Nathaniel Niles, III

Nathan was the son of Nathaniel Niles and Mary Hannah of Kingstown, Rhode Island. He was married (1) in South Kingstown, RI 12 Sep 1728 to Mary Northup, presumed to be the daughter of Joseph Northup of Kingstown (Kingstown was the parent town of North Kingstown and South Kingstown, spilt in 1722). Following Mary's death, he married Zerviah Fanning. Nathan and Mary had eleven known children, born 1729 to 1749, the first three in S. Kingstown, RI, and the others in Groton, CT. Nathan had a large property, indicated in his will dated 5 May 1778, with extensive inventory dated 4 Aug 1778. Named in his will are his wife Zerviah, his five sons Robert Niles of Norwich, Nathan Niles of Stonginton, Nathaniel Niles, Elisha Niles and Thomas Np [Northup] Niles, executor; and he names his six daughters: Katharine Fish, deceased, Mary Avery, Sarah Avery, Hannah Avery, Tabitha Stoddard, and Lucy Latham. He also names many grandchildren.

NOTE: A Niles genealogy published in the New England Historical Genealogical Register in 1931 mistakenly calls Nathan by the name Nathaniel. This is incorrect-- the name on the tombstone and in the will are both very clearly Nathan. The two names are NOT interchangeable, as clearly shown in Nathan's family, where he names one son Nathan and another son Nathaniel. The same article also makes the all-too-common error of calling Mary a Northrup instead of using the correct spelling-- Northup.

The children of Nathan and Mary (Northup) Niles, first three births recorded in South Kingstown, RI, the remainder in Groton, CT:

• Katherine, b. 18 July 1729, m. Nathan Fish
• Mary, b. 19 May 1731, m. Deacon Peter Avery
• Sarah, b. 22 Oct 1732, m. Simeon Avery
• Robert, b. 2 Sep 1732, m. Abigail Avery
• Tabitha, b. 7 Aug 1736, m. Wait Stoddard
• Nathan, b. 16 Jan 1737/8, d. 8 March 1794, m. Priscilla Stoddard and had son Nathan
• Thomas Northup, b. 9 Dec 1739, m. Anna Avery
• Nathaniel, b. 23 March 1741/2, d. 17 Feb 1812, m. Anna Fanning
• Hannah, b. 4 Nov 1744, m. Amos Avery
• Lucy, b. c. 1747, m. Jonathan Latham
• Elisha, b. 26 Jan 1750, d. 17 Feb 1812 (same day as brother), m. Sarah Burrows

THE GROTON AVERY CLAN, Vol. I, by Elroy McKendree Avery and Catherine Hitchcock (Tilden) Avery, Cleveland, 1912. p. 173, p. 276

Link:

Nathan Niles memorial - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/16822406/nathan-niles