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Scotland (Counties as in 1851-1901) => Scotland => Caithness => Topic started by: DJMPotts on Saturday 04 January 20 20:59 GMT (UK)
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Visiting Scotland this summer and would like to find family. My great grandfather Alexander Corbett (Corbet, Corbitt) Miller was born in Caithness June 14, 1856. His father was James Miller and his mother was Barbara Corbet Miller. He immigrated to the US as a young teenager, became a dairy man, married Frances Lucinda Sellers May 18, 1881 in Birmingham, Alabama. They had at least 8 children, one was my paternal grandfather. The family lore was that Alex's mother died when he was a child and his father remarried and his stepmother and he did not get along so he became what we would call a merchant marine and sailed to America, jumped ship in New Orleans and worked his way up into northern Alabama. He did go home to Wick at some point to meet a younger half-brother, and it is archives or records of him and those relatives I would love to find.
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Scotlandspeople has what looks like Alexander Miller’s birth in Wick in 1856. Also what looks like his mother’s death in Wick in 1863, aged 38. I think Alexander and his parents and 3 siblings are in Wick in the 1861 census. GROS ref 043/1 6/32.
https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/search-our-records
You may be able to trace the family in the 1871 census too, though I can’t immediately find them. (There are a lot of Millers in that area).
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The census returns for Wick 1841-1881 are on freecen.
1861 Wick – all born there. It’s looks like the family are scattered by 1871 see below.
MILLER James Head 35 Labourer Farm Servant
MILLER Barbra Wife 35 Farm Servant's Wife
MILLER Wm Son 9 Scholar
MILLER Cathrine Dau 7 Scholar
MILLER Alexr Son 4 -
MILLER Thomas Son 2 -
Death on SP as mentioned.
MILLER BARBARA 38 MELVILLE 1863 Wick Burgh
If this was the birth of James?
MILLER JAMES JAMES MILLER/ELISABETH BRUCE 30/01/1824 Wick
This may be his death?
MILLER JAMES 46 MMN = BRUCE 1870 Wick
Colin
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Possible record for him on the 1871 census Wick Landward Caithness
Alexander Miller age 14 years ( farm servant ) with a John Sutherland and family
Rosie
And a warm welcome to rootschat :)
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Thank you so much for the replies! Sorry I did not include in my original post that Alex returned to the US after visiting Wick as an adult, and died in Birmingham AL USA (Homewood Jefferson County) Jan 3 1917 and is buried in the Miller family cemetery (we now spell our name Millar, I think my Grampa changed it in a pique after an argument with his dad, Alex.) I do think that is Alex in the 1861 and 1871 census references you cite. Your help is very much appreciated!
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Can see all the records for him in USA ..What was his step mothers name ?
Rosie
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Don't know step mothers name but he had a half brother named Dan, his father and step-mother's son, who Alex brought back to Alabama. Since Alex had jumped ship (merchant marine or British navy, the story changes) in New Orleans, he had to sneak out of the US, then come back in legally, 40 years after he originally immigrated, and he brought Dan with him. Dan was a tailor and also lived in the Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama, USA area.
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Dan may have been born Donald Miller(b.1873) , mother Margaret Sutherland.
Think Dan/Donald married Euphemia Davidson in Scotland :-\
ev
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Interesting, my daddy was named Donald and nobody knew where that came from but it is such a common Scottish name. I have an 88 year old Uncle (Corbet Alexander Millar) who remembers an Uncle Dan Miller but can't tell me much about him except he was a small man (the Millar men are all big burly redheads). Wonder what happened to Euphemia if Dan/Donald came to the US around 1900? Dan would have been in his late 20's then, and Alex in his early 40's. My Uncle says Alex had been in the Scottish Army, went AWOL, hired onto a cattle ship to Amsterdam, joined the British Navy there and went AWOL in the US in New Orleans, and maybe changed his last name spelling to Millar from Miller to avoid being detected. Alex did not communicate with his family in Scotland, again from fear of being found by the authorities, but became a US citizen so he could go back to Scotland to visit, where he found the half brother Dan in Wick. Thank you very much for giving me that information about Dan/Donald and Euphemia.
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You always need to try and back up your family stories with facts.
Donald immigrated in 1905:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-81XM-9FS5
Euphemia and the children followed soon after (1907 according to the census).
Alexander and Frances returned to the USA from Scotland in 1908 (three years after Donald arrived) and he says he is a US citizen.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C95Y-P97H-W
1910/1920/1930 census for Donald (Daniel in 1910):
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9RNN-S5G
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9R67-WXC
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9R44-3J1
Debra :)
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This is wonderful information, thank you so much. All my family knew about Daniel/Donald was that he existed and had come to the U.S. Interesting that there was an entire group of cousins that they had never heard of, living in the same town. The eldest grandchild of Alex, my aunt, died in 2013 at age 97, born in 1916 so she should have heard about Alex and Francis visiting and returning from Scotland, and Daniel immigrating in 1905 (which would have been big news), but I interviewed her repeatedly, and reviewed family Bibles, etc. to get names and dates, and neither she nor her younger siblings knew anything about 'Uncle Dan.' I can't thank you enough for connecting me to this 'arm' of the family tree.
