Alexander Miller (b.1870)
Father of Alexander 'Alec' Miller
Alexander Miller (Alec's father) was born 4 June 1870 in Abderdeen, 22 East North Street, to Alexander Miller and Barbara Miller (Cook). The birth record says his father Alexander was present at his birth.Father of Alexander 'Alec' Miller
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| Alexander Miller (Date of photograph unknown, but the photographer Wm. Ferguson & Co. of Partick, Glasgow was in business from 1908 to at least 1914) |
In the 1881 Census, Alexander is listed as 10 years old and living at 14 Chronicle Lane in the Greyfriars section of the St. Nicholas Parish in Aberdeen with his mother Barbara and his two brothers, William (11) and John (8). At the time of the 1881 Census his father Alexander (Alec's grandfather) was living and working in the Limehouse-Poplar section of London as a tinsmith. Economic times in the 1800s were difficult for the working class, and people often had to temporarily relocate from their families in order to find employment. And Alexander (Alec's grandfather) was familiar with London, having married his wife Barbara Cook there in 1868.
According to the 1891 Census, Alexander (Alec's father) is 20 years old, working as a blacksmith, and living at "Virginia Street 1 Front" in the East section of St. Nicholas Parish, Aberdeen with his parents Alexander and Barbara, and his brother John (18). His older brother William is no longer living with the family, and according to other documented sources is living and working in Edinburgh (his place of birth) as a coal miner.
On 20 April 1894, Alexander Miller married Elspet Webster Main at the St. Clements Free Church of Scotland, District of St Nicholas in the Burgh of Aberdeen. The Reverand Andrew D. Donaldson presided over the ceremony. The marriage record lists Alexander as being 23 years old, a bachelor residing at 18 1/2 Upper Kirkgate in Aberdeen, and working as a journeyman blacksmith. His parents, Alexander Miller (a journeyman tinsmith) and Barbara Miller (nee Cook) are both recorded as still living at the time of the marriage. Elspet, his newly betrothed, was listed as being 24 years old, a "spinster" residing at 17 Pilot Square in Aberdeen, and working as a domestic servant. Her father Andrew Main (a whitefisher) is still living, but her mother Elspet Main (nee Morrice) is deceased. The marriage was witnessed by Alexander's brother John Miller, and by James Duncan.
According to the 1901 Census for Partick in Lanarkshire (present day Glasgow), Alexander was now 30 years old and living at 8 Thomson Street with his wife Elspeth (31) and their three children: Christina (6), Barbara (4), and Elspeth (2). Everyone is listed as having been born in Aberdeen, except for the youngest, Elspeth, who was born in Glasgow. So while it's not known exactly when the family moved from Aberdeen to Glasgow (Partick), it occurred sometime between the birth of Barbara in 1897 and Elspeth in 1899. And while the reason for the move is also unknown, presumably it was for work - in the 19th century Glasgow was ranked as one of the largest shipbuilding centres in the world and would have been the ideal place for a blacksmith such as Alexander to find steady employment.
According to family oral history, Alec's father became very ill and returned to Scotland. Although the exact date of his departure from the U.S. is not known, it was sometime after his son Alec Miller arrived in the U.S. on 9 December 1924, because Alec listed the address of his father living in Cambridge as his contact in the United States. On 6 May 1925, Alexander Miller died in his home on 13 Church Street in Partick, Glasgow from carcinoma of the stomach. His daughter Janeann was present at his death. The record says he was a journeyman blacksmith, married to Elspet Webster Main, and that his parents were Alexander Miller and Barbara Miller (Cook), both deceased. Five months later in October 1925, his wife (widow) and five of their children immigrated to America to live with his son Alec, who was now the new head of the family at the age of 25.
John Miller, Alexander's younger brother, was born 28 March 1873 in the St. Nicholas parish of Aberdeen to Alexander and Barbara (Cook) Miller.
According to the 1901 Census for Partick in Lanarkshire (present day Glasgow), Alexander was now 30 years old and living at 8 Thomson Street with his wife Elspeth (31) and their three children: Christina (6), Barbara (4), and Elspeth (2). Everyone is listed as having been born in Aberdeen, except for the youngest, Elspeth, who was born in Glasgow. So while it's not known exactly when the family moved from Aberdeen to Glasgow (Partick), it occurred sometime between the birth of Barbara in 1897 and Elspeth in 1899. And while the reason for the move is also unknown, presumably it was for work - in the 19th century Glasgow was ranked as one of the largest shipbuilding centres in the world and would have been the ideal place for a blacksmith such as Alexander to find steady employment.
