4.

JOHN RIGGS MILLER
formerly JOHN MANVERS

BIRTH

Sir John Edward's Will referred to "JOHN MANVERS born the 10th October 1815 and now residing at MRS BENGE Widow No 33 Upper Eaton Street Pimlico in London" (see the 1841 census below), and that he was "of the age of 2 years and 9 months or thereabouts" when the Will was signed on 30JLY1818 (i.e. born about October 1815). According to the Census Returns in 1851, 1871 and 1881 (see below), he was born in Ireland.

He has an entry (in the name of John RIGGS-MILLER) in the Alumni Oxonienses that states he was the only son of "John, of Cork (city), baronet".[S117] His marriage certificate (see below) was obtained in an attempt to throw more light on his father. Intriguingly, it claims his father was a 'John RIGGS MILLER, Esquire'. It is possible that John MANVERS was born illegitimately and this was entered to hide that fact. But it is far more likely that he may have regarded himself as having effectively been 'adopted' by Sir John Edward RIGGS MILLER: lavish provision was made for him in Sir John Edward's Will, and formal adoption was not legally available until the beginning of the twentieth century. However, his marriage certificate claims his father was 'John RIGGS MILLER Esquire', not 'Sir John Edward RIGGS MILLER, Baronet'.

CHANGE OF SURNAME TO RIGGS MILLER

The Alumni Oxonienses states John MANVERS "assumed the names of RIGGS-MILLER (sic) in lieu of MANVERS by royal licence" 3AUG1826,[S117] which was one year after Sir John Edward's death and John MANVERS was only about 10 years old. Though Sir John Edward had stipulated in His Will that the necessary steps for the change of surname had to be within one year after his death, he had also made allowance, if the person to inherit the estates was under 21 years, that the steps had to be taken instead within one year after attaining the age of 21. The change of surname was therefore unnecessarily early in terms of the conditions of the Will.

CHARLOTTE FRANCES MARY BENGE

Sir John Edward RIGGS MILLER's Will [S44] included a payment of £200 each year from rent charges to "Miss CHARLOTTE FRANCES BENGE, daughter of Mrs BENGE Widow now residing at No 33 Upper Eaton Street Pimlico London". This is the same address as that quoted in the Will for John MANVERS, and it is very likely that Charlotte acted as a nurse cum foster mother to John RIGGS MILLER, formerly MANVERS, whilst he was growing up.

In the 1841 Census of England, (see below) Charlotte Benge, age 56-60 and Frederick Benge, a clerk age 46-50 (presumably her brother), were living at Sloane Street, in the parish of St Luke, Chelsea. John MILLER (sic) was living with them and they had one male servant and two female servants.

Charlotte was visiting John in Goodnestone, Kent at the time of the 1851 Census, (see below) and was described as an unmarried (sic) 73-year-old living on 'Mortgages, etc.' and born in London. Her death was registered in the third quarter of 1854 in Eastry Registration District (the District in Kent which included Goodnestone) and, in the Will of Charlotte Frances Mary BENGE of Rowling, Kent, dated 30NOV1848 and proved 11AUG1854,[S78] John RIGGS MILLER was the sole surviving executor and the beneficiary of the residual estate.

EDUCATION

Sir John Edward's Will gave him an annual income of £300 until the age of 24, and provided for the trustees to pay up to £400 a year pay for "his maintenance education clothing and bringing up or for the use of the said John Manvers until he shall attain the age of 24 years".

Alumni Oxonienses [S117] states that John RIGGS-MILLER matriculated from Trinity College at Oxford University on 17APR1833 age 17, was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1837, and a Master of Arts degree in 1841:

"Miller, John Riggs-, o.s. John, of Cork (city), baronet. TRINITY COLL., matric. 17 Apr 1833, aged 17; B.A. 1837, M.A. 1841, of Goodneston, Kent, assumed the names of RIGGS-MILLER in lieu of MANVERS by royal licence 3 Aug., 1826. See Eton School Lists."

