Meet The Giggles

Giggle Family Grave, Woodlands Cemetery, West Philadelphia

Henry Giggle (1834-1901) brought his family from Horbury in Yorkshire's West Riding to Philadelphia in 1878. Upon arrival he was listed in the city directory as a wool sorter.

Horbury is a large village where on April 9, 1812 a squad of between 300 & 600 Luddites performed a successful raid on the woolen mill of Joseph Foster, totally destroying it. It was early in the industrial revolution when machines were injuring workers and eliminating jobs at a time of desperate poverty.

Ann Giggle (1834-1909) was his wife. They married in 1856.
Angelina Giggle (1858-1899) was their youngest.

Records dating 1880 and earlier have the family name spelled "Giggles," which would have my title as Meet The Giggleses.

Henry & Anne also had two older Giggle children, Frederick (born 1862) & Ada (born 1867).