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You are in [People] [Family History] [Miller Family] |
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There was a large family with the surname Miller, going back at least to William Miller, born 1690. Remember to use the Search facility - there are about 50 hits for Miller in Feb 2011 (ignoring all the references to millers in local water mills!) They are linked by marriage to the Taylor family (and from them to the Tubb and Dubber families). Ron Wilson has contacted the Virtual Museum, and is researching the family (Feb 2011). William Miller (born 1690 Hungerford, died 18.7.1753 Hungerford) Parish registers include the following entries for Miller (and Millar): Baptisms: Marriages include: Burials include: The HHA Archives included a long document (undated, and unassigned) giving considerable information about the Miller family, both in Australia, and in Hungerford. The first part is reproduced below. The full document is now available as a pdf document. Tim Giles Miller contacted the Virtual Museum in July 2011 saying "I believe this (the bottom section and the associated PDF) was written by my Dad, Rev Robert John Miller, who died last year on the 15th September 2010". In South Australia Thomas Miller, born July 19th 1819, (Christened on 13-8-1820) at Hungerford, Berkshire, England. In early life he attended the services of the Established Church. Thomas Miller with his devoted wife Rebecca and one son arrived in Adelaide, S.A. on the "Fairlie" on 7th July 1840. The earliest home was probably a small cottage in Gilles Street near W H Rush's saddlery, similar to cottages there in 1986. William Henry, the names of the 3rd son, were the same as those of William Henry Rush. His wife Rebecca and son Thomas jnr. from 1849 to 1846, lived in a small cottage in Gilles Street, Adelaide. The Jan 1841 Census records that Thomas Miller, head of a household, lived with his wife and a son under 7 yrs of age at Gilles St. Adelaide. His sons Giles 7-3-1842, William Henry 11-2-1844 were born and registered in the Adelaide District and baptised at Holy Trinity Anglican Church. Rush's saddlery establishment was 3 doors west of Louisa St on the south side of Gilles St and he still lived there in 1884-5. Mary Jane Rush was registered as a seamstress 1iving in nearby Charlotte Place in 1885. On the corner of Louisa St was a shop run by J Downton, and Charles Williams a compositor was next door to the saddlery. A little further west were CP Glover, Stanley Pritchard a plasterer, and W Schapel a tailor. Thomas probably worked for the SA Company and is mentioned on the Special Survey of Little Para and outstations, and as a shepherd possibly in the hills around Gumeracha near Hartley Vale, while Rebecca was at home with Thomas jnr. When the 2nd son Giles was born on 7-3-1842 and baptised at Holy Trinity church on 29-5-1842 by Colonial Chaplain Charles B Howard, his father was named as a labourer of Gilles St. When William Henry was born on 11-2-1844, and baptised on 29-2-1844 by J Farrell MA, at Holy Trinity, father was called a shepherd. Mary Rush registered the birth of 4th son John born on 10-3-1846 but he was not baptised at Holy Trinity. It is likely that the family moved from Gilles St to somewhere in the Adelaide District (?Walkervi11e). An obituary in "The Register" of 3-12-1896 under "Yongala. Death of Old Colonist" said that Thorn."...was employed by the govenment to cart goods from Adelaide to the Murray, and for some time as a soldier to protect settlers from the natives who were then troublesome along the Murray. He is said to have farmed for a few years at Barossa, and to have carted from the Burra mine to Port Adelaide. They could have lived at Walkerville or at Lyndoch in the Little Para-Barossa area between 1846 and 1853 as John was born on 10-3-1846 in the Adelaide District but not baptised at Holy Trinity, Charles born on 1-6-1847 was registered in the Barossa District, and Joseph was born on 2-5-1849 place unknown, although Samuel was said to have been born at Gumeracha on 4-2-1851, possibly when Thomas worked for Dr Browne at Lyndoch. John and Elizabeth (nee Tubb) Miller's children baptised were: At the time that Thomas and Rebecca were married lands in southern England were being enclosed and many labourers were unemployed, and many people were being forced to steal to save alive. It is likely that the young couple saw some hope of coming to South Australia with hope of survival and perhaps of taking up their own land. Others less fortunate were transported by Her Majesty's Government. Hungerford in Berkshire Hungerford in Berkshire is about 50 miles from London on the A4 via Reading and Newbury. Lambourne is a town about 12 miles NW of Newbury and the photo of Joseph Miller by Hawkes of High St, Hungerford, which has on the back signposts to Lambourne and Hunger ford, was probably at Great Shefford junction. The town created about a century after the Domesday survey of 1170. In 1366 John of Gaunt granted 'rights' to people and received a licence to the Manor, dying on 13-2-1399 and left it to his son Henry who became Henry IV. On 7-1-1426 Sir Walter Hungerford was one of the executors of the will of Henry V, and was summoned to parliament as Lord Hungerford. The town and Borough, originally part of the Royal Manor of Kintbury