Lyles

It is not known where the Lyles family originated, but there are three “Lisles” listed on the 1790 census in Lancaster County, John,1 George,2 and William.3 George and William were listed next to one another. In John’s household, in addition to himself, there was one male under 16 and four females. George had one other man over 16 with him, along with one under 16 and four females with him. William had two males under 16 and one female with him. By 1800, the only one listed in Lancaster District was George.4 George is listed between James Blackmon and Joseph Blackmon. Some believe that George’s wife was an Anna Blackmon. This would make sense as extended family often lived nearby during this time. There were three boys under ten in his household in addition to a woman about his age, probably his wife, and and older woman, possibly his mother or mother-in-law. George is listed on the census in Lancaster District through 1830 and the age categories places his birth around 1770-1775. It would also appear from the census records that he had about five or six sons, the oldest born around 1795-1810. There was a Magness Lyles who lived in Lancaster District through 1840 and seems to have been born in the 1780s.5,6,7,8 This was possibly a younger brother of George. There is mention of a Magness Lyles in Loudoun County, Virginia court records from 13 May 1765.9 Given the unusualness of the name, it’s possible this was an older relative of our Lyles family and could be a clue about the family’s whereabouts before South Carolina.

In 1840, besides Magness Lyles, there was a William “Liles” listed.10 In the household were two men 20-30 and one 30-40. There was also a woman age 20-30 and another age 50-60. It’s possible this is William, two brothers, his wife or a sister, and his mother. Since George was listed in 1830 but had disappeared by 1840 it’s likely this was George’s family.

In 1850, most of the Lancaster County census only listed initials instead of first names. There are three “Lisles” households that year. The oldest was that of R. and L. Lisle, a couple both age 80.11 It’s not clear who these were. The others are the families of W. (William) Lisle, born around 1793-1800,12 and W. (Wiley) Lisle, born about 1806.13 Although it may seem confusing at first since these are both just the initial W., these are easily distinguishable based on the initials of those in the household, their age, and comparison with the 1860 and later census records.

William and Wiley are believed to have been brothers. Wiley’s full name was Richard Wiley Lyles and he often appears as Richard W. Lyles in later records. Both of these brothers will be covered here as distinguishing the members of their families is important. We descend from John E. Lyles who appears to be a son of William. Aunt Ola, granddaughter of John E. Lyles wrote down a short summary of the family based on family knowledge. This is helpful to see what was understood of the family by previous generations.

Shared by Vicki Lyles

William W. Lyles

The ages given in the census for William vary, putting his birth anywhere from about 1793-1800. In the 1850 census, already mentioned, he was listed as age 51 with M. (female, 23), S. (female, 21), T. (male, 14), J. (male, 12), G. (male, 10), and T. L. (male, 6) in the household. In the 1860 census, he is listed as age 60.14 In the household are Milly (35), George (18), and Franklin (15). He is listed two doors down from Wylie and next to John E. Lyles. It appears the 1850 census mis-recorded Franklin as T. instead of F. In 1870, he was listed in Pleasant Hill as W. W. Lyles, age 71.15 His daughter Milley, age 44, was the only one with him. He was still living in Pleasant Hill with his daughter in 1880.16

Several of the sons of William appear to be tied together through obituaries which line up with the listing Aunt Ola gave. It appears that the eldest, Tillman, was out of the house by 1850. He was living in Cheraw, Chesterfield County in 1860 listed as T. L. Liles, which lines up with what Aunt Ola wrote.17 His family was still in Cheraw in 1900, the census listing him as born March 1825 in South Carolina.18 His obituary states that he was from Lancaster county and was a brother to (Benjamin) Rush and John Lyles.

The Lancaster News, 10 Jul 1901

This is further confirmed by one of the obituaries for John E. Lyles, published in the Lancaster Enterprise on 26 Apr 1902 which states “He leaves one brother also, Mr. B. R. Lyles.” Even though it is not easy to equate each of these to the 1850 census record, this must all be part of William’s family instead of Richard’s for reasons that will be shown later.

