Alexander Miller (b.1844)
Grandfather of Alexander 'Alec' Miller
Grandfather of Alexander 'Alec' Miller
While the information from the censuses strongly indicate that Alexander Miller was indeed born in St. Andrews and Fife, unfortunately a birth or baptism record has not yet been found to confirm this. Should new information regarding Alexander Miller's origins become available in the future and contradict the assumption of his being born in St. Andrews, then a reassessment of the information contained in the following paragraphs would need to be conducted. But according to several archivists and scholars who were contacted in Scotland when researching this website, in some cases there never was an official record of birth, or if there was it has been forever lost for any number of reasons.
In the 1851 census, Alexander Miller (age 7) lived on Union Street in St. Andrews with his parents William (32) and Isabella (32), and his siblings Agness (5) and James (1). Everyone is listed as having been born in Fifeshire, St. Andrews, except for Agness who was born in Midlothian, Edinburgh. Both Alexander and Agness were listed as "Scholars," which means they attended school at the time of the census. Alexander's father William, the head of the household, is listed as a "Stone Mason," which corresponds to his profession of "Mason" as listed on Alexander's future marriage record of 1868. It should be noted that the spelling of the last name in the 1851 census is "Millar" with an 'a' instead of an 'e.' This sort of spelling variation (as well as age discrepancies) was common in the 1800s. According to the Scotlandspeople.gov website ("which is the public source for accessing the National Records of Scotland), "...the way names were written in different records varied and, when searching for a person in our indexes, the spelling might differ from what you expect. This can be due to one or more of the following factors: transcription error during indexing; misspelling, phonetic spelling or other misinterpretation by registrars and clerks; deliberate or accidental misrepresentation by informants, especially in regard to ages but also with names; name variants."
An aspect of the 1861 census that can't yet be explained is what happened to daughter Agness (spelled with two 's'). She's listed in the 1851 census as being five years old, but she does not appear in the 1861 census. It's also interesting that in the 1851 census she's the only person in the household not born in Fifeshire, St. Andrews - she's listed as being born in Midlothian, Edinburgh, while her older and younger brothers were born in St. Andrews. Did the family move from St. Andrews to Edinburgh after Alexander was born, then back to St. Andrews after Agness was born? Possible, but working-class families didn't seem to move between cities very often in the 1800s, let alone leave the street or neighborhood they were raised in.
In the 1851 census, Alexander Miller (age 7) lived on Union Street in St. Andrews with his parents William (32) and Isabella (32), and his siblings Agness (5) and James (1). Everyone is listed as having been born in Fifeshire, St. Andrews, except for Agness who was born in Midlothian, Edinburgh. Both Alexander and Agness were listed as "Scholars," which means they attended school at the time of the census. Alexander's father William, the head of the household, is listed as a "Stone Mason," which corresponds to his profession of "Mason" as listed on Alexander's future marriage record of 1868. It should be noted that the spelling of the last name in the 1851 census is "Millar" with an 'a' instead of an 'e.' This sort of spelling variation (as well as age discrepancies) was common in the 1800s. According to the Scotlandspeople.gov website ("which is the public source for accessing the National Records of Scotland), "...the way names were written in different records varied and, when searching for a person in our indexes, the spelling might differ from what you expect. This can be due to one or more of the following factors: transcription error during indexing; misspelling, phonetic spelling or other misinterpretation by registrars and clerks; deliberate or accidental misrepresentation by informants, especially in regard to ages but also with names; name variants."
In the 1861 census, the family continued to live on 2 Union Street in St. Andrews. The spelling of the surname is back to "Miller" with an 'e,' however, Alexander's mother "Isabella" (as spelled in the 1851 census) is now spelled as "Isabel," which actually matches the spelling on her birth record. Despite the different spellings between the two censuses, there is sufficient corroborating information (e.g. same street address, names of occupants, ages) to reliably confirm that the two censuses are referring to the same family. Alexander is listed as 17 years old and working as a Tinsmith, while his brothers William and James are "scholars" attending school, and his sister Mary (new to the family since the 1851 census) at 4 years old is not yet school age. Isabel is now listed as the head of the Miller household, her occupation is "Laundress," and she is a widow.
In researching death records between 1851 and 1861, it was learned that William Miller, Alec's great-grandfather, had died on 4 December 1857 at age 39 from "Phthisis pulmonalis," which is an old term for pulmonary tuberculosis. According to the records, at the time of his death William had been married, was a journeyman mason, and he was later interred at the Burial Ground of St. Andrews (as certified by the church sexton, David Scott). The death record also lists William's father as Alexander Miller, a journeyman shoemaker, and his mother (deceased) as Mary Miller (nee Page). William's father Alexander (Alec's great-great grandfather) was present at the time of his son William's death.