DISPUTE OVER SIR JOHN EDWARD RIGGS MILLER'S WILL

In 1832, a Case in Chancery - "MILLER v TRAVERS (1832)" - was heard against the executors of Sir John Edward Riggs Miller's Will to establish the Will and carry its trusts into effect. It was brought in the name of John RIGGS MILLER. There was a problem caused by the fact that:
(a) Sir John Edward had devised "all his freehold and real estates whatsoever, situate in the county of Limerick, and in the city of Limerick", when in fact he had no real estate in County Limerick;
(b) It was said that he had estates in County Clare that were not referred to in the Will.
John RIGGS MILLER lost his case with the ruling that "use of extrinsic evidence is inconsistent with the rule that the testator's intention is to be gathered from the words of the will and that new words cannot be added".[S53]

MARRIAGE

A Dublin newspaper on Saturday 7NOV1846 [S138] reported the marriage "On the 4th instant, at Paddington, John RIGGS MILLER, Esq., of Ballacasey (sic) county Clare, to Henrietta, fourth daughter of the late Rev. George Edward COX, rector of Hinxworth, Herts."

The marriage is shown in the GRO indexes in the fourth quarter of 1846 in the Kensington Registration District of London.[S114] and the certificate which has been obtained states that it took place on 4NOV1846 at St John's Church, Paddington, with 'both of full age'. John RIGGS MILLER is shown as an 'Esquire' and his name is entered without the addition of 'formerly Manvers'. He is shown as living in the parish of Saint Luke's Chelsea and Henrietta as living at 15 Southwick Crescent (see 1861 Census below).

A recent researcher's Family Tree [S72] shows that Henrietta was born about 1807 probably in Hinxworth, Hertfordshire.

WIFE'S DEATH

The same researcher's Family Tree shows that Henrietta died on 2JLY1847 in 'Goodnesham' (sic), Kent (see 1851 Census below). A newspaper report on Saturday 24JUL1847 [S139] reported the death "At Rowling, near Wingham, Kent, Henrietta, wife of John RIGGS MILLER, Esq." The GRO indexes show the death of a Henrietta MILLER registered in the third quarter of 1847 in Eastry Registration District [S115] (the District in Kent that included Goodnestone and Wingham).

PUBLIC LIFE

Sir John Riggs MILLER is included in a number of Lists of Subscriptions appearing in the Times in response to various charitable appeals, namely:
- in August 1815, £20.00 to the "Waterloo Subscription, Thatched House, St James's St" (Westminster, London), whose Chairman was H.R.H. the Duke of York athe Rt.Hon.Viscount Palmerston - the Secretary of War, eventually becoming Prime Minister - reported as having been added to the Committee). The preceding item referred to the Waterloo Subscription at the City of London Tavern, reporting that it had been opened "for the special relief and benefit of the families of the brave men killed, and of the wounded sufferers of the British Army under the command of the illustrious Wellington, in the signal victory of Waterloo, and in the several battles of the present Campaign."[S128]
- in October 1818, £20.00 to "the Fund for the relief and support of the distressed inhabitants of the Off Islands" (the item being prefixed as referring to the Scilly Isles); the List was headed by a subscription from the Prince Regent for £300.00.[S129]
- in January 1820, £10.00 to "afford temporary relief to the destitute, and nightly shelter to the houseless, during the present inclement season", the President being the Lord Mayor of London.[S130]
It must be remembered that £20.00 in 1815 is the equivalent at today's value of approx.£1,250.00.

An index to the contents of the Dover Telegraph newspaper dated 04MAY1850 (page 8 column 3) refers to J. Riggs MILLER, Esq, of Godmanstone, with occupation listed as "Guardians", but I haven't yet obtained more details of this reference.

CENSUS RETURNS AND PROPERTIES

1841 CENSUS: In the 1841 Census of England,[S121] John MILLER (sic), aged 25-29 and born outside Middlesex, was living at Sloane Street, in the parish of St Luke, Chelsea. The implied head of the household (entered first) was Frederick Benge, a clerk age 50-54, and Charlotte Benge, age 60-64, both born in Middlesex (in 1841 all ages of 15 and over were normally entered as a multiple of 5 years, for example ages between 25 and 29 were entered as 25). John was of independent means, and they had one male servant and two female servants.