In the 1911 census for Partick in the County of Lanark (Glasgow), Alexander Miller (Alec's father) was listed as the head of household for nine people living at 13 Thomson Square. In addition to Alexander (40) there was his wife Elspet (41); his daughters Christina (16), Barbara (14), Elspet (12), and Jane (10); and his three sons Alexander (7), William (2), and John (3 months). Not yet born was Andrew. The only two members of the household listed as employed were the father Alexander as a blacksmith doing "marine boiler work," and the oldest daughter Christina who worked in a "China shop." The children Elspet, Jane, and Alexander (the future 'Alec' and central figure in this genealogical story) were all listed as being in school.
The next we see Alexander Miller (Alec's father) is 25 August 1923 when he immigrates to the United States aboard the SS "California" from Glasgow to Ellis Island, New York (The steamship was built in Glasgow in 1923 and sunk by the German Luftwaffe in 1943). The passenger manifest for this journey lists Alexander as a 53 year old blacksmith, and "The name and complete address of nearest relative or friend in country whence the alien came" is his wife Elizabeth Miller living at 13 Church St in Glasgow, Scotland (note the Americanized spelling of her first name in the record to "Elizabeth" from "Elspet"). According to the immigration documents, Alexander's final destination on his cross-Atlantic voyage is Cambridge, Massachusetts where he lists Mrs. Mary Kelso living at 47 Hancock Street as his contact. Traveling with Alexander Miller on board the SS "California" was his son-in-law James Kelso, the husband of Alexander's daughter Alice. James' U.S. contact was his mother Jane Kelso, who also lived at 47 Hancock Street along with Mary Kelso.
The next we see Alexander Miller (Alec's father) is 25 August 1923 when he immigrates to the United States aboard the SS "California" from Glasgow to Ellis Island, New York (The steamship was built in Glasgow in 1923 and sunk by the German Luftwaffe in 1943). The passenger manifest for this journey lists Alexander as a 53 year old blacksmith, and "The name and complete address of nearest relative or friend in country whence the alien came" is his wife Elizabeth Miller living at 13 Church St in Glasgow, Scotland (note the Americanized spelling of her first name in the record to "Elizabeth" from "Elspet"). According to the immigration documents, Alexander's final destination on his cross-Atlantic voyage is Cambridge, Massachusetts where he lists Mrs. Mary Kelso living at 47 Hancock Street as his contact. Traveling with Alexander Miller on board the SS "California" was his son-in-law James Kelso, the husband of Alexander's daughter Alice. James' U.S. contact was his mother Jane Kelso, who also lived at 47 Hancock Street along with Mary Kelso.
According to family oral history, Alec's father became very ill and returned to Scotland. Although the exact date of his departure from the U.S. is not known, it was sometime after his son Alec Miller arrived in the U.S. on 9 December 1924, because Alec listed the address of his father living in Cambridge as his contact in the United States. On 6 May 1925, Alexander Miller died in his home on 13 Church Street in Partick, Glasgow from carcinoma of the stomach. His daughter Janeann was present at his death. The record says he was a journeyman blacksmith, married to Elspet Webster Main, and that his parents were Alexander Miller and Barbara Miller (Cook), both deceased. Five months later in October 1925, his wife (widow) and five of their children immigrated to America to live with his son Alec, who was now the new head of the family at the age of 25.
ALEXANDER'S SIBLINGS
Alexander Miller (b. 1870) had two brothers, William and John. It's interesting to note that Alexander went on to have four sons of his own (and several daughters), and perhaps not so coincidentally his first three sons were also named Alexander, William, and John (but there was no fourth brother to name his fourth son after).
William Miller, Alexander's older brother (by one year), was born 25 April 1869 in Edinburgh to Alexander and Barbara (Cook) Miller. In the 1881 Census, William is listed as 11 years old and living at 14 Chronicle Lane in the St Nicholas parish of Greyfriars, Aberdeen with his mother Barbara and brothers Alexander and John (as noted previously, William's father Alexander was most likely living and working in London as a tinsmith during the 1881 Census).
In the 1891 Census, which was conducted on 5-6 April, William was 21 years old and living as a boarder in the Stobhill village of Edinburgh working as a coal miner. This is why he was not listed with the rest of his family in the 1891 Census for Aberdeen because he had moved out and found temporary employment in the city of his birth, Edinburgh.