An aspect of the 1861 census that can't yet be explained is what happened to daughter Agness (spelled with two 's'). She's listed in the 1851 census as being five years old, but she does not appear in the 1861 census. It's also interesting that in the 1851 census she's the only person in the household not born in Fifeshire, St. Andrews - she's listed as being born in Midlothian, Edinburgh, while her older and younger brothers were born in St. Andrews. Did the family move from St. Andrews to Edinburgh after Alexander was born, then back to St. Andrews after Agness was born? Possible, but working-class families didn't seem to move between cities very often in the 1800s, let alone leave the street or neighborhood they were raised in.
Internet searches have not revealed a death record for Agness between 1851 and 1861 (even accounting for different spellings of both 'Agness' and 'Miller'), nor can she reliably be identified in another household. Here are some possible reasons why Agness was not listed in the 1861 census for the Miller household: 1. It was an oversight on the part of the census-taker; 2. She died after 1851 and before 1861, but her death record has not yet been located, 3. Prior to the 1861 census she left the Miller household and joined another household to work as a domestic servant, but that record hasn't been found yet, 4. Being the only member of the Miller household born in another city, perhaps William and Isabel took her in and raised her for another family member, and by 1861 Agness returned to that relative, 5. On 29 August 1859 there is a record of an Agnes Miller being committed to the Gartnavel Royal Asylum, however, no other information is provided therefore it is unknown whether this is the same Agness Miller.
The search for Agness continues...
The next time in the records we see Alexander Miller (the paternal grandfather of Alec) is in 1868 when he marries Barbara Cook in Deptford, London, England. There is, however, some discrepancy about the date of the wedding. The U.K. marriage record (FreeReg.org.uk, image not available but can be found at their website) cites the date as 3 February 1868, as does the birth record for their youngest son John Cook, but the birth record for their son Alexander (father of Alec) lists the wedding date as 11 January 1869. Because two of three sources support the 1868 date, including the marriage record itself, we will use the UK marriage record date of 3 February 1868 for the mariage of Alexander Miller to Barbara Cook (paternal grandparents of Alec). It is also unclear why Alexander and Barbara got married in London. More research needs to be conducted on this.
Here is an interesting article about the church in Deptford, London, where Alec's paternal grandparents were married. In the article, note the goulish headstones atop the pillars at the entrance to the churchyard.
The next time in the records we see Alexander Miller (the paternal grandfather of Alec) is in 1868 when he marries Barbara Cook in Deptford, London, England. There is, however, some discrepancy about the date of the wedding. The U.K. marriage record (FreeReg.org.uk, image not available but can be found at their website) cites the date as 3 February 1868, as does the birth record for their youngest son John Cook, but the birth record for their son Alexander (father of Alec) lists the wedding date as 11 January 1869. Because two of three sources support the 1868 date, including the marriage record itself, we will use the UK marriage record date of 3 February 1868 for the mariage of Alexander Miller to Barbara Cook (paternal grandparents of Alec). It is also unclear why Alexander and Barbara got married in London. More research needs to be conducted on this.
Here is an interesting article about the church in Deptford, London, where Alec's paternal grandparents were married. In the article, note the goulish headstones atop the pillars at the entrance to the churchyard.
Alexander Miller (Alec's paternal grandfather) then appears in the records for the birth of his three sons: William on 25 April 1869 in Edinburgh Parish, Edinburgh (per familysearch.org); Alexander (Alec's father) on 4 June 1870 in St. Nicholas Parish, Aberdeen; and again on 28 March 1873 for the birth of his son John Cook, also in St. Nicholas Parish, Aberdeen.
In the 1881 census for Aberdeen, however, Alexander is absent. Barbara Miller is listed as head of the Miller household living at 14 Chronicle Lane in the Greyfriars section of St. Nicholas Parish in Aberdeen. Present in the household are her three sons William (11), Alexander (10), and John (8), but there is no mention of Alexander Miller, the father. And Barbara is still listed as married - not divorced, not unmarried, and not widowed (the other descriptions of marital "condition" typically seen), which would suggest that her husband Alexander is somehow still in the picture but just not living with the rest of the family, which indeed is the case as the following paragraphs will reveal.