1851 CENSUS: In the 1851 Census of England,[S73] John MILLER (sic), a 33-year-old widower born in Ireland, was the head of the household at Rowling House, Goodnestone, Kent. He was a 'Landed Proprietor', and had four servants. Visiting him at that time were Ann HORN, a 72-year-old married 'Fund Holder' born in London, Middlesex and Catherine ALMACK, a 16-year-old born in Milford, Sussex.

1861 CENSUS: John RIGGS MILLER or John MILLER has not been found in the 1861 Census for England and may have been either resident or visiting in Ireland at that time. Rowling House (where he was living in the 1851 census) is not listed, but there were two uninhabited houses in the Rowling hamlet of Goodnestone.[S80]
Neither was he found at 15 Southwick Crescent, Paddington (where he was living in the 1871 census): in the 1861 census this was inhabited by his mother-in-law Mary S.COX, then aged 87 (who had as servants a footman, cook, kitchen maid and housemaid). Living with her were her son George and three unmarried daughters (one of whom had the same forenames, Charlotte Frances, as CHARLOTTE FRANCES BENGE).[S81]

1871 CENSUS: In the 1871 Census of England,[S74] "Jas"(sic) Riggs MILLER, a 51-year-old widower born in Ireland, was living at 15 Southwick Crescent, Paddington, London. He is shown as a 'Land Owner & Dividends';. The head of houshold was his brother-in-law George COX, an unmarried Land Owner aged 72, living with George's three unmarried sisters who were all in receipt of 'Dividends, etc' (together with a butler, cook and housemaid).
A George COX had witnessed one of the codicils to the will of Ellen, wife of Sir John Edward RIGGS MILLER, in February 1820 and again in July 1824, as a clerk in the Inner Temple. In October 1826 when the Will was probated, he verified her signature to a further handwritten codicil dated May 1822, stating he was well acquainted with her. In October 1826 he was described as "of the Inner Temple London Gentleman".[S45] This may well be Henrietta's brother, George Henry COX,[S72] and thus John RIGGS MILLER's brother-in-law.

1876 RETURN OF OWNERS OF LAND IN IRELAND: The Lists for co. Clare include an entry for "John R. MILLER - 15, Southwick Crescent, Hyde Park, London, W. - 173 acres".[S85]

1881 CENSUS: In the 1881 Census of England,[S75] he is shown as John MILLER, a 61-year-old widower born in Ireland, at 30 Hyde Park Gardens, London. He was living on 'Income for Land & Dividends', and visiting Harriet's sisters Susannah COX and Jane NELSON, the widowed head of the household (which also contained a footman, cook and two housemaids).

DEATH

A Creditor's Notice appeared in the Times [S109] for:

" the Estate of JOHN RIGGS MILLER, late of 15, Southwick-crescent, Hyde Park, in the county of Middlesex, deceased, (who died on the 9th day of April, 1888, at 15, Southwick-crescent, Hyde Park aforesaid, and whose will was proved in the Principal Registry of the Probate Division of Her Majesty's High Court of Justice, on the 30th day of July, 1888. "

CHILDREN

John married Henrietta Cox in the fourth quarter of 1846 and she died 2JLY1847 in Eastry Registration District (see above). There is no birth of a RIGGS MILLER, RIGGS-MILLER or Riggs MILLER registered in that Registration District from the fourth quarter of 1846 to the third quarter of 1847 inclusive (only a Mary Ann MILLER in the fourth quarter of 1846).

THE RIGGS MILLER ESTATES

So John RIGGS MILLER, formerly John MANVERS, left no children. Under the terms of Sir John Edward's Will therefore, on the death of the former JOHN MANVERS without issue, the estates should pass to Eliza MILLER or her surviving issue. In fact, the name of RIGGS MILLER was next assumed by THOMAS JOHN RYAN of Nenagh, co.Tipperary.