I have been researching descendants of Francis Piles born about 1660, probably in Wiltshire, England. Francis first appears in 1696 in what is now Prince George's County, Maryland. Records in this area and time period are largely missing due to several fires. There are a number of people named Pyle/Pile in Wiltshire around this time including a John Pyle line of Quakers that went to Pennsylvania. There is also a family named Pile in Wiltshire and Berkshire at this time that is a very promising possibility of being the family that Francis Piles comes from. There currently is no established connection between Francis Piles and this family, but circumstantial evidence is strong. I have entered possibilities for connections into the files to indicate areas for research.
The Pile Family in Wiltshire - GED2WWW Format and Report Format
A new better explanation of the origin of the Pyle / Pyles name - From David S. Pyle:
The name Pyle is derived from the Greek, "Pylae", meaning "gateway." Family legend has it that our ancestors were Greek mercenaries who took the name Pylae from (two possibilities):
1) in honor, and as survivors, of the Battle of Thermopylae (against the Persian General Xerxes) or,
2) from "Pylae"--a military outpost that protected a mountain pass that was, literally, the "Gateway to Athens."
Either way, they were Greek mercenaries who entered, what later became England, with the Roman Legions. They stayed and the name was later anglicized to Pyle, and variations thereof. .
I'm also currently researching info also on my mother's side, my KING, GAINER, and STURM ancestors.
Update: Thank God! Kathryn Mascaro was found in Denver on her birthday, and was able to attend her daughter's wedding!!
To the Family and Surname Index:
