Joseph Miles 1745 – 1791 Markfield & Great Glen [See Note below]
Joseph was born at Markfield in 1745, son of Edward and Jane Miles.
He somehow came into some money. He was the youngest member of the family but by the time he was 29 he was a freeholder and when he died in 1791 he owned the Windmill at Burton Overy with land and stables and the Watermill with house [Millers Dale] and land called Mill Holme at Great Glen.
He married Dorothy Campion on 3rd: February 1766 at Great Glen church. He put three years on his age of 21, she took 12 years off her 40. Maybe Dorothy was well off and financed Joseph’s investments.
They had no children, but whilst married to her he fathered two. A little girl - Ann – to Elizabeth Freer, christened at Great Glen 4th: June 1769, and another girl - Hannah to Elizabeth Gilbert born 1786. He later married Elizabeth, 15th; March 1790 after the death of his first wife in 1788. He again used a false age, this time taking 5 off his 45 years. Elizabeth was just 22. She was the daughter of Thomas Gilbert landlord of the Fox and Goose public house in Great Glen and Joseph must have spent quite a bit of time there according to the Statute Duty he paid for ale at the pub. Joseph and Elizabeth had a son - Joseph – baptized privately 11 December 1790 and publicly 22:nd. April 1791. He hung himself "in a fit of insanity" on 6th: January 1791. There is a report in the Leicester Journal January 1791 saying he had for sometime past been in a low and despondent state. He hung himself in a chamber adjoining his dwelling house. At the inquest a verdict of Lunacy was returned. This verdict enabled him to be buried in Great Glen Churchyard – suicide would have barred him - where his first wife, Dorothy was buried and son, Joseph who died in 1805 aged 14 years later followed. The latter's epitaph reads:-
Consider reader when you look,
How suddenly my soul was took
Pray take warning of my fall
And be ready at Christ's call.
Joseph senior left six acres of land together with stable, windmill with implements and appurtenances at Burton Overy to his wife Elizabeth.
To his daughter, Hannah –“which he had by his said wife before his intermarriage to her” he gave an acre of land, the Watercorn Mill, dressing mill, millstones and utensils. Also the contents of his dwelling house. Hannah was only 4 years old when Joseph died and he may have already planned his suicide when he made his will as he appointed a Eileen Hodgkins as guardian of Hannah until she reached her majority.
Strangely he signed the will with a cross, implying that he could not write.
The will was witnessed by Wm. Tilley, Thos.Gilbert & Rich Harrison.
Joseph’s epitaph reads:-

O the rich depth of Love Devine
Of bliss a boundless store
Dear Saviour let me call thee mine
I cannot wish for more
Widow, Elizabeth later married William Edgley who must have helped her run the mills at Burton Overy and Great Glen until daughter Hannah was able. Hannah married John Middleton in 1811 and John then became the miller at Great Glen, not very successfully; but that is another story.

NB: Like many Family Researches, especially prior to 1800, some of the details may be found to be suspect and this may be the case here. It would appear that brothers Thomas and Joseph Miles originated from Great Bowden and not Markfield. Research is on-going to try to confirm this one way or the other. More later.
Ron Miles

Great Glen CD
I would like to recommend the CD on Great Glen - a Leicestershire village, to anyone who has people in that village who were their ancestors. It has a wealth of information. Unfortunately not much on my Miles family and one item not true.
It records that Dorothy Miles, nee Campion was the mother of Joseph Miles's children. This is incorrect as shown in my article above.
Regards
Ron Miles

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Contact
Anyone who would like to give or request information to do with Joseph Miles or his acquaintancies please contact myself at :-
11 High Ash Close, Exhall, Coventry CV7 9PQ or e-mail:-
MILESRON@SKY.COM