James Miller born in County Antrim in 1839

[Elwyn Soutter]

I really wouldn’t worry about the spelling of the surname. No-one bothered about a single “correct” spelling in the 1800s. Expect it to vary.

If you send me a pm with your e-mail address, I’ll send you the picture of the Miller house. I also have a picture of the former Bell house on the Castle Rd (now coincidentally owned by a Mr Miller, but not connected to your line I think), plus the church where the couple married.

I know of someone else who was researching these two families about 4 years ago. I’ll give you the details.

5 Miller/Millar households in Magherabeg in Griffiths Valuation in 1862. Likewise in the 1901 census. Some, indeed perhaps all of them, will be related to each other.

The revaluation records show John Millar on plot 27 in Magherabeg. That changes to Jane in 1878 following his death and then to Mathew in 1885 (indicating Jane died around then too). Here’s Mathew and family in 1901:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Sharvogues/Magherabeg/920239/

John Millar’s will (which is on-line on the PRONI site) confirms Mathew is his son and was bequeathed the farm. So Mathew is a brother to your James Millar who married Ann Bell.  The will mentions your James (who got £25), dau Mary who got £100,  dau Eliza Fallon who got £100 and dau Isabella Collins who got £25.

Mathew’s name appears against the farm through until 1929 when the series of revaluation records ceases.

Here’s the other 4 farms near to “your” farm.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Sharvogues/Magherabeg/920240/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Sharvogues/Magherabeg/920247/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Sharvogues/Magherabeg/920236/

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Antrim/Sharvogues/Magherabeg/920237/

[Matt1979]

Thanks very much for all the details - this is really fascinating.  I will send a private message later with my e-mail address.

I remembered after you mentioned the different spellings of Miller that I have also come across inaccurate spellings on censuses. 

James Miller wasn't a relative of mine, by the way.  He, or rather one of his daughters, is connected to an American family I am researching.

Some of my ancestors, whose family name Thorne, had their name misspelt as Thorn or Thorns on one or two censuses.  Even my great-great grandad was registered as Joseph "Thorns" instead of Joseph Thorne.

[Matt1979]

I have seen marriage certificates for the Miller family on the General Register Office for Northern Ireland website and I found that both the bride and groom couldn't write - the certificates have "the mark" of the bride and groom as a cross.  I know many people couldn't read and write in the nineteenth century and I have the impression that with farming families, as soon as the children were old enough, they went to work on the farm.

It is also noticeable that the bride's occupation was never recorded, I am assuming that she would have worked on the farm, although Elwyn has told me that farmer's daughters in Randalstown often made corsets.

[Elwyn Soutter]

It is also noticeable that the bride's occupation was never recorded, I am assuming that she would have worked on the farm, although Elwyn has told me that farmer's daughters in Randalstown often made corsets.

I don't think corsets making was a normal occupation for farmers daughters. Just that I know that in this particular case two of them did run such a business from the farm. Taking advantage of the fact that it was a busy road, for many years there was a big sign up by the farm, advertising their products.

[Matt1979]

It is also noticeable that the bride's occupation was never recorded, I am assuming that she would have worked on the farm, although Elwyn has told me that farmer's daughters in Randalstown often made corsets.

I don't think corsets making was a normal occupation for farmers daughters. Just that I know that in this particular case two of them did run such a business from the farm. Taking advantage of the fact that it was a busy road, for many years there was a big sign up by the farm, advertising their products.

This is interesting.  I think it was typical how they didn't record a bride's occupation if she had one.

[Matt1979]

I have been looking for Magerabeg recently on Google Maps and I can't find it as a place name.  All I can find is Magerabeg Road that leads north from Craigstown Road.  Did the name Magherabeg refer to the name of the road in Victorian times?

I have also had contact with James Miller's descendant and an odd fact I found was that his grave says he was born in 1835, yet his ages on the 1900 and 1910 United States censuses show that he was born in 1838 or 1839.

It was also intersting to see that a number of people on the censuses for the Magerabeg area couldn't read or write.

[aghadowey]

Up until about 40 years ago there wouldn't have been road names- everyone would have used their townland as a address (which is why that's an important detail when researching Irish history).

When the councils brought in road names they often, but not always, used the local townland names.

Have you tried searching for Magherabeg (the correct spelling)?

[Matt1979]

Up until about 40 years ago there wouldn't have been road names- everyone would have used their townland as a address (which is why that's an important detail when researching Irish history).

When the councils brought in road names they often, but not always, used the local townland names.

Have you tried searching for Magherabeg (the correct spelling)?

Thanks for the details - I wasn't aware of how there were no road names and I previously didn't know about townlands in Ireland.  I did search using the Correct spelling of Magherabeg - the wrong spelling in  my past was just a typing error .

[iluleah]

Magherabeg townland is in Dromore parish, Dromore is County Down and Magherabeg  means 'small plain' in a county that is called a 'basket of eggs' because of all the drumlins ( small hills that make it look like a basket of eggs)

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rosdavies/MAPS/DromoreTownlands.htm