My Genealogy Hound

WILLIAM A. ILES, auditor National Tube-works, McKeesport, was born in the Isle of Wight, England, in 1830, a son of William Hurford and Lucy Iles. His father was an officer in the imperial custom-house, first in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and afterward at Jamaica, West Indies. William A. attended the public schools of Halifax, and at the age of thirteen entered the office of a merchant of that city. When fifteen years old he went to Jamaica, West Indies, and there spent three years on a sugar plantation, and eight years in a mercantile house in Kingston. In 1856 he left Jamaica, and was employed by a Boston, Mass., business house until 1862, in the meantime traveling a year in Europe for the house; was in business on his own account in Boston until 1872. Later, business called him to Cuba for a time. In 1876 he came to McKeesport, and accepted the position of chief clerk of the National Tube-works company, and steadily and satisfactorily discharged the duties of that responsible situation until 1887, when he was appointed auditor of the company, which position he still holds. Mr. Iles has manifested much interest in McKeesport Free Library, of which he is president, and to him much of the credit is due for making it and the reading-room what they are. He is much interested in church work, and is senior warden of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church of the city.