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CAPTAIN JOHN MILLER - later SIR JOHN RIGGS MILLER
BIRTH
John MILLER was the second son of John Miller of Drumline, co.Clare and Anne, daughter of Thomas Browne, of New Grove, co. Clare.[S16]
His entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography erroneously states he was born circa 1744.[S113] However, the entry also states he inherited income from his family estates in JUL1782[S113] which, if this was as a result of his attaining the age of 21, would mean he was born circa JUL1741. His monument in Bath Abbey states that he died 28MAY1798 age 38, which would mean he was born in 1739 or 1740.
EDUCATION and MILITARY SERVICE
His entry in Cambridge University Alumni [S16] states he was schooled at Dalston near London and Eton and was admitted at the Middle Temple, London (one of the four Inns of COurt) on 1AUG1757. He completed his education by being admitted as a Fellow-Commoner to Trinity Hall College at Cambridge University on 20MCH1761 and matriculated from there at Michaelmas the same year.
Before being admitted to Cambridge, he had entered military service in 1760 as a cornet in Elliot's Light Horse Regiment [S14] (the Light Dragoons). He fought with them in Germany during the Seven Years War and was at the famous siege of Belle Isle on June 7, 1761. He became a Captain in the 113th Foot in 1761 [S16] The 113th Regiment of Foot was also known as the Royal Highlanders, an infantry regiment of the British Army raised in October 1761 by the regimentation of independent companies, but disbanded in 1763,[S111] the year in which John retired from the Army.[S113]
FIRST MARRIAGE
 At the end of AUG1765, Faulkner's Dublin Journal [S19] reported the marriage "A few Days since, at Bath," in England, of "John MILLER, Esq of Ballycasey, in the Co. of Clare to Miss RIGGS, Daughter (sic) and Heiress of the Right Hon. Edward RIGGS of Riggsdale in the County of Cork and Binfield in Berkshire, late Commissioner of his Majesty's Revenues."
The RT.HON. EDWARD RIGGS of Riggsdale [EDWARD#3] was in fact Anna's grandfather.[S6] ANNA (or Anne) RIGGS was the only child and therefore heir [S3][S4][S6] to EDWARD RIGGS OF MIDDLE TEMPLE [EDWARD#4]. Her entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography [S112] states she was born in 1741, and reports of her death on 24JNE1781 state she was "in her forty-first year".[S5] [S6]
Her likeness (on the right) appears on her monument in Bath Abbey
She was a poetess and authoress, and three of her works were published, as noted in the Cambridge Bibliography of Eng.Literature.[S15] John Miller built Batheaston Villa at Bath, Somerset "at extravagant cost" [S16] and Walpole's Letter on the Millers refers to the poetic academy which they instituted there. They had founded the academy on their return from travelling in France and Italy, after they "ran out their fortune, and all went to France to repair it". [S6]
BARONETCY
 John was created a Baronet in 1778, as SIR JOHN MILLER OF BALLYCASEY, co.Clare.[S16]. Ballycasey is within Drumline Civil Parish, which is the parish of his father.
Burke [S12] ascribed the following achievement to "MILLER, of Ballycasey, Co.Clare", as illustrated by the image on the left:
CREST: A griffin's head erased argent, ducally gorged and chained azure.
ARMS: Argent, a fess wavy azure between three griffins' heads erased gules.
As Sir John was a baronet, the helmet shown is a 'barriers helm', replacing the 'tilting helm' worn by gentlemen and esquires.
DEATH OF FIRST WIFE
Anna (or Anne), who had by then become "Anna, Lady Riggs Miller", died on 24JNE1781 "in her forty-first year".[S5] [S6] She was buried in Bath Abbey "where her husband erected a beautiful marble monument to her memory".[S5] "On her monument by Bacon, erected in 1785, is an epitaph, in verse, composed by Anna Seward".[S112]
In 1782 Anna Seward had written a "Poem to the memory of Lady Miller"[S115], and "Sir Walter Scott states in his 1810 biography of Anna Seward, prefixed to her works, that her poetical power was brought to light by Lady Miller, an obligation that Seward acknowledged in her Poem.[S112] A footnote to one of the verses in the Poem also refers to an Elegy to the Memory of Lady Millar,(sic) set to music for three voices, by Dr.Harrington of Bath.[S115]
The inscription on the monument states that Lady Miller died at Hotwells in Bristol. Hotwells takes its name from the hot springs which bubble up through the rocks of the Avon Gorge underneath the Clifton Suspension Bridge and, in the Georgian era, it was developed as a spa town in an attempt to compete with Bath.
CHANGE OF NAME TO "RIGGS MILLER"
Following the death of his mother-in-law MARGARET RIGGS in 1788, Sir John MILLER changed his name to Sir John RIGGS MILLER. This was first reported in the Bath Chronicle newspaper [S40] dated 30OCT1788 which reported: "News: Sir John Miller, bart has lately added the surname Riggs to his own, further to the will of his late mother-in-law (whose family is extinct). On Mrs Rigg's (sic) death, a considerable estate in Cork has devolved to Sir John."
This was picked up by the Times newspaper [S54] which reported: "Sir John Millar (sic), Bart, has lately prefixed to his own, the surname of Riggs, in pursuance to the will of his late mother-in-law, whose family is extinct. We hear that a considerable estate in the county of Cork has devolved to Sir John by Mrs Riggs's death"
These facts contradict his entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography which erroneously states that it was in 1765 on his marriage to Anne that "he added her surname before his own, and so became known as John Riggs Miller. From about 1780 he hyphenated the two names, giving Riggs-Miller, but by 1790 had reverted to Riggs Miller."[S113] That statement may have been based on the comment by Walpole "'His wife brought him a large fortune, and he, full of good-natured officiousness, adopted her maiden name before his own.", [S16] whereas the newspaper reports in the Bath Chronicle and the Times state that he only inherited his 'large fortune' following the death of his wife's mother.