Richard Wiley Lyles

In the 1850 census, the household of “W. Lisle”, age 44 also had Mrs. N Lisle, age 35, and apparent children R. W. (male, age 9), R. A. (female, age 7), and W. J. (male, age 1).19 This matches the household in 1860 of Wylie Lyles (age 53), Nicey (44), Richard W. (16), Ann (15), and Billy J. (11).20 The 1870 census has led to some confusion. Wiley is listed Pleasant Hill, age 64 with “Nice” (50), Ann (25), William (21), Margaret (22), John (34), Mary (26), Elizabeth (13), Milas (8), Ellen (5), Jane (3), and Sarah (1).21 Next door is W. W. Lyles and his daughter Milly, already discussed. What is odd is that John E. Lyles, his wife Mary and their five kids are listed under the household of Wiley. This may in fact be an error and the census taker forgot to number this as a separate household. John and Wiley are each listed with their own amounts for value of their real estate and personal estate which is usually what is expected with head of household. At any rate, his children Ann and Billy/William match from the 1850 and 1860 censuses. Margaret was the wife of William as indicated by the census itself which gives the month of February for William and Margaret having married during the year leading up to the census.

Wiley’s son Richard W. was part of Company I, 12th SC Infantry, during the Civil War.22 He was mustered in on 28 Aug 1861 from Lancaster Court House under Capt. Dixon Barnes for the duration of the war. A record covering Jan and Feb 1862 notes that he was sick at McPhersonville Hospital. Later on, he was sent to a hospital on 12 Apr 1863 and returned to the company on 12th September. Finally, it notes that he died at Gordonsville in a hospital on 5 Apr 1864 as a result of hypertrophy of the heart. Wylie Lyles is listed as his father on claims of deceased soldiers filing for settlement of his pay. His brother W. J. Lyles also served in the war, but in Co. H, 2nd SC “Palmetto” Infantry Regiment.23

The Lancaster News, 26 Apr 1864

The family moved to Cabarrus County, North Carolina by 1880.24 There, Richard W. Lyles, age 73, is listed with Nicie H. Lyles (59) in the household of their son William J. (31) and William’s wife Margaret M. (32). The birthplaces of William’s kids would indicate they moved to North Carolina around 1872-4. The census oddly states that Richard was born in North Carolina, with both parents born in South Carolina. This contradicts William’s own entry on the same census entry which states his father was born in South Carolina. Further direct proof that William J. was the son of Richard Wiley Lyles and Nicie is found in the record of marriage for William’s second marriage from 1898 which states his parents were Wiley Lyles and Nicy Lyles, the father dead and the mother still living.25 A final important note about William’s household in 1880 is that it included Mary E. Lyles, age 15, who is listed as a cousin. This is Mary Ellen Lyles, daughter of John E. Lyles. If John E. were also a son of Wiley and Nicie, then she should be listed as niece, not cousin. This is further evidence that John E. Lyles was a son of William W. Lyles, not Wiley.

The newspaper recorded Wiley’s death which occurred in Cabarrus County on 30 Nov 1889.

The Charlotte Democrat, 13 Dec 1889

Nicie survived for another ten years, presumably continuing to live with her son. Another newspaper records her death, which occurred 29 May 1899. Interestingly, this obituary notes that she was buried at Mt. Carmel Church.

Daily Concord Standard, 30 May 1899

Since William J. Lyles outlived Nicie, appearing in the 1900 census,26 it’s evident that this is the one grown child referred to in the obituary. This provides conclusive evidence that John E., Tillman, and B. Rush Lyles were children of William W. Lyles and not Wiley, as sometimes appears online.

John Earle Lyles

Photo of John E., Amanda and a grandson included in Aunt Ola’s Memoirs

Aunt Ola, a granddaughter of John E. Lyles, recorded his full name as John Earle Lyles and stated that he was born in 1838 in Lancaster County, on a farm near Kershaw.27 She stated in the notes on the Lyles family above that he was married three times, to Anna Blackmon, Mary Blackmon, and Amanda Thompson. In her memoirs, she notes that all of her grandparents except for John’s third wife, Amanda Thompson Lyles, had died before she was born. She remembered as a child Amanda visiting. She was partially deaf and told stories of the Yankees coming through during the Civil War. She and her sister Serena buried their jewelry in the vegetable garden so the Yankees wouldn’t find it. Aunt Ola also gave the full name of her grandmother as Mary Ellen Blackmon and states that her father was Bingham Blackmon.

