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The family of

Thomas Miller

As told by his Great-great Grandson, Roy Thomas
 

Bexhill, St Peter's

Emma Ann Miller

James Samuel Miller

Lizzie Miller

Mary Ann Miller

Alexander Charles Miller

Thomas Miller was born in Bexhill on 18^th July 1841, the eldest legitimate son of Henry Miller and Mary Ann Head, was baptised at St Peter’s Church, Bexhill on 8^th August 1841. He grew up in Bexhill where his father was a shepherd and agricultural labourer.

Thomas married Philadelphia Ann Freeman in St Peter’s church in Bexhill on 29^th September 1860. The witnesses at the wedding were Thomas Lawrence and Sophy Ransom, Thomas’s uncle and cousin.

Philadelphia was born in the nearby village of Hooe in 1838 and baptised in St Oswald’s Church on 2^nd September. She was the third child of Thomas Freeman and Emma Vitler and her childhood was spent in Hooe. It was customary for girls to go into domestic service and it is likely that she was in service immediately prior to her marriage to Thomas. 

Thomas and Philadelphia’s lives were spent in the Bexhill and Bulverhythe area, where Thomas was an agricultural labourer like his father before him. 

Thomas died in Picknell Green Cottages, Bexhill, Sussex on 20^th April 1910, aged 68, and was buried in Bexhill Cemetery next day. After Thomas’s death, Philadelphia lived with her son and his family in St Leonards-on-Sea and died at 65 Bexhill Road, St Leonards-on-Sea on 24^th March 1914 at the age of 75. She was buried in Bexhill Cemetery on 28^th March 1914. 

Thomas and Philadelphia had four children:

Emma Ann was born in Bexhill on 26^th October 1861 and was baptised at St Peter’s Church, Bexhill on 8^th December 1861. Emma went into domestic service and was a cook at a house in North Bersted Road, South Bersted, Sussex in 1881 census but, during the 1890s and the early part of the twentieth century, she was a cook in Old Road, St Thomas, East Cowes on the Isle of Wight where her cousin, Ellen Trill worked as a parlourmaid.

James Samuel was born in Bexhill on 19^th May 1863 and was baptised at St Peter’s Church, Bexhill on 14^th June 1863. He followed his father into agricultural work and was first a labourer and then a carter. He married Elizabeth Ann Catt (1857-1929) in St Leonard's Church, St Leonards, Hastings, Sussex on 20^th June 1885. The witnesses at the wedding were Frank Catt, presumably the bride’s brother, and the groom’s elder sister, Emma Ann Miller. James and Elizabeth settled in St Leonards and had four children - two sons and two daughters. James died in 1943 and was buried in the churchyard at St Leonard’s Church, Hollington. He was 80 years of age.

Lizzie was born in Bulverhythe on 20^th February 1866 and was baptised at St Peter’s Church, Bexhill on 8^th April 1866. She died in Bexhill in 1881, aged 14, and was buried in the churchyard at St Peter’s Church, Bexhill.

Mary Ann (1868-1958)

In addition, Thomas and Philadelphia adopted a son in the late 1870s.  Alexander Charles Miller was born in St Leonards on 10^th March 1877. He was working as a telegraph messenger at the time of the 1891 census and the 1901 census shows that he was then occupied as a domestic gardener. He died at Mount Pleasant, Sidley, Bexhill in 1901 and was buried in the newly opened Bexhill Cemetery on 2^nd May 1901, aged 24.

Roy Thomas has provided the information on theses pages.  He has researched his family history extensively.  He is always interested to hear from distant cousins, and is happy to help with research enquiries.

 RJThomas453@aol.com