History of the Wigle Family and Their Descendants, The Wigle Family, Kingsville, Ontario, 1931.
Commemorative Biographical Record of the County of Essex, J. H. Beers & Co., Toronto, 1905, p. 61-64:
Wigle. 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. Being left an orphan at an early age, he was obliged to shift for himself, and was a mere boy when he made his way to the seacost, where, having neither means nor friends, he hid himself on board a sailing vessel which was about to leave for America. He was discovered after the ship sailed by the captain, who proved himself a most cruel man, and immediately upon arrival in America bound young Wigle out to service for seven years, it is said, to pay for his passage. To what trade he was apprenticed during this time is not definitely known, but as his occupation in later life was weaving, it is most probable that his knowledge of the business was acquired during that period.
At the age of twenty-one years John Wendel Wigle made his home at York, Pennsylvania, where in 1776 he was married to Julianna Rommer. He did not bear arms in the Revolution, though he was undoubtedly a British sympathizer, as we find that he decided to leave soon after the war closed. In 1786, along with a number of other families, he and his family started for Canada, making the journey to Detroit through Ohio, with pack-horses, driving their cattle before them. They spent several years near Detroit, probably on Grosse Ile, as the government had not yet acquired the land from the Indians, but 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. Here he passed the remainder of his life, dying in the home he established there, and he was buried in Lot 6, as is also his wife, who passed away in May 1824. In spite of the hardships and trails they had to contend with in making a home in the wilderness, these good people prospered, and John Wendel Wigle acquired possesion of some 3,000 acres before he died. Thus he was able to leave his children in comfortable circumstances, and as his family was a large one he had ample use for his numerous acres.
We have the following record of the eleven children born to this pioneer couple: John, born in Pennsylvania Dec. 21, 1778, died in Gosfield Jan. 28, 1871; he married Susanna Scratch, and they had a family of fifteen children. Wendel, born in Pennsylvania, Dec. 17, 1781, married Isabella Scratch, and died April 6, 1860. Kate, born in Pennsylvania, married Theodore Malott, who settled on Lot 13, in Gosfield, East Divison. Elizabeth, born in Pennsylvania, became the wife of Michael Fox. Julianna, born in Colchester April 4, 1789, married George Fox, and died on Pelee Island July 3, 1879. Joseph, born March 22, 1792, died July 23, 1864; he married Euphemia Miller, and they had eleven children (they were the grandparents of William R. Wigle, who is mentioned elsewhere.) Mary, born in Gosfield June 29, 1793, married Peter Scratch, and died June 3, 1872. Sarah, born in Gosfield Aug. 26, 1798, married Solomon Shepley, and had eight children. Maudlin married Jacob Fox, and had seven children. Christopher married Mary Wilkinson. Michael married Julianna Tofflemire, and for his second wife, Prudence Chapman.
Wendel Wigle, second son of John W. Wigle, was a boy when the family came to Gosfield, grew up on the homestead, and was thoroughly trained to the work of farming as it was in those days. When he concluded to start for himself, at the age of about twenty years, his father gave him the 200-acre farm now owned by Zacharias Wigle, lying in Lot 10, 3rd Concession, East Division in the township of Gosfield, and he made the first clearing and erected the first buildings on the tract. He made his home there for a period of seventeen years, at the end of that time turning the place over to his son John W., and in March 1823, moving to Cedar Creek, where he purchased 200 acres in Lots 11 and 12. He erected a dwelling on the front of Lot 11, and again began at the beginning, clearing the land from its primitive condition into a fine farm. 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. Mr. Wigle died April 6, 1860, at the home of his son Theodore, aged seventy-nine years, and his wife, Isabella (Scratch), passed away May 21, 1848, at the age of sixty. They were members and regular attendants of the Methodist Church. To this couple came a large family, viz: John W., born July 12, 1806, married Salome Fox. Elizabeth, born Nov. 8, 1807, married Joseph Gilboe. Peter, born April 14, 1809, died Aug. 21, 1878; he married Mary Jane Girty. Joseph, born Jan. 19, 1811, died April 26, 1835; he married Jane Davis, but they had no children. Julianna, born Nov. 26, 1812, married John C. Fox. Leonard, born Nov. 27, 1814, is mentioned below. Michael, born June 14, 1816, married Demarius Girty. Henry, born April 1, 1818, died April 12, 1874; he married (first) Sarah McCormick, and (second) Elizabeth McCormick, and was the father of Burwell W. Wigle, who is mentioned elsewhere. Susanna, born Sept. 13, 1819, married Thomas Conklin (they were the parents of David Conklin, who is mentioned elsewhere). Theodore, born June 10, 1821, was the father of Atkinson Wigle, who is mentioned elsewhere; he was three times married, to Barbara McKenzie, Margaret Kennedy and Mrs. Rosamond Baker. Jacob, born July 12, 1823, is mentioned below. Mary, born Oct. 24, 1825, married William McCain. Daniel, born Jan. 5, 1828, married for his first wife Jane Augustin, and, for his second wife, Emma Gilbert. Simon, born April 1, 1830, was twice married, first, to Jane McCain, and second, to Maggie Mains. David, born May 29, 1832, died in 1862, in San Francisco.
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.
