Henry Miles first moved from England to Canada and again he removed to Monkton, Vermont with his family.
Henry Miles was born in Leigh, Kent, England to Richard Miles and Ann Saxby where he was baptized into the Church of England in Dec of 1795. He must have received a good education in Kent because he was a very learned man.
A few years after the passing of his father, Henry joined the Society of Friends; he was about 20. On 29 Jan 1818 he married Mary Hagen in Staines, Middlesex, England at the meetinghouse there. After his mother and eldest brother passed, he came first to Montreal, Canada, where he looked to purchase a mill. There was much cholera at the time, but the family escaped any loss, though they had a traumatic crossing and were trapped by an iceberg for several weeks, drifting helplessly. Whether or not he found a mill to purchase in Montreal, he soon left for the Quaker community at Farnham, Quebec. A few years later they came down to Winooski Falls just north of Burlington, then on south to Ferrisburgh (he owned the Robinson Mill here for a brief time), finally settling in Monkton Ridge.
Henry came with a library of books. He loved geology and worked on it with diligence, corresponding with other geologists and discovering new rocks, one of which is named for him, "Graptolithus Milesi." He worked on ways to improve soil by using the marl he dredged from the bottom of Monkton Pond (now Cedar Lake). He also is known to have invented a corn planter which he exhibited to the American Institute of the City of New York.
Henry was very involved in what we call social action today. In the late 1840s he revived the Vermont Peace Society, a branch of the American Peace Society, and wrote letters to the editor about the work of the group and solicited signatures on petitions to Congress. He served as president of that group for a time, time frame I am unsure, at least the 1850s.
He founded the Vermont Free-Produce Movement to boycott slave-made goods for which cause he traveled to Virginia to seek freely grown cotton that could be sold in the north and in England, where he also returned to visit and speak. His quote, "Purchasing slave-made Goods is an Act of Hypocrisy for Abolitionists" was reproduced in many abolitionist papers of the day and was a rallying cry for the movement. He was in contact with many national figures and his work helped promote the idea of boycotting unfairly produced goods, an idea which is still in use today as an effective form of protest and action.
After the Civil War, one finds him as president of the Freedmen's Aid Society in Monkton, (he would have been 70 years old) an organization who's stated mission was to educate and aid freed slaves to help them integrate into the mainstream of society. Though he slowed down, he was still active in issues into his 80s and wrote prodigiously.
Henry and Mary had 9 children, all born in England except their youngest, Samuel, who was born in Farnham, Quebec. All came to the US with the exception of Mary Ann who died in England shortly before they emigrated:
Lucy (m. Joshua Meader Dean) remained in Vermont
Henry (m. Jane Hoag) moved to Iowa with his family about 1856
George (m. Carolyn Worth of the Starksborough Meeting) moved with a group from Starksborough to Mabel Minnesota near Hesper Iowa in 1855
Mary Ann, died in England age 6
Hannah (m. John Curtis Dart) moved to Kansas ? not sure
Eliza died age 27 in Vermont, unmarried
Sarah (m. Oscar Hazard) remained in Vermont
Richard (m. Samantha Waters, Oberlin, Ohio) died age 34 in England in 1865 where he was removed after being taken ill in Africa where he was a teacher. His wife died soon after their arrival in Africa, in 1860.
Samuel (m. Phebe Ann Thompson) remained in Vermont
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This bio information has been researched & compiled by jhb.
Henry Miles was born in Leigh, Kent, England to Richard Miles and Ann Saxby where he was baptized into the Church of England in Dec of 1795. He must have received a good education in Kent because he was a very learned man.
A few years after the passing of his father, Henry joined the Society of Friends; he was about 20. On 29 Jan 1818 he married Mary Hagen in Staines, Middlesex, England at the meetinghouse there. After his mother and eldest brother passed, he came first to Montreal, Canada, where he looked to purchase a mill. There was much cholera at the time, but the family escaped any loss, though they had a traumatic crossing and were trapped by an iceberg for several weeks, drifting helplessly. Whether or not he found a mill to purchase in Montreal, he soon left for the Quaker community at Farnham, Quebec. A few years later they came down to Winooski Falls just north of Burlington, then on south to Ferrisburgh (he owned the Robinson Mill here for a brief time), finally settling in Monkton Ridge.
Henry came with a library of books. He loved geology and worked on it with diligence, corresponding with other geologists and discovering new rocks, one of which is named for him, "Graptolithus Milesi." He worked on ways to improve soil by using the marl he dredged from the bottom of Monkton Pond (now Cedar Lake). He also is known to have invented a corn planter which he exhibited to the American Institute of the City of New York.