an ancient demesne of the Crown, were included in a grant of the Manor to Sir Walter Lord Hungerford. On 27 May 1612, John Lucas purchased all the rights of the borough and manor of Hungerford. In St Lawrence Church, built in 1811 Gothic style of the day, there is a little bell by William Taylor of Oxford from 1847. (There is also a coastal hamlet in NW Somerset 3 miles SW of Watchet, in the Parish of Old Cleeve) In the Register of Emigrant labourers applying for free passage, through agent James Chant, No. 7028 on 13th Feb 1840, was Thomas Miller an agricultural labourer and shepherd, Anglican/Methodist of Hungerford. His embarkation number was 4430 and he was 21, his wife 22, with a male child of 3 months and possibly a female child under 2 years. No doubt the boy was Thomas jnr, born 29-11-1839 and baptised at Hungerford on 16-2-1840, but no trace is found of the girl who may have died during the passage. They sailed on the SS "Fairlie" on 3rd April and arrived at Holdfast Bay, Glenelg, (or at Pt. Adelaide) on 7th Ju1y 1840 after a fairly rapid voyage. Thomas and Rebecca Miller Thomas and Rebecca Miller, founder of the Mintaro Mansion Miller family in South Australia, were among the 266 migrants and 12 cabin passengers who embarked on the SS "Fairlie" and left London on 3rd April 1840. Rebecca Taylor, daughter of Samuel, was born in 1818-9, and had on 21-1-1839 at the Parish Church at Hungerford in the County of Berkshire-Wiltshire according to Anglican rites married Thomas Miller, son of John and Elizabeth (nee Tubb) Miller, born 19-7-1819. The fathers and the couple gave their occupations as labourers and at the time residing at Hungerford. Witnesses were Joseph Miller- his eldest brother and Caroline Grover probably a friend of Rebecca. Nothing has been found of Taylors at Hungerford and they may have come from elsewhere, perhaps Somerset as report has it that Thomas Miller junior was born in Somerset, although he was baptised at Hungerford on 16-2-1840. Thomas can be traced back to: Children included: Children included: Elizabeth Tubb can be traced back to William Tubb b c1650, wed 9-10-1680 Hester Humphries at Shrivenham Mintaro Teamster - Farmer Thomas was named as a teamster when George was born on 22-12-1853. Jim Whimpress, a grandson, said that at the end of Thomas's commission with the police (or army) Thomas moved north as a carter -from Burra to the coast starting with a team of 4 bullocks and a wagon. The Burra Copper Mines were flourishing and the ore was taken down to Pt. Adelaide, on the return journey carting stores and provisions for the miners and others. When Spanish muleteers are said to have used Mintaro (Spanish for resting place?) as a stopping place while carting ore from Burra to Pt Adelaide and later Pt Wakefield. Mules are said to have arrived in July 1853, brought by South American drivers from Montevideo for the Patent Copper Smelting Company, although a rough passage reduced animals landed from the 180 shipped to 70. In the ore carrying days there was a dray every half mile along the Burra - Pt Adelaide track. The land at Mintaro was offered for purchase and Thomas could have come to Mintaro about 1850, as he is said to have owned an allotment in Mintaro on 10-8-1851 , the township being advertised for sale from 7-3-1849, and the Hundred of Stanley in which it is situated was proclaimed on 7-8-1851. He was one of the original settlers in Mintaro as by 10-8-1851 (?) a Thomas Miller owned an allotment and the family presence was affirmed at Mintaro by George's birth there on 22-12-1853. Thomas bought several sections both in the hills and the township area. Of the two streams that almost surround the township, the one from Millers Hills will be called Mintaro Creek (the other from Mt Horrocks). The hills were named after Thomas and Rebecca Miller who at one time lived in a. small cottage (later called Swarms) at the foot of the hills. Jim Whimpress commented that Thomas's farm lands were unprofitable, either being too small, or seasons or prices being poor, so that some lands had to be sold to pay off mortgages on others. The town home was retained and from Mintaro over the years holiday visits were made to several children especially to Charles and Thomas at Yongala. This town house is still in 1938 referred to in Mintaro as "Miller's Mansion". In 1853 Dr Browne, who may have been Thomas Miller's former-employer and who on 27-6-1853 offered one acre of land for a chapel at Mintaro and Lot No 8 was accepted. On 5th and 6th Nov 1854 at the opening of the Mintaro Wesleyan Methodist Church, Dr. Brown was Chairman of the Monday Public Meeting. (See 3 photos of churches 100a, also in Ridgway pp 93-118 re churches) Dr. Browne (W.J. or J.H.) c1845 sold part of a holding to Edmund Bowman. Both although medical men did not practise but were involved in agricu1tural and pastoral fields. Wm James Browne (b.1815 Wiltshire.d. 4-12-1894 Eastborne, Devon ) arrived on "Buckinghamshire" Dec 1838.Departed 1889. He wed Mary Nixon in 1850 and children were Leonard Gilbert, Wm Byron, Percival John, Arthur Scott etc? John Harris Browne , b. 22-4-1817 , Ilford . d.12-1-1904 Bath, Somerset, arrived SA 1840, wed 23-12-1857 Kooringa, lived at Adelaide, Buckland Pk , Canowie etc. Children Thomas Landsdowne , daughters b. 1863 and 1864 . (Ridgway 26,72.) See also: Updated: 26.7.2011 |