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 Lt. John Miller, 1786-1829
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| ceceliaHL |
Posted on 14/05/2010 18:08
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 New Member  Posts: 8 Joined: 14/05/2010 |
I'm looking for information about Lt. John Miller, born 1786 at Cowes, Isle of Wight to Capt. John Miller & & Mary Baskerville, buried at Hamble, Hampshire 04 July 1829. He was discharged in 1815 from the RN, following the Napoleonic Wars. He was supposedly posted to Northern Ireland in the Coast Guard soon after. Of his six children, 4 were born at Southampton, 1 in Cornwall (census records) and 1 in Ireland (again, census records). A number of descendants left memoirs concerning Lt. John Miller, all mentioning his sealskin trunk, made from seals he had shot (shame on him!!) along the coast of Ireland and perhaps Scotland. Some stories of his death say he was thrown from his horse on the dock and killed (they don't say where). I've been to the National Archives twice (on trips from the US) trying to figure out whether or not he was affiliated with the Coast Guard, when, and in what capacity. I would appreciate any advice. Thank you. |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 14/05/2010 23:54
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 Administrator  Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Hello, and welcome to the Forum. I have found a Lt John Miller in the Coastguard records, but while some of the info ties up, this man was still alive in October 1829. The details I have for Lt Miller are that he was nominated to the CG Service from Southampton, where he must have been living at the time, with a first posting to Sheephaven in Ireland. On the 28 Feb 1829 he was transferred to Dunree Fort CG Station from where he was discharged from the service on 12 October 1829. Martin |
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| ceceliaHL |
Posted on 15/05/2010 17:30
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New Member Posts: 8 Joined: 14/05/2010 |
Thank you so much! Do you think the information you listed refers to the same Lt. John Miller? Mine was definitely buried 4 July 1829. Is it possible the discharge came post-mortem? His widow Harriet had a navy pension, as far as I can tell. I wish the name were just a bit less common. |
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| ceceliaHL |
Posted on 15/05/2010 17:31
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New Member Posts: 8 Joined: 14/05/2010 |
Let me clarify"same;" do you think all references are to one person? |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 15/05/2010 20:41
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Administrator Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Hi The above information relates to the same person. If you are certain that your John M died in 1829 then I think it highly unlikely that this is your man. The Navy was very good at recording when it no longer had to make payment for wages. If he had died in service, the date would be accurate, and his record would show 'Discharged Dead'. I don't know what info the following CD has for your man, but he does feature in the index. I was going to buy this some while ago, but thought it was prohibitively expensive for the number of times I was likely to consult it. http://www.ageofn...index.html You refer to information from the census, I'm assuming this only relates to surviving children, and not JM? It might help if you were to provide the dates and places where the children were born so that a check could be made against local CG stations to see if he can be found. Martin |
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| bpa |
Posted on 15/05/2010 21:53
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Senior Member  Posts: 134 Joined: 11/11/2009 |
Have you got the first name and est. dob for the child born in Ireland ? Religion also helps. According to the IFHF site, there are 14 Miller children baptised in Donegal between 1811 and 1830 whose father's name is John. A baptism record usually gives a mother's names and an address. On good records the address can be something like "Coastguard cottages" but usually a townland close to the CG station. To minimise the number of records to buy, it is possible to eliminate unlikely matches by eliminating parish which do not include the CG station. Edited by bpa on 16/05/2010 12:49 |
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| ceceliaHL |
Posted on 16/05/2010 16:03
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New Member Posts: 8 Joined: 14/05/2010 |
The child's name was Frances Sophia Miller, born about 1828. She died 1907 at Rochford, Essex. In the census records, her place of birth is Ireland, but the specific spot was variously recorded as Dunfanaghy or Dunfanager. Mother's name was Harriet Hawkins baptised 1797 at Southampton; died 16 May 1854 at Islington, Middlesex. Father Lt. John Miller. |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 17/05/2010 08:01
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Administrator Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
Hi I have to say that I find it an awfully big coincidence that Sheephaven is in the Dunfanaghy CG District, and that Frances was born in the area at exactly the same time as the Lt J Miller I found was Chief Officer at the Sheephaven CG Station! I should have said in my previous post that Lt J Miller was posted to Sheephaven in September 1826. Martin |
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| bpa |
Posted on 17/05/2010 11:10
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Senior Member Posts: 134 Joined: 11/11/2009 |
Unfortunately online(and probably paper as well) parish records for Dunfanaghy and some nearby parishes for all religions mainly start around 1840-1870 onwards. Many early parish records have been lost so it looks like it is not possible to confirm/refute the census info. I agree with Martin that the location and date of Frances birth make it possible that she is related to the John Miller posted CG in Sheephaven but coincidences can happen and Miller is not an uncommon name in Donegal at the time. The Navy List documents might help you determine if there are more than one Lieut. John Miller around 1829. I found a scanned copy of the 1827-28 Navy List and there is one John Miller but the date beside his name is Feb 1815 which is his date of seniority (I do not know what event makes "seniority" ) which may mean it conflicts with your discharge date of 1815. Does this indicate 2 John Millers ? As an indication, a contemporary Lieut. Adlert Miller was a CO of Strangford CG station around 1836. The document can be found here. http://www.archiv...8/mode/2up The scan is not great with many pages poorly scanned and in some places page numbering goes backwards. Edited by bpa on 17/05/2010 11:15 |