As seen earlier, John appears in the household of his father as J. Lyles, age 12, in 1850. This agrees with the birth year Aunt Ola gives. His first wife is listed as Anna C. on the 1860 census.28 Children Queen E. (age 3), and Orrin C. (age 6 mo) are in the household as well as Nelly Blackmon (age 26), perhaps a sister of his wife. His daughter Queen Elizabeth Wallace’s death certificate states that her mother’s name was Caroline Blackmon.29 So it appears the full name of John’s first wife was Anna Caroline Blackmon.

Several of the death certificates for the children by the second wife including that of Grandma Crimminger give the mother’s name as Mary Blackmon which agrees with Aunt Ola’s notes.30,31 As mentioned earlier, Mary appears with him, age 26, on the 1870 census. Amanda is listed as his wife in the 1880 census.32

Aunt Ola recorded that the Lyles lived one or two miles from Fork Hill Baptist Church and were farmers.

The newspaper recorded that John was ill in January of 1902.

The Lancaster News, 22 Jan 1902

He died in April of that year and was buried at Fork Hill Baptist Church Cemetery.

The Lancaster News, 26 Apr 1902

Lorena Jane Lyles

Grandma Crimminger went by Jane. She was born 2 Sep 1866.33 Aunt Ola states she was born in Heath Springs, not far from Fork Hill Baptist Church. According to Aunt Ola, she was married to William Leslie Crimminger on 6 Dec 1883 at the home of Rev. John Croxton, the pastor of Fork Hill. Laura Crimminger and Sally Lyles accompanied them to the wedding along with Dr. Rutledge and Sam Roberts. She was the mother of eleven children, including one son who died as an infant.

Aunt Ola described her mother in her Memoirs:

My mother was a real home maker, and often sang while doing her household chores. She enjoyed reading, playing the organ, a forerunner of our piano, and also liked knitting and quilt making. There was always a flower bed in summer and a variety of rose bushes. At age 14 or 15 she attended a singing school at church, which lasted a week and there learned to sight sing by shaped notes. Later she played their organ by ear and chords, learned at singing school. Pictures at age of about 16 showed her a pretty girl. She enjoyed a good joke. She said “I was told I was a pretty girl, but I didn’t believe it.” Her pet name for me was “Baby.”

Mother was active in the Woman’s Missionary Society at Flint Ridge Church and many times attended district meetings, riding the train to Kershaw and Lancaster, sometimes staying overnight.

Grandma Crimminger passed away on 6 Sep 1934 at home near Heath Springs. She was buried at Flint Ridge Baptist Church.