A year and half later, William had returned to Aberdeen and married Margaret Sheret Watt on 7 October 1892 in Greyfriars Hall. On the marriage record William is listed as 23 years old, a bachelor, and a ship carpenter, while Margaret is 22, a "spinster," and employed as a domestic servant. William's parents are Alexander Miller, a tinsmith, and Barbara Miller (nee Cook); and Margaret's parents are Robert Watt, a cooper, and Margaret Watt (nee Mackie). The witnesses to the marriage ceremony are William's brothers Alex Miller and John Miller.
In the 1901 Census for the St. Nicholas district of the St. Clements parish of Aberdeen, William is listed as 31 years old and living at 35 York St with his wife Margaret (listed as 34 years old, which may not be accurate; more likely she is 30, according to multiple other censuses), and his daughters Maggie (8) and Barbara (5). William's occupation is ship's carpenter.
In the 1911 Census for the St. Nicholas district of the St. Clement's parish of Aberdeen, William is now 41 years old and living at 47 Wellington St (the family moved since the 1901 Census) with his wife Margaret (40), his daughters Maggie (18), Barbara (15), and Mary (8), and his son William (6). His occupation is "ship wright," which is a ship builder, and he is listed as working at the shipyard. William and his wife Margaret are listed as having been married for 18 years by this time. William's wife Margaret is listed on different censuses as being born in Johnshaven, Kinardineshire, and in Benholm, Kincardineshire, but Johnshaven is actually a small village located within Benholm, so both citations are correct. Margaret Miller, nee Margaret Sherit Watt, was born 22 Nov 1870 in Benhom, Kincardineshire to Robert Watt and Margaret Mackie.
Also in 1911, William appeared as the signatory on the death certificate for his father Alexander. William's home address on this document is the same as listed on the 1911 Census, 47 Wellington St. in Aberdeen.
John Miller, Alexander's younger brother, was born 28 March 1873 in the St. Nicholas parish of Aberdeen to Alexander and Barbara (Cook) Miller.
In the 1881 Census, William is listed as 8 years old and living at 14 Chronicle Lane in the St Nicholas parish of the Greyfriars burgh of Aberdeen ("burgh" means town or municipality) with his mother Barbara and brothers William and Alexander (the father, Alexander, was most likely living and working in London as a tinsmith during the 1881 Census).
The 1891 Census for the St. Nicholas parish of the St. Clements burgh of Aberdeen lists John Miller as 18 years old and living at "1 Front" Virginia Street with his parents Alexander and Barbara, and his brother Alexander. According to the census, John is unmarried and working as an apprentice tinsmith, the same profession as his father.
In the 1901 Census for the St. Clements burgh of Aberdeen, John is listed as 28 years old, unmarried, living with his parents Alexander and Barbara, and is now head of the household (instead of his father). They live at #63 Virginia Street (having moved from #1 Virginia St since the 1901 Census), and John and his father Alexander are tinsmiths.
According to the 1911 Census for the St. Clements burgh of Aberdeen, John Miller is 38 years old and living at 32 Castle Terrace. He is listed as single and head of the household, but there is no one else listed for his household, so it is assumed he was living alone (his mother Barbara had died in 1908, and his father Alexander was living in the infirmary and would also die just months later). John's occupation is tinsmith, and he is employed at "Preserving Works." While it is unclear what this industry entails, a search of historical records did find one business called "Footdee Preserving Works" located at Linksfield Place in Aberdeen, and perhaps this is where John Miller worked in 1911. It is curious that the only "Preserving Works" business that could be found for this time period happens to be located in the same small area of Aberdeen (Footdee) from which his brother Alexander's wife Elspet Main hails. Is it possible that John Miller was referred to this position of employment based on the good word of someone from the Main family who lived nearby the business in Footdee?
It is unknown what John Cook Miller died from, but he was buried in the City of London and Tower Hamlets Cemetery on 2 May 1930 at age 57. According to the records, his last "abode" was at the St. George Workhouse and Infirmary on Raine Street in the East End of London. It is interesting to note that the Tower Hamlets borough in East London also includes the Limehouse District, the same area that John's father Alexander had lived and worked as a tinsmith in 1881. And although there are no available records to indicate when or why John Miller eventually left Abderdeen and settled in London, it does seem clear that the Miller connection to the Limehouse district of London runs deep.
Here are links with more information about the Tower Hamlets cemetery and the St. George Workhouse and Infirmary:
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