152/187

GILES, William H. Head, 0, 2000, r, no, m, w, 30, m, 20, no, yes, TN TN TN, - 81 - - - - yes, printer, news paper 0749 w, yes - no - -
...Mary G. [Grace], wife - h, - - - - f, w, 35, m, 25, no, yes, TN TN TN - 81 - - - - yes none [all else blanks]
...Edward, son, - - - checkmark, m, w, 16, s,yes yes TN TN TN - 81 - - - - yes Drug Store 4590, w, yes [all else blanks]
...Louise, daughter, - - - checkmark, f, w, 14, s, yes, yes, TN TN TN - 81 - - - - yes none [all else blanks]
...Lina J.daughter, - - - checkmark, f, w, 6, s, yes, -, TN TN TN - 81 - - - - - none [all else blanks]
...James M., son, - - - checkmark, m, w, 3 11/12, s, no, -, TN TN TN - 81 - - - - yes none [all else blanks]

Notes:

Judge W. M. Giles was a clerk for the city and was Harriman City Judge from 1934-1950.

Will was a founding member of the Riverside Baptist Church in Harriman.

One of Will's descendants' research notes says that his full name may have been "William Jacob Morgan GILES," but as of 3 May 2004, I haven't seen evidence elsewhere of that being so.

OBITUARY:

Harriman Record, undated clipping from March 1953,  front page  (Source: Charles C. Giles' scrapbook; transcription by D. Loiselle; as printed; square brackets indicate my editorial comments or notes.)

DEATH TAKES JUDGE GILES

A member of one of Roane County's oldest families, former City Judge W.M. Giles, 83, died at his home on Clifty Street Friday afternoon about 5:45. Judge Giles, who had been city clerk and city judge of Harriman from 1934 to 1950, passed quietly at his home as a small circle of family and friends gathered near his bedside. Physicians said the cause of his death was heart attack.

The Judge was a member of the Giles family, which came to Roane County, in the early 1800's [sic]. His grandfather, William Giles and his father, James Calvin Giles, were farmers who lived near the Roane-Loudon County lines.

He leaves as survivors: his wife, five sons, three daughters, 24 grandchildren, and 10 great grandchildren. Children include W.H. Giles, a Harriman Record printer; Mrs. C.C. Hunley, of Harriman; Henry Gils [sic] of Harriman; Hugh Giles, with TVA at Watts Bar Dam; Ray Giles; an engineer with TVAA at Watts Bar; Sgt. Charles Giles, a professional soldier serving in Germany; Mrs. Leo Ayotte of Harriman; Mrs. Barton Bennecker of Harriman.

As city judge of Harriman, Mr. Giles was never defeated for the office during his entire tenure. He was a quietly friendly man with a dry humor about him. "I never knew him to laugh out loud in his life," said his son, Bill, "but he had humor about him:

He was first appointed to the job of city judge in 1934 to fill the unexpired term of J.A. Gilreath. He served until 1941, was reelected in 1941, 1943, 1945, and 1947, and 1949. He retired as city judge in 1950, due to ill health.

Mr. Giles was born on the Roane-Loudon County line shortly after the Civil War. His father was a Roane County farmer, who later farmed near Kingston. As a young man, he ateended [sic] Roane County schools and completed his education at the old Seven Islands Academy. After he finished school, his first job was teaching at gravel Hill School' then for some time he farmed near Kinston. Judge Giles came to Harriman as it was being settled and was employed by the Harriman Contracting Company and the Dance Mantle Company[Dame Mantle Co].

Then in the late 1890's [sic], he moved away from Harriman and farmed in Roane County south of the Tennessee River and then farmed for some time in Rhea County. In 1898 he was married to Miss Cora Pickens Ellis, of Rockwood Landing.

About that time, Mr. Giles intended to move to Oklahoma with his new bride, and went to Spring City on business concerning the move. Instead of moving, he remained in Spring City where he was employed by J.W. Dagley, who ran a grocery business in that city. The Giles' moved back to Harriman about 1910 and have lived here ever since. Before becoming city judge, he was employed by M.P. Thomson and Son on Clifty Street and by Christmas Lumber Company.

Funeral Services for Judge Giles were held at Trenton Street Baptist Church Sunday at 2:30 p.m., with the Rev. Pat Howard officiating. Burial followed in Harriman Cemetery. Maxwell Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. Active pallbearers were Leslie Pate, Raymond Lett, Ed Giles, Jimmy Giles, Barton Bennecker, and H.M. Giles. Honorary pallbearers were: Mayor Harold Williams, City Judge M.F. McDavid and City Attorney Leonard Ladd."
 

William Morgan and Cora GILES on their Clifty Street front porch.
50th wedding anniversary, 22 May 1948

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