The Lancaster News, 11 Sep 1934
  1. “United States, Census, 1790”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHKN-CGJ : Sat Jan 18 18:03:30 UTC 2025), Entry for Jno Lisles, 1790. ↩︎
  2. “United States, Census, 1790”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHKN-ZQ6 : Tue Jul 16 02:08:11 UTC 2024), Entry for Geo Lisles, 1790. ↩︎
  3. “United States, Census, 1790”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHKN-ZQX : Mon Jul 15 21:52:36 UTC 2024), Entry for Wm Lisles, 1790. ↩︎
  4. “United States, Census, 1800”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHRH-BX6 : Sat Mar 09 10:19:36 UTC 2024), Entry for George Liles, 1800. ↩︎
  5. “United States, Census, 1810”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH2Y-M7B : Sun Mar 10 06:04:34 UTC 2024), Entry for Magness Liles, 1810.
    ↩︎
  6. “United States, Census, 1820”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHL7-7DQ : Thu Jul 11 05:13:34 UTC 2024), Entry for Magner Lyles, 1820. ↩︎
  7. “United States, Census, 1830”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH5S-XPG : Sat Jan 18 20:09:45 UTC 2025), Entry for M Lyles, 1830. ↩︎
  8. “United States, Census, 1840”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHYL-C7H : Sun Mar 10 06:58:25 UTC 2024), Entry for Magnus Liles, 1840. ↩︎
  9. Loudoun County, Virginia Order Book B, 1762-1765, p572, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSY6-1QYJ-M) ↩︎
  10. “United States, Census, 1840”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHYL-H1L : Fri Mar 08 19:29:26 UTC 2024), Entry for William Liles, 1840. ↩︎
  11. “United States, Census, 1850”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8QV-S42 : Sat Oct 18 18:15:36 UTC 2025), Entry for R Lisle and L Lisle, 1850. ↩︎
  12. “United States, Census, 1850”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8QJ-GKG : Tue Oct 21 21:50:29 UTC 2025), Entry for W Lisle and M Lisle, 1850. ↩︎
  13. “United States, Census, 1850”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8QV-MJW : Sat Oct 18 21:35:08 UTC 2025), Entry for W Lisle and N Lisle, 1850. ↩︎
  14. “United States, Census, 1860”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZT8-X75 : Wed Aug 26 18:56:00 UTC 2026), Entry for William Lyles and Milly Lyles, 1860. ↩︎
  15. “United States, Census, 1870”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8R2-QLF : Sun Oct 19 03:22:23 UTC 2025), Entry for W W Lyles and Milley Lyles, 1870. ↩︎
  16. “United States, Census, 1880”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6SJ-Z7B : Fri Jan 17 23:18:02 UTC 2025), Entry for William W. Lyles and Millie M. Lyles, 1880. ↩︎
  17. “United States, Census, 1860”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZT8-CB9 : Mon Jul 08 22:55:24 UTC 2024), Entry for T L Liles and Mary A Liles, 1860. ↩︎
  18. “United States, Census, 1900”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M3RV-5QZ : Mon Jan 20 09:43:59 UTC 2025), Entry for Tillman L Liles and Julia Liles, 1900. ↩︎
  19. “United States, Census, 1850”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8QV-MJW : Sat Oct 18 21:35:08 UTC 2025), Entry for W Lisle and N Lisle, 1850. ↩︎
  20. “United States, Census, 1860”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZT8-X7J : Wed Aug 26 18:55:41 UTC 2026), Entry for Wylie Lyles and Nicy Lyles, 1860. ↩︎
  21. “United States, Census, 1870”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8R2-QL3 : Sun Oct 19 03:22:23 UTC 2025), Entry for Wiley Lyles and Alice Lyles, 1870. ↩︎
  22. Civil War Service Record, R. W. Lyles, Co. I, 12 South Carolina Infantry Volunteers ↩︎
  23. Civil War Service Record, W. J. Lyles, Co. H, 2 South Carolina Infantry Regiment ↩︎
  24. “United States, Census, 1880”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MC66-W5K : Tue Oct 21 21:44:24 UTC 2025), Entry for William J. Lyles and Margaret M. Lyles, 1880. ↩︎
  25. “North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-2011 “, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPSS-HL7Z : Fri Mar 08 15:50:50 UTC 2024), Entry for William J Lyles and Wiley Lyles, 9 March 1898. ↩︎
  26. “United States, Census, 1900”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSTT-KJB : Sat Oct 11 07:27:28 UTC 2025), Entry for William J Lyles and Maggie L Lyles, 1900. ↩︎
  27. Memoirs of Aunt Ola ↩︎
  28. “United States, Census, 1860”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZT8-X7B : Wed Aug 26 18:55:40 UTC 2026), Entry for John E Lyles and Anna C Lyles, 1860. ↩︎
  29. “South Carolina Deaths, 1915-1973”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N9JJ-V6B : Mon May 06 19:56:12 UTC 2024), Entry for Queen Elizabeth Wallace and John Lyles, 21 Apr 1923. ↩︎
  30. “South Carolina Deaths, 1915-1973”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N9KC-78W : Mon May 06 19:49:24 UTC 2024), Entry for Will L. Crinnringer and J. E. Lyles, 6 Sep 1934. ↩︎
  31. “North Carolina, Deaths, 1906-1930”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F382-VHH : Mon Jan 20 06:44:44 UTC 2025), Entry for Mary Ellen Twitty and John E. Lyles, 27 Feb 1929. ↩︎
  32. “United States, Census, 1880”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M6SJ-Z7G : Mon Jan 20 14:39:14 UTC 2025), Entry for John E. Lyles and Amanda J. Lyles, 1880. ↩︎
  33. “South Carolina Deaths, 1915-1973”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N9KC-78W : Thu Aug 27 20:16:59 UTC 2026), Entry for Mrs. Will L. Crimminger and J. E. Lyles, 6 September 1934. ↩︎