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JOHN EDWARD AUGUSTUS MILLER, later RIGGS MILLER
BIRTH
John Edward is often referred to with his third forename of Augustus omitted, including in his Will, where he would normally have been expected to state his full names.
The Alumni Oxonienses [S117] states he was born in Paris, France (Walpole's Letter on the Millers says his parents moved to France after spending what funds they then had). It also says he matriculated 15OCT1789 aged 19, i.e. born in 1769 or 1770, which 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. His monument in Bath Abbey, however, says he died on 02AUG1825 aged 57, i.e. born 1767 or 1768.
EDUCATION
Alumni Oxonienses [S117] states that he matriculated from Christ Church College, Oxford, 15OCT1789:
"Miller, (Sir) John Edward Augustus (Bart.), born in Paris, France, s. John, baronet. CHRIST CHURCH, matric. 15 Oct 1789, aged 19; 2nd baronet, bar-at-law, Lincoln's Inn, 1794, dead before June, 1836, father of John Riggs Miller, 1833."
The Black Books of Lincoln's Inn [S131] (one of the four Inns of Court) state that "Miller, John Edward Augustus" was 'called to the Bar' (i.e. became a barrister-at-law 21NOV1794.
CHANGE OF NAME TO "RIGGS MILLER"
His entries in Alumni Oxonienses and The Black Books of Lincoln's Inn, referred to above, are under the name of MILLER, which implies that, although his father Sir John MILLER changed his name to RIGGS MILLER in 1788, John Edward may not have done so until he inherited the baronetcy.
BARONETCY
He would have applied to the College of Arms to become the second baronet when his father died (on 28MAY1798). He is normally referred to as Sir John Edward RIGGS MILLER, Bart, his third forename Augustus only having been found in earlier references to him as MILLER. His second name was also sometimes omitted and he was normally referred to as Sir John RIGGS MILLER (and erroneously by Holworthy as Sir John RIGGS). Other than when a source only uses his first name (or his first three forenames in full), he is referred to here by his first two forenames to distinguish him from his father
MARRIAGE
Walker's Hibernian Magazine [S32] announced the marriage in NOV1801 (date not quoted) of Sir John RIGGS MILLER, Bt. and Miss BEAUCHAMP (first name not quoted), elder daughter and co-heir of the late John Beauchamp, of Pingness, Cornwall.
From Sir John Edward's Will, and an Allegation brought when it was probated [S13], her first name was Ellen. When she died on 5SEP1860, the newspaper announcement of her death stated she was aged 84, which implies she was born circa 1775/6 [S140]: the 1851 census quotes her age as 73, which implies she was born circa 1777/8 [S87].
PUBLIC LIFE
The Times on 24AUG1803 (Page 3 Column B) reported that "Sir John Riggs Miller, of Ringmer, near Lewes," (in the county of Sussex) "is raising a very respectable troop of Cavalry, who are to mount and equip themselves without any expence (sic) to Government." This was at the time of the Napoleonic Wars.
PROPERTIES
 The newspaper report of persons who obtained game certificates for the year 1817 in the county of Oxford included reference to William Roberts assessed as a servant by Sir John RIGGS MILLER "for Swalcliffe, Shutford, Hook-Norton, and Wigginton"and also "for Tadmarton".[S141] Swalcliffe House is some 5 miles west-south-west of Banbury, in Grange Lane, Swalcliffe (Map © 2009 Google - Map data © 2009 Tele Atlas).
Documents relating to an Allegation brought in 1826 when his Will was probated (see below) describe him as "formerly of Ballycasey, Co. Clare, Ireland, and of Swalcliffe House, near Banbury, Oxon.; late of Dallington, Northants".[S13] Dallington is now a suburb of Northampton (about 1 mile north-west of the city centre). When he and his wife each subscribed to 5 copies of Antoinette Baroness de Poly's book "Memoirs of the Family de Poly" published in Northampton in 1822, it included them in the List of Subscribers as 'Sir John Riggs Miller, Bart. Dallington' and 'Lady Riggs Miller, Ditto'.[S122]
Various deeds are held at Cornwall Record Office relating to setts granted to third parties to search for mineral rights in properties in Cornwall, in which Lady Ellen would have inherited part ownership as co-heir of the late John Beauchamp:
1. Prior to Sir John Edward's death, these were entered into, for example, by Sir John Edward Riggs Miller of Dallington, Northants, and Dame Ellen, his wife, Rev. James [...] Blencowe of Hill House, Oxon, and Ann Cranmer, his wife.
