Jesse Shiles

*UNCERTAIN connection of Jesse Shiles to Joshua as father but Jesse lives directly beside Joshua according to the 1800 census records, in Broad Creek Hundred, Sussex Co., DE. This is usually a strong indicator of familial connection and probably as father/son or brothers depending upon ages.

See notes under Thomas Shiles born c1709. This compiler places this Jesse Shiles who was in Broad Creek, Sussex Co., DE in 1800 in the line of said Thomas. Originally, I had placed Thomas as Jesse's father and that would have made him an older man to have fathered this Jesse. So, I speculated there may be a generation missed in-between to make this more credible. That stated, it would not be uncommon to have had children at an advanced age had he married a much younger woman which was not atypical of the times. This compiler also feels that this Jesse Shiles definitively fits into this line but originally had the uncertainty of how he connected to Thomas - as his father or grandfather. Given the proximity of Joshua Shiles in 1800, the conjecture is that Joshua Shiles was son of Thomas Shiles and father to this Jesse Shiles.

In the Federal Census records, we see Jesse Shiles listed as follows in Sussex Co., DE:
1800: 10010-21010 in Broad Creek Hundred (next to Joshua Shiles)
1810: 11001-30000 in Broad Creek Hundred AND 12001-21111 in Nanticoke Hundred
1820: 010001-10010 in Nanticoke Hundred
1830: 0000010010000-0110100000000 in Broad Creek Hundred

Note a listing for TWO Jesse Shiles' in 1810! For the analysis here, I am using the Jesse Shiles of Broad Creek. Jesse Shiles of 1810 Nanticoke is another Jesse Shiles and not Jesse DASHIELL Shiles, known son of John Shiles of John Jr. who we know died in 1798. I place that Jesse Shiles as another son of the elusive Thomas Shiles born c1709 which would place him as a brother of Joshua Shiles that is in Broad Creek in 1800 and this would fit that Joshua would name a son after a brother. Jesse Shiles the elder here may also be a candidate for father of this particular Jesse Shiles - it is unclear from the records. However, we may never know the exact relationships of all these Delaware Shiles.

The various ages of the head of household in these records narrows Jesse Shiles' (of Broad Creek) birth year to a fairly narrow range of 1760-1765. He may have died before the taking of the 1840 Census as he does not show as a head (but could conceevably be part of another household at an advanced age). No extant wills or administrations or other probate has been found for him. The only other Shiles family in 1820 in Broad Creek Hundred, Sussex Co., DE is Eli Shiles. He is currently believed to be a brother to our James Shiles here and another son of Thomas Shiles.

Another note gleaned from the census records shows that he probably had one son by 1800 (most probably born 1796-1799 since under age 10 in 1800 and age 10-14 in 1810) and another by 1810 (between 1801-1809 but probably in the earlier years of that range). It is this compiler's conjecture that one of these sons becomes father of James Shiles (1815/18-aft 1870) that begins the known lineage of his family to the modern day.

Finally, it should be noted as important at least circumstantially, that the Shiles household stands amid the Stewarts (Stuarts), Marvels and other families that intermingle with the later, proven, lineal generations of this line. Confidence that this Jesse Shiles fits within this line is very high, above 90%. This compiler hopes to someday stumble upon a Bible record or something to help definitively confirm this!

Jesse married.