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| Tony |
Posted on 17/05/2010 12:02
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 Administrator Posts: 136 Joined: 28/04/2007 |
With regard to Navy Lists, the date of Seniority refers to an update to a promotion and this date would remain until his next promotion. The Navy Lists were published quarterly and kept up to date. Due to the remoteness of the harsh and scantily populated West coast of Ireland from Dublin, Church records did not generally commence till about the 1840's. Needless to say many original records, sent for safe keeping to the Irish Four Courts, Dublin, were lost in the disasterous fire in 1922. Tony |
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| crimea1854 |
Posted on 17/05/2010 12:09
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Administrator Posts: 906 Joined: 09/07/2007 |
bpa The date of 'Seniority' was very important in the Navy. This was the date when a man qualified for the rank he held. In the event that two men of equivalent rank were on the same ship, the man with the earliest qualification date took precedence in terms of command. Hence the reason the Navy Lists were published, and included the seniority date. Martin |
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| bpa |
Posted on 17/05/2010 13:26
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Senior Member Posts: 134 Joined: 11/11/2009 |
I see the OP has posted the will (from Kew) of Lieut. John Miller on Ancestry. The will was written in 1817 and he says he is a Lieut in RN - this doesn't contradict with the Navy List seniority date. The will was proved in Aug 1829. |
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| ceceliaHL |
Posted on 17/05/2010 13:38
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New Member Posts: 8 Joined: 14/05/2010 |
Wow! You guys are good!!! I have a bit more information on Lt. John Miller. I have a PASSING CERTIFICATE for Lt. John Miller, dated 05 June 1811 (born at Cowes about 1785 - which is correct), ADM 6/109, page 83. Since the dates and ships match, I think I have the right service record for Lt. John Miller, discharged from his last ship, the QUEEN, 16 May 1815 (National Archives ADM 9/13). I looked at the CD, and you are allowed to do a preliminary search. I found Lt. John Miller, died 1829. The children: 1) Harriet Hawkins Miller, born/baptized at Hamble, Hampshire. Baptism 16 Nov 1817 2) John Hawkins Miller, born at Hamble 05 July 1819 3)George, born at Hamble; baptized there 28 Oct 1821 4) Louisa, born about 1824 in Penzance, Cornwall (from census records) 5) Mary Ann, 23 Aug 1826 at All Saints, Southampton 6) Frances Sophia (Fanny), born about 1828 in Ireland John Miller's wife's family lived in Hamble. Thank you all very much. I've tried doing research in Ireland on another branch of my family -- very frustrating. Again, thanks. |
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| ceceliaHL |
Posted on 17/05/2010 16:44
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New Member Posts: 8 Joined: 14/05/2010 |
Thank you again -- very much. I had posted the will on ancestry.com some time ago. Where did you find it? I'm just curious because I've never been able to find a will at their site. Lt. John Miller was the son of Captain John Miller (baptized at Holy Rhood, Southampton 26 Sept 1748 & buried at Shalfleet, Isle of Wight 18 January 1816) and Mary Baskerville. We've never established what Captain Miller was a captain in! The service records I thought were his actually are those of a cousin, another Captain John Miller. I wish these folks had named their children a little differently!! I'm planning another trip to England for early in the fall -- I can try once more to dig up some information. However, I think you may have found all there is. All of you are performing a very great service to those of us looking into the Coast Guard. |
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| bpa |
Posted on 17/05/2010 20:46
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Senior Member Posts: 134 Joined: 11/11/2009 |
On Ancestry I found info such as "will" show up near the head of results if you search for people but just supplying year of death and no birth year. Officially lodged wills can show up under "UK probate records". In the case of John Miller 1829 your transcription of the will appeared under "Public Member Stories" In the above cited Navy List, there is an entry for a superannuated Capt John Miller which I suppose is the same cousin as he is alive in 1827. Edited by bpa on 17/05/2010 20:49 |
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| ceceliaHL |
Posted on 18/05/2010 13:14
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New Member Posts: 8 Joined: 14/05/2010 |
THANK YOU very, very much! |
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| mobilhand |
Posted on 19/05/2010 23:35
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New Member Posts: 1 Joined: 19/05/2010 |
I was very surprised to find this information on Lt. John Miller as he is my fourth great grandfather. I had some general information about him and his family. A first cousin near London forwarded a e-mail from his cousin in Austrialia that extended this family line for me. A grandson of Lt. John Miller wrote his life story and says the seal skin bag resided in his room while he was growing up. This mans name was Francis Miller. I do not know if this is permited but I would like to know if you have more information on this line of the Miller family. My e-mail address is sherill_sheldon@hotmail.com Thanks Sherill Sheldon |
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| ceceliaHL |
Posted on 24/05/2010 02:52
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New Member Posts: 8 Joined: 14/05/2010 |
Sherill, I will be happy to share evrything I have on John Miller. I too have been in touch with our Australian cousin and with several in England. Each person adds more! I do wish we could find proof of Lt. John Miller's coast guard years. The people on this site have been very helpful. I'll send you a separate message so we don't bore these folks to death. To all of you who have helped unravel this puzzle, thank you. |
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