2. Those from October 1841 onwards were entered into, for example, by Dame Ellen Riggs Miller, widow of Sidmouth, "lunatic" and Rev. James Blencowe of Sidmouth, both as clerk of the committee of her estate and as her brother-in-law.
3. After Dame Ellen's death, there are deeds entered into by "John Riggs Miller, 15 Southwick Crescent, Middlesex, esq" (previously known as John MANVERS).
DEATH
He died on 2AUG1825 "At Dallington, near Northampton".[S135] His Will dated 30JLY1818 states that "I desire that my body may be interred within the abbey Church of Bath and that there may be a plain monument with my name & age and my fathers name and age and expressing also that he was buried there as well as my maternal Grandmother Mrs Margt Riggs".[S44] The monument shows he died aged 57, though another source states he died "aged about 55 years".[S13]
HIS WIDOW
Sir John Edward's Will states "To my dear wife Ellen for whom I feel the most tender love and deep respect I leave no property in land or money because she is sufficiently provided for by our marriage settlement, and by the moiety of the Beauchamp Estate".[S44]
When it was probated on 19APR1826, an Allegation was brought by the Executors in proving the will,[S13] "against Dame Ellen Riggs Miller Widow the lawful Relict of the said deceased, now of unsound mind and incapable of managing her estate acting by Ann Cranmer Blencowe (wife of the Reverend James Blencowe) of Pengreep [Cornwall] the Committee of her person, and the said Reverend James Blencowe Committee of her Estates appointed by the authority of the High Court of Chancery of Great Britain, and also against Jane Elizabeth Wheatley (wife of John Wheatley Esquire) the natural and lawful sister and only next of kin of the said deceased". The papers accompanying the Allegation include a number of drafts of his Will, with some pages missing, and other correspondence.[S13]
The English census of 1841 lists Ellen MILLER age 60-64 and of independent means, living at Cleave House in St Thomas Apostle parish in Exeter, Devon, with a woman age 40-44 also of independent means (possibly a resident companion), 5 female servants and 1 male servant.[S87A] The 1851 census lists Lady RIGGS MILLER living at Great Cleeves, in St Thomas Apostle parish in Exeter, Devon, with a resident companion and a housemaid, together with 4 servants who had been with her in the 1841 Census (two attendants, a cook, and a male house-servant). Lady RIGGS MILLER is shown as having been born in Penzance, Cornwall, England, and as then being aged 73, which means that she was born about 1777/78.[S87B]
She died on 5SEP1860 at Cleve House, near Exeter, Devon, the newspaper announcement referring to her as "Lady Riggs MILLER, relict of Sir John Riggs MILLER, Bart., and eldest daughter of the late John Beauchamp, Esq., of Pengreep, Cornwall, aged 84."[S140] Her death was registered in the July-September quarter of 1860 in St Thomas Registration District of Devon (which included Exeter) as Ellen Riggs MILLER.[S95]
CHILDREN
Sir John Edward RIGGS MILLER and Lady Ellen had no children.
HIS WILL
Sir John Edward was the only son of Sir John (the first to adopt the surname RIGGS MILLER) and, faced by the prospect of dying childless, he wished the surname RIGGS MILLER to be perpetuated by other means. His Will therefore stipulated that the person entitled to possession of his freehold estates must take the surnames of RIGGS MILLER and bear his arms:
- It specified that person firstly as JOHN MANVERS and any son of his (in order of birth) or failing that the husband of any daughter (in order of birth).
- If that line of succession died out, then the estates were to go in similar priority from ELIZA MILLER.
- If Eliza MILLER's line also died out, the estates were to go to his next of kin who would be entitled (under the Statute of Distribution of Intestates Effects) to his personal estate as if he had died intestate.
ANY SUBSEQUENT RIGGS MILLER OR RIGGS-MILLER IS THEREFORE NOT DESCENDED FROM THE ORIGINAL SIR JOHN RIGGS-MILLER.
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