Melchior File was the son of Johannes Melchior File and Elizabeth Hunnsinger. He was born in Brunswick, Renssalaerr, New York on May 3, 1773 and baptised on May 19, 1773 in Albany, New York.
On November 1, 1796 he married Rachel Jenckes in North Fredericksburgh, Ontario. They had five children.
Melchior died on July 5, 1824 at the age of 51 in Napanee, Ontario.
The File family history reveals that Melchior had a brother named John who was saved by Captain Joseph Brant (Thayendanegea) the Mohawk chief, who later invited John to move to Brant County as the first white settler there. After Joseph Brant died there was quite some dispute over the land on which John File had settled.