THOMAS  JOHN  RIGGS-MILLER  formerly  RYAN

BACKGROUND

Sir John Edward RIGGS MILLER's Will set up a trust involving a 'fee tail' whereby inheritance of the the income from the freehold estates concerned could not be sold or devised by will, but passed to that person's heirs upon his or her death:

• In the event of Sir John Edward dying without leaving any children by his wife Ellen, the residual estate was to pass to the executors upon trust until "John MANVERS now of the age of 2 years and 9 months or thereabouts shall attain the age of 24 years". Once John Manvers had reached the age of 24, then the income from the trust was to be held for use by him and after his death for use by his eldest son or, in the absence of sons, for use by his eldest daughter, and on their death passed on to their eldest son or, in the absence of sons, the eldest daughter in the same way.
• If John Manvers died without leaving any children, then the income from the trust was for the use of "Eliza MILLER Spinster the younger daughter of the late John MILLER of 'Troonah' [Toonagh] near Ennis in the County of Clare". After her death it was for the use of her eldest son or, in the absence of sons, her eldest daughter, and on their death passed on to their eldest son or, in the absence of sons, the eldest daughter in the same way.
• "For default of such issue to the use of my own right heirs for ever provided always" i.e. a tenancy 'in remainder'.
• The persons entitled to possession of his freehold estates "shall take the surnames of RIGGS MILLER only and not in addition to or together or alone with any other surname and bear my arms". If any of them "refuse or neglect to take such surnames and bear the arms and to take and use the steps and means which shall be requisite or proper to enable and authorize him so to do for the space of one year next after becoming entitled to the possession of the said freehold estates or any of them or any part or parts thereof" or if he is under 21 years within one year after attaining the age of 21, then they will not inherit any part of the estates.
  "the said freehold estates shall immediately thereupon go to the person next in remainder in the same manner as if the person whose Estate shall so cease determine and become void being tenant for life was dead or being tenant in tail was dead without issue".

CHANGE OF SURNAME

Thomas John RIGGS-MILLER, Esq, of Tyone, co.Tipperary, a J.P. for co.Tipperary, "assumed by Royal Licence in 1889 the names of Riggs-Miller in lieu of Ryan, in compliance with the Will of Sir John Edward Riggs-Miller, Bart".[S68] The date of the change was 15APR1889, according to page 417 of that year's Dublin Gazette [S126]. This was a year after John RIGGS MILLER alias John MANVERS had died childless, and as a result Thomas John RIGGS-MILLER inherited the income from the estates of Sir John Edward RIGGS MILLER.

THOMAS JOHN RYAN'S RELATIONSHIP

Thomas John RYAN assumed the name OF RIGGS-MILLER one year after the death of John RIGGS MILLER, formerly MANVERS. Because of the successive trusts stipulated in the Will of Sir John Edward RIGGS MILLER, it means that:

EITHER Thomas John RYAN was a descendant of Eliza MILLER (inheriting the tenancy 'in fee tail')

OR Neither Eliza MILLER nor any descendants she might have had were still alive in 1888
(in which case Thomas John RYAN was a next of kin of Sir John Edward RIGGS MILLER, inheriting the tenancy 'in remainder').

If Thomas John RYAN inherited as a next of kin of Sir John Edward RIGGS MILLER, there may have been other next of kin also entitled to share the estates with Thomas John. provided they too took steps to assume the name of RIGGS-MILLER within one year of the death of John RIGGS MILLER, formerly MANVERS.