James Giles

James Giles (1759 – July 23, 1825) was an American military officer and lawyer from the city of Bridgeton in Cumberland County, New Jersey.

Military service On January 13, 1777, Giles began his service in the American Revolutionary War as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 2nd Continental Artillery Regiment. In 1780, he was transferred to Virginia and served under the Marquis de Lafayette, who presented him with a French infantry officer’s sword for his service. From 1788 to 1803, Giles served as the Clerk of Cumberland County, New Jersey. In 1790, he founded and was appointed Master of the Brearley Lodge of the Free and Accepted Masons, named after founding father David Brearley. He was the first president of the Cumberland National Bank, starting in 1816. On May 23, 1784, he married Hannah Bloomfield, sister of Joseph Bloomfield. They moved to Bridgeton in 1788.