Joseph Millar + Maria Watson

The following information contributed by Alan + Tina Bennet.......

Joseph Millar was born c 1854 and died between 1901 and 1911 (Source-Ireland Censuses).

It should be noted that Millar was often spelt Miller.

Joseph and Maria were married in Banagher Presbyterian church on the 8^th August 1876. (Source Emerald Ancestors record 453318). 

Banagher church is situated west of Feeny at the corner of Ballyhanedin and Learmouth Rd (B74). The church still stands. An  photograph can be seen at:  http://www.geograph.ie/photo/595314

(c) Kenneth Allen

 

Joseph and Maria were both Presbyterians and on their marriage certificate they were recorded as follows:

Joseph Miller, a bachelor, a farmer of Lettermuck. His father was also Joseph and recorded as a farmer, presumably also at Lettermuck.Lettermuck is a townland of Claudy, Upper Cumber. 

(This townland is most famous at this time for a papermill, on the River Faughan, owned by the Mathews family. The fame came not from making paper but rather the disappearance of an excise man, James Lampen, sent to obtain the paper excise tax in 1833. His body was not found and the Mathews brothers were imprisoned for the suspected murder. They were released some months later as the main witness had also disappeared and no body was discovered. Their business soon collapsed and their off spring ended up in New South Wales Australia.

Post script: A body was uncovered in the bog of Lettermuck in 1903 ‘dressed in 70 year old clothes’. This was accepted as being James Lampen’s body.)

In Maria’s wedding certificate her address was given as Lear. This is a townland of Learmount. This townland was also near Claudy. Learmount Rd, both old and new, exists to this day. Marias’s father was James Watson of Lear. He was a farmer.

The wedding was ‘licenced’ by W Rogers, and witnessed by John and William Galbraith. 

Joseph and Maria had 6 children (source: Censuses of 1901 and 1911):

(Ma)Tilda Miller born c 1884

Robert James Miller born c 1886

Joseph Miller born c 1888

William John Miller born c 1892

Margaret Miller born c 1895

Alexander Miller born c 1898

In the 1901 census, the family lived at 10 Townsend St Strabane. This was close to the original 1^St Presbyterian church situated on Townsend St which backed onto the River Mourne. Joseph (47) was recorded as a ’Carter’ born in Co Tyrone. Maria (44) was a ‘housekeeper’ born in Co Derry. Tilda (Matilda) aged 17, was a flax spinner, and Robert James was a ‘general labourer’. He was 15 years old. The younger off spring were recorded as ‘scholars’ except 3 year old Alexander. All children were recorded as being born in Co Tyrone. 

In the 1911 census the Miller family, now recorded as Millar in both censuses, had moved to 16 Bridge St., Strabane (the Bridgend). Joseph died in 1907 in Strabane, registered between January and March in the Civil Registration Indexes. (source: Family Search website)

In the 1911 census Robert James, now 24, is recorded as a ‘general labourer’, and William Millar, his brother, now 20 years old, is a ‘shop assistant’. Maria was now, of course, the head of the family. Maria’s mother Mary Anne Watson is present in the house. She is 76 years old. They have 5 boarders in the house. It was common in those days to let out rooms.

Interestingly (Ma)Tilda , Robert’s older sister, wasn’t present in the house at the time of the 1911 census. She may have been in another house? There was no trace of a Matilda Millar found in Ireland at this time. Alternatively she could have moved out of Ireland, died or married and be in another surname? She would have been approximately 27 years old.