Henry was very involved in what we call social action today. In the late 1840s he revived the Vermont Peace Society, a branch of the American Peace Society, and wrote letters to the editor about the work of the group and solicited signatures on petitions to Congress. He served as president of that group for a time, time frame I am unsure, at least the 1850s.
He founded the Vermont Free-Produce Movement to boycott slave-made goods for which cause he traveled to Virginia to seek freely grown cotton that could be sold in the north and in England, where he also returned to visit and speak. His quote, "Purchasing slave-made Goods is an Act of Hypocrisy for Abolitionists" was reproduced in many abolitionist papers of the day and was a rallying cry for the movement. He was in contact with many national figures and his work helped promote the idea of boycotting unfairly produced goods, an idea which is still in use today as an effective form of protest and action.
After the Civil War, one finds him as president of the Freedmen's Aid Society in Monkton, (he would have been 70 years old) an organization who's stated mission was to educate and aid freed slaves to help them integrate into the mainstream of society. Though he slowed down, he was still active in issues into his 80s and wrote prodigiously.
Henry and Mary had 9 children, all born in England except their youngest, Samuel, who was born in Farnham, Quebec. All came to the US with the exception of Mary Ann who died in England shortly before they emigrated:
Lucy (m. Joshua Meader Dean) remained in Vermont
Henry (m. Jane Hoag) moved to Iowa with his family about 1856
George (m. Carolyn Worth of the Starksborough Meeting) moved with a group from Starksborough to Mabel Minnesota near Hesper Iowa in 1855
Mary Ann, died in England age 6
Hannah (m. John Curtis Dart) moved to Kansas ? not sure
Eliza died age 27 in Vermont, unmarried
Sarah (m. Oscar Hazard) remained in Vermont
Richard (m. Samantha Waters, Oberlin, Ohio) died age 34 in England in 1865 where he was removed after being taken ill in Africa where he was a teacher. His wife died soon after their arrival in Africa, in 1860.
Samuel (m. Phebe Ann Thompson) remained in Vermont
-------------------------
This bio information has been researched & compiled by jhb.
Henry Miles first moved from England to Canada and again he removed to Monkton, Vermont with his family.
Henry Miles was born in Leigh, Kent, England to Richard Miles and Ann Saxby where he was baptized into the Church of England in Dec of 1795. He must have received a good education in Kent because he was a very learned man.
A few years after the passing of his father, Henry joined the Society of Friends; he was about 20. On 29 Jan 1818 he married Mary Hagen in Staines, Middlesex, England at the meetinghouse there. After his mother and eldest brother passed, he came first to Montreal, Canada, where he looked to purchase a mill. There was much cholera at the time, but the family escaped any loss, though they had a traumatic crossing and were trapped by an iceberg for several weeks, drifting helplessly. Whether or not he found a mill to purchase in Montreal, he soon left for the Quaker community at Farnham, Quebec. A few years later they came down to Winooski Falls just north of Burlington, then on south to Ferrisburgh (he owned the Robinson Mill here for a brief time), finally settling in Monkton Ridge.
Henry came with a library of books. He loved geology and worked on it with diligence, corresponding with other geologists and discovering new rocks, one of which is named for him, "Graptolithus Milesi." He worked on ways to improve soil by using the marl he dredged from the bottom of Monkton Pond (now Cedar Lake). He also is known to have invented a corn planter which he exhibited to the American Institute of the City of New York.
Henry was very involved in what we call social action today. In the late 1840s he revived the Vermont Peace Society, a branch of the American Peace Society, and wrote letters to the editor about the work of the group and solicited signatures on petitions to Congress. He served as president of that group for a time, time frame I am unsure, at least the 1850s.
He founded the Vermont Free-Produce Movement to boycott slave-made goods for which cause he traveled to Virginia to seek freely grown cotton that could be sold in the north and in England, where he also returned to visit and speak. His quote, "Purchasing slave-made Goods is an Act of Hypocrisy for Abolitionists" was reproduced in many abolitionist papers of the day and was a rallying cry for the movement. He was in contact with many national figures and his work helped promote the idea of boycotting unfairly produced goods, an idea which is still in use today as an effective form of protest and action.
After the Civil War, one finds him as president of the Freedmen's Aid Society in Monkton, (he would have been 70 years old) an organization who's stated mission was to educate and aid freed slaves to help them integrate into the mainstream of society. Though he slowed down, he was still active in issues into his 80s and wrote prodigiously.
