Hi Derek, I came across your researches ref;- Groom and Miller.
Part of my family comes from Jim Meredith Miller's (also known as "Pim") brother William Henry Miller, who left his wife and family. I was told that WHM went to SA gold prospecting. But Jim's grandson in SA has told me the following;- that they both joined the British Army, sent to India and then to SA to re-inforce during the boer war. Jim was in the Natal colonials and was a scout under baden-powell at ladysmith. After the war he was in the ZAAPS Natal mounted police, which brought him to Tugela river hotel and Mabel Elizabeth groom. They married in St Cyprians church.
The Grandson said that for 4 generations they've tried to find out where the "Meredith" came from without success, but all the children and their children have it.
Jim and mabel separated i think, he lived on a house-boat called "Pumela" Zulu for rest. He broke in horses for the army and was a harbour guard at durban, where "he was rowed about the harbour by two zulus2, He had a chandlers and the nick-name of "manzi"meaning water.
This is his letter to me;-
I must confess that I was surprise and confused at that until I reread my letter and realised the vein I had put it and I sincerely apologise for it .Yesterday I had just returned from visiting my wife in the intensive care unit , where she has for 3 days been recovering from a serious operation and had spent the night before and most of yesterday at the hospital,I did not proof read the letter however I thought I had possibly been rambling on to long and that I might be boring 'You' Please be assured that no way I felt the way it came across. Enough said ,
Regarding the Meredith issue this has confounded my family for 4 generations I was hoping to resolve this within the Sarah Hardy family as it seemed to start there us having no information regarding that branch of the family possibly it might come out now. As for the Miller line coming to South Africa, my father James 'Meredith 'Miller born 1903 told me this. Jim Meredith Miller it seems joined the British Army along with his brother William they were sent to India until the 1st World War when they were relocated to British South West Africa to appose the German invasion, as I was 2 when Jim M.my Grandfather passed away ( incidentally his pet family name was"Pim") I recollect a vague figure as he lived with us for about a year then returned to Durban to be with Constance Millicent my father's older sister, I never saw him again.As for William -- I never knew him but it seems he was here as I once presented my eldest (half) brother "we were never to regard each other as such," a copy of the 1881 census he exclaimed "hey there's Uncle Willie ! " he had obviously seen him ( my eldest brother was 20 years older than me) . Pim as we knew him was declared unfit for military duty and relieved from duty as a Signalman suffering from Malaria he then joined the Natal Colonials and was a scout/ reconnaissance trooper and was seconded to Badenpowel at the siege of Ladysmith after the Boer war he again joined the Natal Mounted Police (ZAAPs)and patrolled the Natal North Coast from Durban to Zululand , having to overnight at the Tugela River Ferry and hotel where he met my Grandmother Mabel Elizabeth Groom one of the daughters of the Ferry and hotel proprietors daughters ( Mr Henry Edward Groom) Pim undertook to desert the ZAAP s and eloped with my Grandmother through Zululand into what is now the Kruger national Park then into Durban to be married at St Cyprians Church. My father was unsure of his birthplace but recalled helping Pim (his father to break in horses to be sold to the British army in Pretoria. Pim it seems was a character of note, His wife my Grandmother divorced him as she could not see herself moving back to Durban to retire onto his houseboat and drift around Durban Harbour where he again after going on pension found employment as Harbour Guard (having 2 Zulus row him around daily ) to ensure all obstructions and floating debris were cleared of the waterway, Apparently he and having taught my father to box and earned prize money in bare fist boxing at the Seaman's Club (owned by Harry Moore who later married Constance my fathers sister,) He died in Durban and shares a grave in West St. cemetery with Maude his daughter,Mabel his ex wife,(Maude died of a black widow spider bite @ a young age being his first child,Constance Millicent his second, and James Meredith my father (Ted) there is a book I recall seeing when I was about 6 called Pumula (Zulu for place of rest) named after his Houseboat giving an account of his life , it floated about the house then drifted away. I hope this answers some of your questions looking forward to hearing from you again.
I would send asome pictures of him, but do not know how to attach them.Also could you tell me where are you located and your link to the Millers please?
Yours
P.Wheeler
