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...
Commemorative Biographical Record of the County of Essex, J. H. Beers & Co., Toronto, 1905, p. 498-499:
Samuel Malott, a prominent citizen of Gosfield township, County of Essex, belongs to one of the historic and interesting families of that locality, and its story is of three brothers, Peter, Theodore and David, who, with two sisters, Catherine and Deliah, made their way to Detroit soon after the close of the American Revolution.
...
Theodore Malott came to Gosfield township in 1794, locating in the eastern part of the township on Lot 13, and also acquiring land in Mersea township. He built a log home and began clearing, which he carried on until his death at the age of fifty-four years, and he was interred in a corner of the old orchard on the home place. For many years he was a local preacher in the Methodist church, and was widely known for his exemplary life and his good deeds. He married Catherine Wigle, a member of another of the prominent families, and to them were born: Sarah, who married John Scratch, a member of another of the noted old pioneer families; Joseph, who settled in Mersea, where his sons still live; Peter, the father of our subject; Wendel, who married Louisa Upcott, and lived near Olinda; John, who married Maria Hickmott, and became the father of Albert Hickmott, mentioned elsewhere; Thomas, who married Ann Scott, and died at Union, Ont.; George, who married Almina Wimer, and died at Kingsville, where he was proprietor of the "Exchange Hotel"; William, who married Mary Mills, and lived on the homestead; David, who died young; Kate, who married Cornelius Quick; and Judy, who married Zenas Orton.
Peter Malott, father of our subject, was born May 11, 1803, on Lot 13, Gosfield township, and grew up on the home place, his boyhood being given over to the clearing and cultivating of the land. He enjoyed few educational opportunities, but did, for a limited period, attend Master McMurry's school. When he became of age, he drew a Govenment lot on Talbot Street, where he resided some years. In 1834 he sold that place and bought the property where our subject now resides, consisting of 134 acres in Lot 19, Concession 1, Western Division, purchasing this property of William Hall, who had drawn it from the Government.
On this property Mr. Malott built a log house which he occupied with his family until 1858, when he built, with the help of our subject, a larger house which was occupied until 1881, when the present handsome brick house was built. With the help of his sturdy sons, the father cleared the greater part of this farm. In 1864 he gave up active farming and moved to Cottam, where he died May 10, 1881. He took part in the military occurrences of the locality, and was present at the taking of the schooner "Ann" in 1837.
In Gosfield township Peter Malott married Elizabeth La Marsh, a daughter of Samuel La Marsh. Her parents settled on Cedar Creek in 1806, when she was a year and a half old; she died May 14, 1892, aged eighty-seven years. Their children were as follows: (1) Henry resided at Kingsville until his death in 1900; he married Mary Ulch, and had two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth. (2) Simon lived in Tilbury East and died there in 1898; he married Maria Dustin, and had eight children, Peter, Oliver, William, Ozias, Norman, Andrew, Matilda and Jane. (3) Catherine is the deceased wife of Moses Rose, of Gosfield. (4) Rebecca is the widow of John Upcott, and resides near Olinda. (5) Prideaux died at his home near Brooklyn, Michigan, Oct. 16, 1903, aged seventy years; he married Mary Fox, but had no children. (6) Samuel is the subject of this sketch. (7) Solomon married Fanny Clark and had two children, Andrew and Luetta; they reside in Detroit. (8) Susanna is the wife of Michael Baltzer, of Gosfield South. (9) Hannah married John Hickmott, of Gosfield South, and has had four children, Ruby (deceased), Ida (deceased), Jason and Todd. (10) Mary married, first, Henry Quine, and had four children, George, Henry, Anna and Mary; she married, second, Louis Arner, of Malden township, by whom she has no children. (11) James, of Gosfield North, married (first) Annie Mills, and had two children, Melville and Flossie; he married (second) Phoebe Reid.
Samuel Malott was born Feb. 14, 1835, on the place where he now lives. He enjoyed common school advantages, in a log building standing just east of the present stone school, and located on part of his present farm. At the age of twelve years he was considered able to do his share in teh clearing of the land, and he continued to farm with his father until he was twenty-seven years of age. He then bought 100 acres of the home place, and in 1890 he bought an additional 100 acres, located just east of the other tract. Mr. Malott has always been an industrious, careful farmer, and has met with well deserved prosperity. Although past middle life he still enjoys active work, and is ably assisted by his son Ernest, whose modern ideas and practical methods are combined with his father's experience. In addition to his large farm, Mr. Malott owns property in Kingsville, and is one of the substantial men of the township.
On Nov. 2, 1862, Mr. Malott married Amanda McCormick, daughter of Matthew McCormick, of Colchester South. They have one son, Ernest, born May 8, 1866, who resides on the home place. He married Malinda, daughter of Benjamin Wigle, and has three children: Samuel Earl, born Feb. 11, 1888; Carl Fayette, born Jan. 1, 1899; and Gertrude, born April 20, 1901...
Catherine (Kate)
Wigle
Joseph James Malott 1801-1878
Version 6.08 Copyright © 1998-2016