Person Record

Metadata

Name

Miller, John P.

Othernames

Gaoler Miller

Born

1836/1837

Birthplace

New York State

Places of residence

Clinton County, New York State
Montreal, Quebec
Toronto
Penetanguishene
Owen Sound, Grey County

Father

Edward Miller (1815-1862)

Mother

Rebecca Clarke (1819-1863)

Nationality

Irish-American-Canadian

Notes

John Miller's father, Edward Miller, originated from Ennikillen, Ireland, from where his family emigrated in 1834, and also from Moores, Clinton County, New York State.
Edward Miller and Rebecca Clarke were married in 1845. When Edward and Rebecca had a young family of two children, his farm was burnt out, so he left his brothers in Clinton County and moved his family to Canada, living at Montreal, Toronto, Penetanguishene, and eventually the village of Sydenham in Upper Canada in 1849. This village would later become the Town of Owen Sound in 1857.

Their son John Miller, was born in 18...(1836 or 1837?).
Their daughter Susan Cascella Miller, known as "Cassie" Miller, later married Mr. .....Kennedy of Owen Sound. Another son, was ................. (Miller Christie's grandfather).
Edward's first wife? was a Miss Buchanan, a Clarke niece of President John Buchanan [need to verify and sort out this info yet--JLH]

In the early 1850s, Edward Miller became the first gaol keeper at the new Grey County gaol in the village of Sydenham (Owen Sound). He died in 1862, and was succeeded as Gaol-Keeper by his son, John Miller. John served as the Governor of the Gaol until he resigned in June of 1916 (served for 58 years). In 1925, John wrote some reminiscences about his family.
The Millers were Wesleyan Methodist, so there is an obituary for Edward Miller in the Dec. 17, 1862 edition of THE CHRISTIAN GUARDIAN. There are also images (on a glass piece) of Edward and Rebecca in the Grey Roots archives, and two photos of Susanna Cascella Kennedy.
The Miller tombstones are in Greenwood Cemetery, Owen Sound, Ontario.

John and Harriet Miller had __ children. One daughter, ..... Miller, married David Christie of Owen Sound. Another daughter, .....Miller, married J. C. Ryan, and lived at Owen Sound and Toronto. One of the grandchildren, Ward Miller, was Major F. W. Miller (b. 1893), and he died in France on April 9, 1918 during the First World War. He had lived in Woodstock, Ont.

Archival Items at the Grey County Archives:
-Photograph of Susan Cascella Miller (Mrs. Kennedy) in the archives, who was John's sister.
-1980.372.001 is a newsprint reproduction image of John Miller.
-1975.083.025 is a large photograph of his mother "Mrs. Edward Miller" (Rebecca).

John Miller's aunt, Miss Susan Clarke also worked in Owen Sound for a quarter century as the Matron of the County's jail. She was born in County Cavan, Ireland, went to London, England when quite young and lived there until 1861, when she emigrated to Canada to reside with her sister, the wife of the first Governor of the Grey County gaol. In March, 1863, Miss Clarke received the appointment of Matron, a position she retained until September, 1888. She later travelled back to Ireland and spent her last years in Chicago with another sister, Mrs. Robert Walker. She loved Owen Sound, so her body was returned to the town from Chicago and her funeral took place at St. George's Anglican Church, of which she had been a member.

Occupation

Grey County Gaoler (Gaol Keeper / Jail Keeper)
Writer

Publications

-Armitage, Andrew, "Millers Were Grey's First Jailkeepers", THE OWEN SOUND SUN-TIMES, Sat. June 5, 1976 (has a transcript of John Miller's 1925 memoirs about his family).
-"Grey Was Hailed As Garden of Eden When Edward Miller and Son, John, Came Here in Steamer GORE in 1849", THE DAILY SUN TIMES (Owen Sound), Sat. May 23, 1942, p. 10
-Croft, Melba, FOURTH ENTRANCE TO HURONIA, 1980, p. 42
-Marsh, Edith, A HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF GREY, 1931, pp. 312-318 has the memoir of John P. Miller, recalling his family's move to Grey County.