Per oral family history, it was well understood that one or more of the Miller ancestors had lived in the Limehouse district of London. What was not known, however, was who lived there, and when. But the answers to those questions now seem clear. And while not definitive proof on its own, the 1881 Census for England shows a tinsmith named Alexander Miller from Aberdeen living as a boarder on Pigott Street in the Poplar registration district of London (Note: Limehouse is actually part of Poplar, and the names were often used interchangeably to refer to the same area of East London; Limehouse and Poplar are now considered part of the ame "Constituency" of London). Although not an exact match in all respects, the information in the 1881 Census is intriguingly familiar - it lists Alexander's birth year to be "estimated" as 1843, which is very close to the currently assumed 1844, and even though it says he was born in Aberdeenshire (not St. Andrews), he was from Aberdeen, so it's not a stretch to assume that Alexander's landlord responded to the census taker on behalf of all his tenants and gave the best information he had on each of his tenants. In Alexander's case, this would have been that he worked as a tinsmith, was about 38 years old (putting his birth year as 1844), was born in Aberdeen (since this is where he was from), and that he was single, since he was unaccompanied and had no reason to mention that he was married.
In addition to the information contained in the 1881 Census, what confirms that Alexander Miller (Alec's grandfather) was indeed living in London during the 1880s is a document found in the family archives. This was a request signed by Alexander Miller under the "Elementary Education Act of 1876" to receive an official copy of his son Alexander's (Alec's father) birth certificate for purposes of employment. The Elementary Education Act of 1876 prohibited any child under the age of 10 from working, and for the employment of any child 10 years and older it required proof of age and previous school attendance. And because this document was signed by Alexander Miller (Alex's grandfather) in January 1884, his son Alexander Miller (Alec's father) would been 13 years old and eligible to work. What's interesting to note about this document is that Alexander Miller (Alec's grandfather) listed his address as "25 Three Colt St in Limehouse," thus confirming without a doubt that a Miller had lived in Limehouse, London. Additionally, it can reasonably be assumed that Alexander Miller had been living in London for at least three years going back to the 1881 Census, and probably beyond January 1884 if his likely intention was for his son Alexander (Alec's father) to live and work with him in London as an apprentice.
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| 25 Three Colt St. in present day Limehouse (Photo is from Google Maps) |
Addionally, there is an official record clearly showing that the Millers - including the three children and wife Barbara - were living in London with Alexander in 1879. This document (provided at the "Miscellaneous" link under the "Archive" tab of this webpage) lists William, Alexander, and John as being registered for a public school and living at 4 Billingsgate Street in London with their parents Alexander and Barbara. The record also shows the specific date of admission to this school was August 18, 1879, and that the children had previously attended an unnamed "British school for 9 months." Clearly the Millers have a strong connection to London.
We do see Alexander Miller (Alec's grandfather) again in the 1891 census and he is back as the head of the Miller household in Aberdeen. His profession is listed as Tinsmith, which tracks with his profession as stated in other documents, and it says he is 47 and was born in Fifeshire, St. Andrews. Living with him are his wife Barbara, also age 47, born in Kincardineshire; his son Alexander (the future father of Alec), age 20, a blacksmith, born in Aberdeen; and his son John, age 18, a tinsmith apprentice, born in Aberdeen. The family is listed as living on "Virginia Street 1 Front" in the East section of St. Nicholas Parish, Aberdeen. The oldest son William mentioned in the 1881 census is no longer listed and likely moved out on his own when the 1891 census was taken.
In the 1901 census, Alexander Miller and his wife Barbara (Alec's grandparents) are now listed as living at 63 Virginia Street in the St. Clements Parish of Aberdeen with their son John, who is now head of the household. Alexander is 58, married, a tinsmith, and was born in Fifeshire, St. Andrews. His wife Barbara, also 58, was born in Kincardineshire, Nigg. John is 28, single, his profession is tinsmith, and he was born in Abderdeenshire. Son Alexander (Alec's father) is no longer living with the family because he married in 1894 (to Elspet Webster Main) and moved out to start his own family. It should be noted that in the 1901 census both Alexander and Barbara are listed as being 58 years old, whereas 10 years prior in the 1891 census they were listed as being 47 (an 11 year difference, not 10 as would be expected). All other family information tracks, so it is unclear why their ages appear to be off by one year between the two censuses. However, as noted elsewhere on this website, a person's age was not always accurately recorded for a variety of possible reasons. And it's possible that the census could have been taken later in the year in 1901, after Alexander's and Barbara's birthdays thus making their ages seem one year older than in 1891.
