Captain John Mills ( Black Hole of Calcutta)

[welshwonder]

ames Mills
Age:    21
Estimated Birth Year:    abt 1820
Gender:    Male
Where born:    Middlesex, England
   
Civil parish:    St Mary Le Strand
Hundred:    Westminster
County/Island:    Middlesex
Country:    England
   
Street Address:
Hoping that this maybe him in the 1841 census as he was employed as a porter I think at Liberty's though it say's that he worked at Christies how do I check that this is now him if they didn't have birth certificates ?
Occupation:
   
.
   
Registration district:    Strand
Sub-registration district:    St Mary
Neighbors:    View others on page
Piece:    741
Book:    1
Folio:    39
Page Number:    28

[Valda]

Hi

There is no question on the marriage certificate which specifies whether a father was dead or not. It was the custom and practice of some officials to ask the question and note it down. Many did not, though more did as the the century wore on. It was the custom and practice of some officials if the information was supplied (even if it wasn't asked for) to note it down. Again many did not. Churches in London were often marrying quite a number of people on anyone day, so they wouldn't spend a lot of time on the details before moving onto the next couple. Elizabeth may have supplied the information because her father would not be present to 'give her away'.

By 1860 nearly all churchyards in central London had shut and burials were in civic cemeteries that had consecrated ground - for Anglicans and non-consecrated ground for others. With a death registered in St George Hanover Square - Westminster, the first cemeteries to check would be Westminster ones. Westminster cemeteries because of space were established outside the borough.

Checking most of the civic cemeteries in London would be a mammoth task - there are over 150 of them, though not all of these would have been open in 1860.


Westminster cemeteries

Hanwell cemetery opened in 1854 and East Finchley opened in 1855. Paddington opened in 1855. If he was buried by the poor law guardians then some Westminster poor law unions had a deal with Brookwood Cemetery in Woking Surrey which opened in 1854. There was a train service with its own special platform which went straight to the cemetery.

Westminster council hold the records for Hanwell and East Finchley. Westminster controversially sold all its cemeteries in 1987 for 15 pence. These two cemeteries were neglected and following a public outcry Westminster was forced to buy them back. Paddington cemetery had been sold to Brent council however and they still maintain it.

Westminster cemetery office

http://www.westminster.gov.uk/services/communityandliving/burials/

Westminster Archives guide to cemetery registers

http://www.westminster.gov.uk/workspace/assets/publications/Info-Sheet-07-Cemetery-Regs-1278423620.pdf

Brookwood cemetery registers are held on microfilm at Surrey History Centre.

Brookwood cemetery

http://www.brookwoodcemetery.com/


Finding James or his brothers' burials will not help with establishing further information on their parents.

If Thomas senior, his father, died before the 1841 census it is more likely he was buried in a churchyard, though Kensal Green cemetery opened in 1833.


Regards

Valda

[Valda]

Hi


Then not the family in Chelsea you first thought?

1841 census HO107 688/15 folio 50
George Street Chelsea
Mary Mills 45 born Ireland
Thomas Mills 20 M S
Daniel Mills 15 M S
James Mills 12 Servant?
all born in county except Mary. Adult ages those over 15, usually rounded down to the nearest 5 on the 1841 census.


You would know from James' age at death on his death certificate which age is nearest. 12 would give a birth year of circa 1828/1829. The James in St Mary Le Strand since he was over the age of 15 would be likely to have an age that was rounded down to the nearest 5, so an age anywhere between 21 and 24 birth year between circa 1817/1818- 1819/1820.


Regards

Valda

[baroff]

I have just read the following useful book by Brijen K Gupta "Sirajuddaullah and the East India Company 1756-1757". In which Captain John Mill's diary is quoted extensively. Captain John Mills, although recorded in the press as being the one of the survivors of the Black Hole of Calcutta, was in fact released the day before the incident.  However, of those actually incarcerated was a Mr Mills - no initial given. One of my uncles photographed the memorial to John Mills Esq at the old St Pancras graveyard some 40 years ago. At the time part of the memorial had broken away and what was left read as follows "also the aforesaid JOHN MILLS Esq who departed this life 20th July 1811 Aged 90 years he was the last survivor of the few persons who came out of the Black Hole of Calcutta in Bengal in the year 1756"  This would then make his date of birth 1721 rather than 1727