PUBLIC LIFE
Sir John was M.P. for Newport (near Launceston) in Cornwall from 1784-1790. [S14]
On 5FEB1790, after making widespread enquiries, he proposed in the Commons a reform of the British system of weights and measures. Talleyrand was making a similar suggestion in France and thinking from Sir John's speech that Britain was on the verge of an actual reform, Talleyrand proposed to the French National Assembly on 9MAR1790 that Britain should be invited to collaborate with them to determine the fundamental unit of length in a new system (later to become the metre). He sent a copy of his document to Sir John, who referred to Talleyrand's letter in a further speech to the Commons on 13APR1790. In MAY1790 the French National Assembly initiated the reform of weights and measures in France but their proposal to Britain that they collaborate in this was rebuffed. Shortly afterwards Sir John published the texts of his and Talleyrand's speeches, together with the correspondence they had exchanged. In his speech to the Commons on 13APR1790, he had stated he would return to the reform of Britain's weights and measures on a future occasion, but Parliament was dissolved later that year and he was not subsequently re-elected as an MP.[S113]
The Bath Chronicle newspaper [S40] dated 4JLY1793 reported "Property: to let - furnished from 20 Nov, Batheaston Villa, let at present to Lord Audley. Stabling for 6 horses, coach-house for 2 carriages, dairy, brew-house, greenhouse, cold bath & 19 acres. Partics Sir John Riggs Miller, bart (London) or Mr Hay, Bladud's Bldgs, Bath".
The Times newspaper reported that he chaired a meeting on 21JUN1794 of the "Trustees and Subscribers to the Expedition for the Establishment of a Colony" on the island of Bulam.[S124] The Island of Buluma (Bulam, or Boulam) was off the West coast of Africa and there was an abortive attempt to establish a British settlement there in 1792, partly to demonstrate that, if slavery was abolished, the Africans would be capable of enjoying freedom and becoming more civilized.[S125]
SECOND MARRIAGE
On 9SEP1795, Sir John married JANE DAVENPORT, nee SEEL. She was the daughter of Robert Seel of Liverpool, and the widow of SIR THOMAS DAVENPORT M.P.[S113] Sir Thomas was one of His Majesty's Sergeant-at-Arms [S101] who had died in March 1786.[S14] They had no children.[S113]
DEATH
He died in Bloomsbury Square, London on 28MAY1798 (see his biographical notice) [S14] and was buried at Bath Abbey [S13] [S16].
DEATH OF HIS WIDOW
His widow Jane died 19SEP1826, and the following announcement appeared in the Times newspaper:[S101]
"
On Tuesday evening, the 19th inst., at her house in Gower-street, Bedford-square, Dowager Lady Riggs Miller, widow of Sir John Riggs Miller, Bart., (father of the late Baronet), and formerly Lady Davenport, relict of the late Sir Thomas Davenport, one of His Majesty's Sergeants-at-Law.
"
Her Will, dated 30JLY1798 with codicil dated 12FEB1820, memorandum dated 15MAY1822 and codicil dated 21JLY1824, was proved in London 10OCT1826 [S45]. The Will directed her Executors that she desired her "body to be buried in Hendon Church Yard Middlesex in the same Grave with my late Mother Anne Seel and I desire my Executors will cause a Monument to be put up in Hendon Church to the memory of my late dear Mother and myself but not to be an expensive one or exceed one hundred pounds expense." However, the codicil revoked "the direction given to my Executors in and by my said will to erect a Monument in Hendon Church to the Memory of my late Dear Mother and myself it being my wish and desire that no such Monument be Erected".
CHILDREN
John and Anne had a son and a daughter: [S113]
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JOHN EDWARD (AUGUSTUS?) RIGGS MILLER
The reference to John Edward in his mother's entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography [S112] states he had a third christian name of Augustus. That is also stated in his entry in the Alumni Oxonienses [S117] (which may however have been the source for the former). In all other records that have been found, he is referred to only as Sir John Edward RIGGS MILLER, and that is how he described himself in his Will, where he would have been expected to state his full name.
The Alumni Oxonienses states he was born in France [S117] (where Walpole's Letter on the Millers says his parents moved to, after spending what funds they then had). It also says he matriculated 15OCT1789 aged 19 [S117], i.e. born in 1769 or 1770. This is consistent with the case papers for Travers and others v Miller and others which say he died "aged about 55 years"[S13], i.e. born about 1770, but his monument in Bath Abbey says he died on 02AUG1825 aged 57, i.e. born 1767 or 1768.
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JANE ELIZABETH RIGGS MILLER
It is not currently known when Jane Elizabeth was born (as stated above her parents married in AUG1765 and her mother died in JUN1781). Low states that she was the heir to her mother.
She became the wife of John WHEATLEY, Esquire [S13] [S44] and under the terms of her brother's Will received the income from his properties in Cork during her lifetime.[S44]. She was still alive in APR1826 when an Allegation was brought by the Executors of her brother's will, against his widow and "Jane Elizabeth Wheatley (wife of John Wheatley Esquire) the natural and lawful sister and only next of kin of the said deceased".[S13]
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