Alexander Miller died July 6th 1911 (66 years old) in Aberdeen from "senile decay, atonic bowels, and heart failure." He was a widower (his wife Barbara Cook is listed as deceased), a tinsmith, and his parents were listed as William Miller, a mason (deceased), and Mary Miller (maiden name listed as "Elder"), also deceased. His son William, living at 47 Wellington St in Aberdeen, signed the certificate.
In the 1901 census, Alexander Miller and his wife Barbara (Alec's grandparents) are now listed as living at 63 Virginia Street in the St. Clements Parish of Aberdeen with their son John, who is now head of the household. Alexander is 58, married, a tinsmith, and was born in Fifeshire, St. Andrews. His wife Barbara, also 58, was born in Kincardineshire, Nigg. John is 28, single, his profession is tinsmith, and he was born in Abderdeenshire. Son Alexander (Alec's father) is no longer living with the family because he married in 1894 (to Elspet Webster Main) and moved out to start his own family. It should be noted that in the 1901 census both Alexander and Barbara are listed as being 58 years old, whereas 10 years prior in the 1891 census they were listed as being 47 (an 11 year difference, not 10 as would be expected). All other family information tracks, so it is unclear why their ages appear to be off by one year between the two censuses. However, as noted elsewhere on this website, a person's age was not always accurately recorded for a variety of possible reasons. And it's possible that the census could have been taken later in the year in 1901, after Alexander's and Barbara's birthdays thus making their ages seem one year older than in 1891.
Alexander Miller died July 6th 1911 (66 years old) in Aberdeen from "senile decay, atonic bowels, and heart failure." He was a widower (his wife Barbara Cook is listed as deceased), a tinsmith, and his parents were listed as William Miller, a mason (deceased), and Mary Miller (maiden name listed as "Elder"), also deceased. His son William, living at 47 Wellington St in Aberdeen, signed the certificate.
A note should be made about his mother's first name being listed as "Mary" versus "Isabella" (or "Isabel") on Alexander's death record. Because all other information contained within this record indicate that this does indeed refer to the correct Alexander Miller, the reason for the discrepancy might rest elsewhere - which it does seem to do. Listed on the official Aberdeen death record which contains Alexander's information are two other individuals who also died in that parish, and perhaps not too coincidentally the first name of the mother of the individual listed directly above Alexander is "Isabella" - could it be that the record keeper inadvertently transposed the first names of the two mothers when recording the information of the deceased? This would certainly explain the discrepancy and not be unusual considering the amount and frequency of errors that occurred in the official records.
The death certificate says that Alexander Miller died in the Oldmill Poorhouse in the Newhills Parish of Aberdeen. While people ("inmates") did live in poorhouses when they had no other option, the poorhouses were also used to "...provide medical and nursing care of the elderly and the sick, at a time when there were few hospitals and private medical treatment was beyond the means of the poor." This was likely the case for Alexander Miller because the death certificate lists his address as 32 Castle Terrace in Aberdeen, which is the same address listed on his wife's death certificate three years earlier. Also, knowing that Alexander Miller was a widower in 1911 and going to a poorhouse for "medical care" was possibly his only option when he became ill.Many of the "poorhouses" eventually converted fully to hospitals, as the Oldmill Poorhouse did in 1927 when it became the Woodend Municipal Hospital.
Here are two links with information about poorhouses in Aberdeen and Scotland in general:
https://www.scan.org.uk/knowledgebase/topics/poorhouses_topic.htm
The death certificate says that Alexander Miller died in the Oldmill Poorhouse in the Newhills Parish of Aberdeen. While people ("inmates") did live in poorhouses when they had no other option, the poorhouses were also used to "...provide medical and nursing care of the elderly and the sick, at a time when there were few hospitals and private medical treatment was beyond the means of the poor." This was likely the case for Alexander Miller because the death certificate lists his address as 32 Castle Terrace in Aberdeen, which is the same address listed on his wife's death certificate three years earlier. Also, knowing that Alexander Miller was a widower in 1911 and going to a poorhouse for "medical care" was possibly his only option when he became ill.Many of the "poorhouses" eventually converted fully to hospitals, as the Oldmill Poorhouse did in 1927 when it became the Woodend Municipal Hospital.
Here are two links with information about poorhouses in Aberdeen and Scotland in general:
https://www.scan.org.uk/knowledgebase/topics/poorhouses_topic.htm
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