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FIND A GRAVE
Donald Miller - 8 March 1873 - 17 December 1941
Burial - Elmwood Cemetery Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/119151014
spouse Euphemia Davidson Miller - 2 Nov 1876 - 14 July 1924
Elmwood Cemetery Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama
son Donald D Miller - 1914 - 1965
Lee Memorial Park Verona, Lee County, Mississippi.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/146230809/donald-d_-miller
spouse - Hilda Usona Shumpert Miller - 30 August 1916 - 9 April 2009
Lee Memorial Park Verona, Lee County, Mississippi.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/146230850/hilda-usona-miller
Sandra
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Obituary for Donald Miller.......
The Birmingham News Birmingham, Alabama 19 Dec 1941, Fri - Page 51
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41786772/donald_miller/
Sandra
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Death Notice - Elizabeth Miller
The Birmingham News Birmingham, Alabama 15 Jul 1924, Tue - Page 23
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41786800/mrs_euphemia_miller/
Sandra
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John Davidson Miller son of Donald and Euphemia born 19 October 1902 Wick Scotland - died 6 November 1963 Miami - Dade Florida.
John served as a Staff Sergeant in Company C of the 1259 Georgia Engineer Corps Battalion during World War II.
FIND A GRAVE
Miami City Cemetery Miami, Miami-Dade County, Florida
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/37752117
Sandra
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Alexander Corbett Miller - A C Miller - son of Donald and Euphemia born 12 October 1906 died 12 April 1994
Last Residenceb35215, Birmingham, Jefferson, Alabama.
Married Mary Elizabeth Glaze 25 June 1927 Birmingham, Jefferson, Alabama.
Sandra
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Alexander Corbett Miller Jnr (now deceased) born 1938 - son of Alexander Corbett Miller and his ex wife (?) Mary Elizabeth Moffatt
The Birmingham News Birmingham, Alabama 16 Jun 1957, Sun - Page 54
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41787187/alexander_miller_ii/
The Birmingham News Birmingham, Alabama 5 Sep 1957, Thu - Page 28
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41787134/alexander_corbett_miller_jnr/
Alexander Corbert Miller28 August 1938 died 18 October 1992 - father - Alexander C Miller
Mother Mary E Glaze
Sandra
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FIND A GRAVE - Elizabeth Miller Moffatt - 2 July 1909 - 4 Nov 1989
Elmwood Cemetery Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/104264048
Sandra
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Thank you, Sandra. This is amazing. All these great and great-great aunts and uncles,and cousins, many sharing the same first names as my known family. I notice when Alexander Corbett Miller Jr. got married, it was in a Catholic church, and my family are all Presbyterian, wonder if that caused the Miller mini-schism? Again, your work is much appreciated. I can't wait to share it with my family members who also love genealogy. The family is huge. The Alex Corbet Miller who was born in 1856 in Wick had 8 children, one of them, my grandfather William Thomas Millar, had 11 children, one of which was my father, so I grew up with a hoard of cousins. Also, interestingly, my dad's brothers all had daughters so my two brothers were the only men to 'carry on the Millar name', and they had daughters, too! But it turns out, with Alex's half-brother Dan, the male line actually continued (although the spelling is now Miller.) That little 'e' to 'a' change in the name spelling caused me and my cousins a lot of grief growing up - all sorts of weird pronunciations, not to mention screwed up job applications, pay checks, email addresses and so forth. Many thanks for the information!
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This was a daughter of Donald and Euphemia - Margaret M Seale 3 July 1904 - 15 November 1988 -
burial - Elmwood Cemetery Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama.
FIND A GRAVE
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/193619499
Sandra
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FIND A GRAVE
Another daughter of Donald and Euphemia - Nancy - Nancy M O Neill - 24 February 1896 - 26 October 1998
Elmwood Cemetery Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/193619596
spouse Edward J O Neill 29 August 1899 - 27 June 1972
Elmwood Cemetery Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama.
son Edward J O Neill - 1 May 1935 - 2 May 2003
Elmwood Cemetery Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/193622384/edward-j-o_neill
Sandra
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This might help you connect with more cousins.
Wedding of a daughter of Edward and Nancy - 26 June 1959
The Birmingham News Birmingham, Alabama 26 Jun 1959, Fri - Page 25
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41792976/margaret_ann_oneill_daughter_of/
Sandra
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This was the husband of the daughter of Edwrad and Nancy - "M.A" - Walter Treutlen Berry - 21 February 1931 - 27 November 2015
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/homewood-al/walter-berry-6691622
Sandra
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Thank you very much, Sandra. I have shared what I have learned so far with my sibs and cousins and everybody is pretty amazed at our 'lost' family (or maybe they weren't lost, we were!) :)
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Perhaps some long lost cousins will find this thread and join in.......it can happen quote often.
Sandra
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There is such a vast Miller family around Wick, Caithness
My fathers family also is from there.
My father Anthony Miller, born 1940's in London
His father Edwin Miller (twin of George), born 1908 in Wales
His father John Leslie Miller, born 1878 in Edinburgh
His father John Miller, born 1839 in Wick
His father Alexander Miller born 1807 in Wick
His father Peter Miller born in Wick (farmer I think)
Feel free to reach out and connect. I live here in London, UK
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Hi Alex, welcome to Rootschat...
It's a good idea to list the wives names/maiden names too as anyone doing a google search of the name will be directed here which can help you connect with more kin.
Annie
Add..It looks like you all connect with this post...
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=77496.0;topicseen