I am surmising
that W B Miller (as the name appears in Chailey’s parish magazine), is actually William Richard Miller, the ‘R’
having been mis-transcribed as a ‘B’. Certainly, a William Richard
Miller solution fits better into the Chailey picture than a W B Miller one and in the absence of other information I have
assumed that this man is William Richard.
William Richard
Miller was born in Lewes, Sussex in 1879, his birth being registered in the September quarter of that
year. He appears on the 1881 census of England and Wales as a one
year old infant living at Old Malling, Sussex. The family comprised Benjamin Miller (head, aged 32 and working as an agricultural labourer), his 31 year
old wife Harriet and their three children: Albert J Miller (a six year old scholar), Elizabeth Rosa Miller (aged three) and
William Richard (aged one).
He appears on
the 1891 census as an eleven year old scholar still living at Old Malling. . Elizabeth R Miller does not appear on the census but his parents and Albert do, along
with some more siblings: Edward Alfred Miller (aged nine), Alice Jane Miller (aged seven), Joseph Charles Miller (aged five)
and Edgar Stanley Miller (aged two).
He appears on
the 1901 census of England and Wales as a twenty one year old miller’s carter living at the family home: Anchor Cottage, Barcombe, Sussex. The family comprised
53 year old Benjamin Miller (a miller’s carter), his 52 year old wife Harriet (a caretaker) and three sons: William
Richard Miller (aged 21; a miller’s carter), Joseph Charles Miller (a fifteen year old carter’s apprentice) and
Edgar Stanley Miller (a 12 year old scholar). By this time, Albert Miller was
living in Mayfield with a young family of his own (and coincidentally living next door to another Albert Miller who was possibly
a relative) and Alice Miller was working as a housemaid at Little Buckingham Farm, Old Shoreham. I can find no trace of Edward.
Chailey Parish
Magazine first notes him in January 1918 as Private W B Miller MT. There are
no Private W B Millers listed on the National Archives’ on-line medal index card register with Army Service Corps
Motorised Transport connections but there are a couple of William R Miller possibilities.
One of these is M2/227378 Private William R Miller and the other is DM2/097428 Private William R Miller. The information in Chailey’s parish magazine is repeated up to and including the final published
roll in July 1919 and it seems likely that he was conscripted into the army.
Three of William’s
brothers – Albert, Edgar and Joseph – also served their King and Country during the First World War.
Sources and Acknowledgements
- 1881 Census of England and Wales
- 1891 Census of England and Wales
- 1901 Census of England and Wales
- The National Archives: Medal Index Card
- Chailey Parish Magazine