Henry and Mary had 9 children, all born in England except their youngest, Samuel, who was born in Farnham, Quebec. All came to the US with the exception of Mary Ann who died in England shortly before they emigrated:
Lucy (m. Joshua Meader Dean) remained in Vermont
Henry (m. Jane Hoag) moved to Iowa with his family about 1856
George (m. Carolyn Worth of the Starksborough Meeting) moved with a group from Starksborough to Mabel Minnesota near Hesper Iowa in 1855
Mary Ann, died in England age 6
Hannah (m. John Curtis Dart) moved to Kansas ? not sure
Eliza died age 27 in Vermont, unmarried
Sarah (m. Oscar Hazard) remained in Vermont
Richard (m. Samantha Waters, Oberlin, Ohio) died age 34 in England in 1865 where he was removed after being taken ill in Africa where he was a teacher. His wife died soon after their arrival in Africa, in 1860.
Samuel (m. Phebe Ann Thompson) remained in Vermont
-------------------------
This bio information has been researched & compiled by jhb.
Henry Miles was born in Leigh, Kent, England to Richard Miles and Ann Saxby where he was baptized into the Church of England in Dec of 1795. He must have received a good education in Kent because he was a very learned man.
A few years after the passing of his father, Henry joined the Society of Friends; he was about 20. On 29 Jan 1818 he married Mary Hagen in Staines, Middlesex, England at the meetinghouse there. After his mother and eldest brother passed, he came first to Montreal, Canada, where he looked to purchase a mill. There was much cholera at the time, but the family escaped any loss, though they had a traumatic crossing and were trapped by an iceberg for several weeks, drifting helplessly. Whether or not he found a mill to purchase in Montreal, he soon left for the Quaker community at Farnham, Quebec. A few years later they came down to Winooski Falls just north of Burlington, then on south to Ferrisburgh (he owned the Robinson Mill here for a brief time), finally settling in Monkton Ridge.
Henry came with a library of books. He loved geology and worked on it with diligence, corresponding with other geologists and discovering new rocks, one of which is named for him, "Graptolithus Milesi." He worked on ways to improve soil by using the marl he dredged from the bottom of Monkton Pond (now Cedar Lake). He also is known to have invented a corn planter which he exhibited to the American Institute of the City of New York.
Henry was very involved in what we call social action today. In the late 1840s he revived the Vermont Peace Society, a branch of the American Peace Society, and wrote letters to the editor about the work of the group and solicited signatures on petitions to Congress. He served as president of that group for a time, time frame I am unsure, at least the 1850s.
He founded the Vermont Free-Produce Movement to boycott slave-made goods for which cause he traveled to Virginia to seek freely grown cotton that could be sold in the north and in England, where he also returned to visit and speak. His quote, "Purchasing slave-made Goods is an Act of Hypocrisy for Abolitionists" was reproduced in many abolitionist papers of the day and was a rallying cry for the movement. He was in contact with many national figures and his work helped promote the idea of boycotting unfairly produced goods, an idea which is still in use today as an effective form of protest and action.
After the Civil War, one finds him as president of the Freedmen's Aid Society in Monkton, (he would have been 70 years old) an organization who's stated mission was to educate and aid freed slaves to help them integrate into the mainstream of society. Though he slowed down, he was still active in issues into his 80s and wrote prodigiously.
Henry and Mary had 9 children, all born in England except their youngest, Samuel, who was born in Farnham, Quebec. All came to the US with the exception of Mary Ann who died in England shortly before they emigrated:
Lucy (m. Joshua Meader Dean) remained in Vermont
Henry (m. Jane Hoag) moved to Iowa with his family about 1856
George (m. Carolyn Worth of the Starksborough Meeting) moved with a group from Starksborough to Mabel Minnesota near Hesper Iowa in 1855
Mary Ann, died in England age 6
Hannah (m. John Curtis Dart) moved to Kansas ? not sure
Eliza died age 27 in Vermont, unmarried
Sarah (m. Oscar Hazard) remained in Vermont
Richard (m. Samantha Waters, Oberlin, Ohio) died age 34 in England in 1865 where he was removed after being taken ill in Africa where he was a teacher. His wife died soon after their arrival in Africa, in 1860.
Samuel (m. Phebe Ann Thompson) remained in Vermont
-------------------------
This bio information has been researched & compiled by jhb.
Inscription
Henry Miles, born, in England 12th month, 12th day 1795, Died 6th month 9th day 1885.
Gravesite Details
Henry lived to age 90.
Family Members
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