Hi Andrea
I've had quite alot of help since this post was moved.
It looks as if I have traced him back to roots based in Ewhurst (c.1787).
If anyone is interested in my findings so far, they are detailed below:
James Milham
marriage in Ewhurst, Sussex of James Milham and Esther Sergeant on the 15th January 1787.
John Milham bapt 12 Oct 1794 Ewhurst parents John & Hester (John could be an error)
(boy) Millham bapt 28 Oct 1791 parents James & Hester (boy could = another John)
Thomas Milham bapt 24 Jan 1793 parents James & Hester
James Milham bapt 20 Jun 1802 parents James & Hester
William Millham bapt 18 Jun 1809 parent James & Esther
It would appear that James and Esther moved south from Ewhurst and settled in Sedlescombe before having their third child, John.
John Milham
John Milham was born between 1792 and 1796 in Sedlescombe, Sussex (north of Battle). There is an entry in BVR12 which states that a John Milham was baptised on the 12th October 1894 in Ewhurst, Sussex and the parents were John and Hester (although further research shows that John was probably a transcription error and should read James). Hester was probably also written as Esther. In the 1841 census (ref: HO107/ 1118/ Sched 22/ Page6), he is described as 45 years of age (making his year of birth around 1796) with an occupation as a bricklayer. He was residing at Willetts in Chiddingly, Sussex with his wife Sarah (b. 1799-1801, East Hoathly, Sussex, aged 40) and their six children William (b.1819-21, aged 20, Bricklayer), Henry (b. 1826, aged 15), Richard (b. 1834, aged 7), George (b. 1836, Chiddingly, aged 5), Naomi (b. 1838, Chiddingly, aged 2) and Edward (b. 1840, aged 1). Although John Milham is not listed, it seems most likely that this was his family since they were bricklayers.
In the 1861 census (Ref: RG9/569), we know that John (aged 69) and his wife Sarah (aged 62) were resident at Steam Mill, Chiddingly. We also have additional information to state that John was still a bricklayer but also a Farmer of twenty acres. The only child to remain within the family home is George Milham (aged 25) who is also registered as a bricklayer.
John Milham died aged 85 during the September period of 1877 in the Hailsham district (ref: 2b, 49)
John Milham
John Milham was born in approximately 1819 in East Sussex. Despite the majority of the census reporting his birth place as Chiddingly, the 1861 census details his birth place as Lewes. This is most probably an error. Furthermore, there seems to be strong evidence that many of the Milham families born in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were all involved in the building industry and more specifically, the bricklaying trade.
In the March period of 1939, John Milham married Martha Wren (b.1821, Little Horsted) at Chiddingly(?) in the Hailsham district of Sussex.
There may be some connection with a MILHAM entry in the 1941 census. Not only were the family resident in Chiddingly, they were also bricklayers. The details are:
1841 Census - HO107/ 1118/ Sched 22/ Page6 - Willetts, Chiddingly
MILHAM John, 45, Bricklayer
............ Sarah, 40
............ William, 20, Bricklayer
............ Henry, 15
............ Richard, 7
............ George, 5
............ Naomi, 2
............ Edward, 1
I would think it was the above John as before that the MILHAM's were in Sedlescombe, Sussex.
The 1861 census reveals that John Milham lived at 8 Brook Street, St John’s under the Castle, Lewes, Sussex along with his wife Martha and their seven children. John was perusing his trade as a bricklayer/businessman and it appears that Martha was a dress maker.