Philip Wigle was born Feb. 14, 1838, in the log house on Lot G, and there passed his youth and early manhood. His chances for education were somewhat limited, the nearest school being some distance from his home, but what he lacked in literary training he more than made up for in experience of a practical nature, for he assisted with the work at home from an early age. When twenty-two years old he was given the east half of Lot H, comprising 100 acres, and at once located there, building a log house at first and later a frame one. He had had plenty of experience in the work of clearing while helping his father, and he set diligently to work clearing up his own land, which in time yielded him a good income. As he prospered he added to his acerage, buying 103 acres in Lots 9, 10 and 11, 1st Concession, directly south of his other property. In 1890 he erected a fine brick dwelling on this tract, and within the next three years put up other buildings, his son Orra C., taking the old home place, upon which he has recently put up a commodious brick house. With the assistance of his brother Jonas, Philip Wigle cut a mile of the 2nd Concession road. Mr. Wigle is not only one of the most prosperous farmers of the township, but likewise one of the most respected, and in his long and useful life he has worthily uphelp the name of the honored old family to which he belongs. Mr. Wigle has not been particularly active in public affairs, though for a period of twelve years he was one of the trustees of school section No. 10, and in 1894 he served as township councillor. His politcal sympathies are with the Liberal party. He has been quite prominent in the work of the Methodist Church, having served as steward for twenty-five years.
On March 28, 1866, Mr. Wigle was united in marriage with Hannah Wright, daughter of Peter Wright, and five children have blessed this union, namely: Lambert P., a farmer of the township of Gosfield South, married Miss Jennie Granger. Orra C., who is on the old home place, married Laura Bockwell, and they have had two children, Garth and Artemus. Annie is the wife of Rupert Leeming, a farmer of Gosfield South, who is at present a member of the township council (he is mentioned elsewhere). Artemus was drowned at Cedar Creek when twenty-five years old. Lucinda was engaged for several years as a school teacher, but she is now at home. No family in the township occupied a higher place in the esteem of the citizens in general than that of Philip Wigle.
Jacob Wigle, the eleventh child of Wendel Wigle, was born July 12, 1823, at Cedar Creek, at the home on Lot 11, where he grew to manhood. During his boyhood there were no government schools, and a teacher was hired only when there were enough patrons to warrant the expense, each pupil being taxed a stated sum. this it will be seen that his studies, such as they were, were pursued with little or no regularity. But it was not so with work. From early boyhood he was thoroughly trained to such work as there was to be done on a pioneer farm, where the tasks were heavy and modern appliances for the lightening of the labor were unknown. In 1844, when twenty-one years old, he began for himself on the north end of Lot 13, this tract of 100 acres being partly cleared when it came into his possession. However, he cleared a space for the log house which he erected a short distance east of the brick dwelling, which now adorns the place, and which was put up in 1859. Jacob Wigle completed the work of clearing and carried on farming successfully until his retirement, at one time owning and conducting as much as 550 acres besides his home place. He was an enterprising man, up-to-date and intelligent in all he undertook, and was always ready to embark in any venture that seemed likely to help the farmers. However, these enterprises did not always prove financially successful, as, for instance, the Farmers' Woolen Company, and the sailing vessel built by a company for carrying farm produce. For several years he was a member of the Kingsville Gas Company, which was a paying investment. In politics Mr. Wigle is a Reformer, and for one year served as township councillor. In religious matters he has been prominently identified with the Methodist Church for the past sixty years, in fact it was largely through his efforts that the church was built in his neighbourhood in 1877. He has been steward and trustee for many years.
On April 13, 1886, Mr. Wigle left the home place and moved to Kingsville, where his has sinced lived in retirement, though, even now, at the age of over eighty, he is fully equal to a good day's work. Mr. Wigle has been twice married, and by his first wife, Jane Chapman, a native of Raleigh township, County of Kent, he had children as follows: Nellie, born Dec. 1, 1846, died when one month old. Theresa, born in 1848, married (first) William Sanderson, and (second) David Devitt, of Kingsville. Alfred, born in 1850, died when two months old. Althea, born in 1852, is the wife of Lewis Malott, who is mentioned elsewhere. Margaret Ellen, born March 9, 1853, is the wife of William Vickars, who is mentioned elsewhere. Nelson, born in 1855, is captain of a steamer and makes his home at St. Catharines; he married Victoria Toll. Mary Ann, born in 1857, is the wife of Edward Cook, of Mersea township. Martha, born in 1859, is the wife of Rev. William Godwin, of Exeter, Ont. Arthur Howard, born Dec. 29, 1861, married Miss Ellen Nailor. Alvin, born March 13, 1863, resides on the homestead; he married Mary Hindarsh, and they have two children: Gertrude, born Oct. 3, 1890, and Jacob, born Oct. 22, 1893.
Jacob Wigle married for his second wife Lucinda Hicknott, of Prescott, Ont., and to this union came four childen: Gordon, born Aug. 2, 1865, married Eliza Askins. Addie, born March 4, 1867, married E. R. Wigle, a hardware merchant of Ruthven, and they have two children. Eliza Jane, born Aug. 26, 1870, is the wife of David Landcaster, of Kingsville, and has one child. Elva Edith, born May 19, 1872, is living with her parents.
Wendel
Wigle
Elizabeth Wigle 1807-1856
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