Commemorative Biographical Record of the County of Essex, J. H. Beers & Co., Toronto, 1905, p. 61-64:
The prominent and numerous family of this name in the County of Essex, Ont., is descended from John Wendel Wigle, who was born in Germany in the year 1763... about 1792, when government grants were thrown open to settlers, John W. Wigle and his family settled in Gosfield township, County of Essex, on Lot 6, Eastern Division...
Wendel Wigle, second son of John W. Wigle, was a boy when the family came to Gosfield, grew up on the homestead... By hard work and economy he wrested success from the wilderness, and added to his original possession until he owned some 2,200 acres, which at the present time would represent a large fortune...
Leonard Wigle, son of Wendel, and father of Philip Wigle, a well-known farmer of the township of Gosfield South, was born Nov. 27, 1814, on the old homestead which is at present known as the Horatio Wigle farm. He grew to manhood on his father's farm at Cedar Creek, and adopted his father's calling. When he began farming on his own account, he received Lot H, in the 2nd Concession, from his mother, and Grandfather Bruner gave him Lot 16 in the 1st Concession. He first came into possesion of Lot G from his father; he had 500 acres in one block, these farms being separated only by a road which was laid out after they came into his hands. In addition he bought a tract of seventy-five acres in Lot 15. His land was perfectly wild when it came into his ownership, and he had to cut a road through to the lake shore. In his active years he accomplished much in the way of clearing, for his was an energetic, enterprising man, but a large part of the land was brought under cultivation by his sons. His first dwelling was a log house which he built on the east bank of Wigle creek, and he and his family occupied that place until 1856, when he put up a frame house across the creek, near the house now owned by George Coghill. In later years he built the brick house on the south side of the road, on the tract which he had purchased in Lot 15, and there he was living at the time of his death, which occurred Oct. 4, 1896. He attained the ripe age of nearly eighty-two years. Mr. Wigle was one of the most successful men of his day, and was regarded as an intelligent, useful citizen in every way. He took a leading part in the work of the Methodist Church, in which he held membership.
Leonard Wigle was three times married, his first wife being Ann Bruner, by whom he had the following named children: Lovina, who is the widow of Robert Allen, of Gosfield South; Philip, who is mentioned below; Jonas, a resident of Kingsville; Mary, wife of Jacob Eede, a prosperous farmer of Colchester South (he is mentioned elsewhere); Isabella, wife of John H. Nelson, of Kingsville; and D. L., a hardware merchant of Windsor.
For his second wife Leonard Wigle married Nancy Fox, and to this union were born: Sarah, wife of Thomas Floyde, of Colchester South; Julia, wife of Solon Nelson, a farmer of Gosfield township; Elizabeth, who died when three years old; Sylvanus, who died when one year old; Delilah, wife of Charles Moore; Lucinda, who died at the age of nine years; and Orlando, a farmer of the township of Gosfield South, who married Miss Georgina Wright. Leonard Wigle's third wife was Mary Wright, by whom he had four children: Alice, wife of George Goghill; Edith, who died when nine years old; Sidney, who died when one year old; and Linnie, wife of Norman Iler.
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Sylvanus
Wigle
Sarah Wigle ca 1849-
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