Millers of Wiltshire, Northumberland & South Africa

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Pam Miller

New Member
Hi
I have been following my family since they left the UK in 1820 but cannot get much further back, in fact can't find anything!
Internet is helping but still nothing concrete although I do have dates, places of birth but no sight of a baptism!
John Miller born Wanborough near Swindon in August 1790, and his older brother William Miller born Berwick upon Tweed,Northumberland, May 1779. Both immigrated to South Africa in 1820 as Baptists from the York St Chapel.
looking forward to learning more through this site
 
Hi Pam,
Just a few questions and if a mod should need to move this, please do so.
I have had a look at the 1820 Settlers and found John Miller born 1790, Wansborough, Wiltshire. It says his parents were Morris and Elizabeth. Looking at Family Search a John MILLARD 1790, same parent names born Wansborough 1790. Could this be him?
William MILLARD 1779 born Wansborough, parent names Maurice and Elizabeth but this info is not recorded on 1820's site. Could this also be your Rev. William? I know it says that he was born in Northumberland. His baptism (Baptist, no doubt) in 1808 at London Church (Edward Street).
 
Strangely, when I enter parents, no child, as Morris and Elizabeth into Family Search, they all come up at Wanborough or Berwick upon Tweed. No Miller just Millard.
 
Can't find anything more than you AM. But that doesn't mean to say it's not there. Cleverer finders of information will not doubt eventually be along to help.:D
 
Two things come to mind:
1. Baptist records would be in the non-conformist collections;
2. Baptist baptisms usually happen age 8 and above.

Not in a position to do actual searching, but thought that might help. :)
 
I think William and John converted. Not too sure.
If the Morris/Maurice MILLARD is their father then when he married Elizabeth Smart he was a widower (Wansborough Parish Marriages) There is only one other marriage that could fit and that is Jean Bedford to Maurice Millard in 1756, St Deny's Warminster. Another, Bridget Huntley is still having children to a Maurice Millard at the same time as Elizabeth and Maurice.
Of course I could be way off on the wrong track but I can't find any trace of a Morris and Elizabeth Miller, just MILLARD.
 
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Just a couple of quickies, must leave for a bit:
John plus
Martha Millard
Christened: 8 Feb 1795: Wanborough, Wiltshire, England
Pts: Morris Millard: Elizabeth

Name: Maurice Millard
Spouse: Elizabeth Smart
Marriage Date: 13 Jul 1777
Marriage Place: Wanborough, Wiltshire, England

Name: Maurice Millard
Spouse: Elizabeth
Child: Thomas Millard
 
OK question.
Martha 1795 Wanborough
Susannah 1783 do
Lucy 1785 do
Joseph 1788 do
Jonathon 1793 o
John 1790 do.
Why do they appear again.......?
Susannah 30th March 1783 Berwick upon Tweed parents Maurice and Elizabeth
Lucy 2 Oct 1785 Berwick upon Tweed same parents
Martha 8 Feb 1795 Berwick upon Tweed same parents.
More convinced than ever that the surname is MILLARD and for some reason was changed to Miller by William and John.
Either that or the name just morphed into Miller from Millard to Millar
 
Last edited:
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Archie's Mum said:
OK question.
Martha 1795 Wanborough
Susannah 1783 do
etc...
Why do they appear again.......?
Susannah 30th March 1783 Berwick upon Tweed parents Maurice and Elizabeth
etc...
Click to expand...

Not sure on the above unless they moved & redid the lot or were born Berwick & Bapt'd again Wanborough. 350+ miles is along way to go.

Archie's Mum said:
Either that or the name just morphed into Miller from Millard to Millar
Click to expand...

May well have been just the way the name was heard in early years- not picking up on the 'D'.
 
Perhaps they were copied over from one Church to another? :confused: Just to show proof that they were Baptised -in the event of marriage or whatever.o_O
 
Archie's Mum said:
For Martha though, both places are the same date!!!!! 8th Feb, Berwick and 8th Feb, Wanborough
Click to expand...

I had a similar experience on Family Search with one of my Adams ancestors, according to Family Search he and his bride were married in Great Waltham and one of the Rodings, possibly Abbess Roding, on the same day. This was way back when I was just starting genealogy, Janet Reakes was assisting me get started, Janet helped me apply for photocopies of both entries from Utah, turned out the Great Waltham entry was a copy of the Great Waltham Parish Marriage Register, the other was a copy of some guy's "LDS Stake" entry.

Guess that's partly why why there's dud details on Family Search
 
Archie's Mum said:
Perhaps that's the way to go then. Contact Family Search to get clarification......
Click to expand...
I found this on a Genes Reunited forum (via Google) posted in 2014
Is this according to familysearch? Someone had found a very similar occurance of a double baptism.
"Is this according to Family Search?
I had a case of this with a family in Shropshire, the parents were shown as marrying in two different towns on the same day and also all the children were baptised in two different towns on the same day.
I queried this with familysearch and the answer was that for some reason these two towns have the same reference number. The records had been transcribed twice, once for each town. I ordered copies of the records from familysearch and the answer came back that no records existed for this family from town B - so town A was the right one."
 
hello and thank you all who commented here. So appreciative of you applying your minds.
it is now 7 and a half years later and I am back. I was registered as Pam Miller on this site, but could not get a link for my password, so have re-registered as Pamela Miller.
In the past years I have done some research and list it below:
  1. visited Swindon and saw the church records for Millards and yes, those must be my forefathers. What was suggested was that they were illiterate farming people with strong accents, while the priests/ministers came from educated, university people with very different accents. The priest or minister would have written what he heard.
  2. William is listed in the books and documents as Berwick upon Tweed, but looking at the map, there are at least 3 parishes around the church with the word Berwick in their name. I think this was a later mistake when writing up about William Miller's work. William was on the list of children born to Maurice and Elizabeth in Wanborough.
  3. there were about 11 children born to the couple I think, all baptised in that church.
  4. I have not been able to establish which morris/maurice and Elizabeth they are
 
Going back to Rev William Miller…..
1820 Settler Correspondence, Additional Information.
WILLIAM MILLER: (Extra Data)
Founder of the the Baptist Community in the Eastern Cape. Information is shown that William MILLER, widower, married Eliza Dennison, widow, by banns 1798 St Marylebone, both signed.
A note (NB) states that his signature matches that in the marriage of Ann HUMPHREYS in 1843 at Grahamstown. This would make the Rev William Miller marrying 3 times, so some of these many children could be the combined children of Eliza, and the first wife, whoever she may be. It also makes him c19 at his second marriage.
 
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