"What Do You Mean 'Squirrel Scalps'?!"

According to author, Christopher Knauss, "During the period of the settlement and Revolutionary War, Cecil County developed into a farming community at the head of the bay. The main exports were animal skins, tobacco and other agricultural products, usually shipped from the town ports that developed at strategic locations. Farming was so important to the economy that squirrels and crows became a destructive problem and legislators put a bounty on their head. As money was scarce, citizens were allowed to pay their taxes with squirrels and crows." (from Maritime Cecil County by Christopher Knauss; italics added).

Early records from Cecil County, Maryland show that our ancestors joined in the great squirrel hunt! The following names show up on "Constable George Catto's List of Persons Paid for Squirrel Scalps Burnt in the Year 1761": Abraham Miller, William Miller, James Miller and Andrew Miller (History of Cecil County, Maryland" by George Johnston).*

These old records are actually invaluable, as they indicate that the Miller clan was apparently living in Back Creek Hundred during this era, as they also show up in the list of "Taxables in Back Creek Hundred in 1766," where we see Abraham and Andrew listed, as well as Benjamin with "one slave and one dog", and William with "two dogs."

This is also the era that Abraham worked as an Overseer of Roads.

The Millers show up even earlier in "The "Taxable Persons in Cecil County in 1752" list.

And if you guys are up there watching, that wasn't me feeding those varmints this afternoon...that was just someone that looked like me!

[* Note: My brother Bill and I once spent an entire day in the largest genealogical library in the world in Salt Lake City. We were there for hours, poring over endless records looking for any tidbit of information about William Miller. At that point in time, we had almost no information about him. Near the end of our time there, Bill found the above record. I'll never forget how disgruntled he was that for all our efforts, the best we could turn up was a record indicating that our ancestors were squirrel scalpers!]

William Miller--A Builder of Boats?

One of the burning questions for all William Miller researchers is whether or not he was truly involved in the business of building boats and ships. Family legends hold fast the notion that he built sloop ships on Chesapeake Bay for General George Washington during the Revolution, and that even after moving west to Fayette County, Pennsylvania, the family carried on the business of boat-building.

Once source of this legend is this page out of a Fayette County history book which talks about "the Millers" helping to build the flat bottom boats along the Yough [Youghiogheny] River which were used to transport pig iron up to Pittsburgh.

While this is likely our William, there is no proof. But circumstantial evidence certainly points that way. Land records show that a William Miller bought property right along this river--something a boat-builder would certainly do.

It is up to future researchers to find more certain proof, but for now, we cling to the thought of an ancestor involved in such a unique profession.

West Nottingham Cemetery is a Presbyterian graveyard in Cecil County, Maryland. This is a transcript of headstones from that old cemetery, which is located in Colora, a small town west of Elkton. Hopefully future research will reveal whether or not this Samuel and Mary Miller are related to our Miller's.

However, it is certain that Rebecca Bradford Miller's father, Samuel Bradford, was of Scotch-Irish background, and thus descended from a people with strong Presbyterian roots.

Whether or not Rebecca's husband, William Miller, descended from such roots remains to be seen.

It is also noted that the birth year of this Samuel Miller (1735) is close to the birth year of our William Miller (1732).

TAX LISTS 1777 – 1779 - Newcastle Co, DE

Microfilm #6531 (partially indexed), researched at FHL in Salt Lake City,
June 2008, by Donna Snider

Notes:
• Could only find records from 1777, 1778, and a small number of 1779, on this microfilm
• Some of the records were indexed by last name, some by first name, and some not indexed at all. Each Hundred was indexed separately for each year. At the end of each Hundred, there were many un-indexed names.
• This was an original record, handwritten, very disorganized. Some pages hard to read.
• There are some unusual spellings or misspellings (such as Read Lion instead of Red Lion).
• Meaning of number following name not given in record

1777:
Read Lyon Hd.
John Allen

St. George’s Hd.
John Allen – 5
William Bradford – 12

Appoquin. Hd.
Wm. Bradford – 8

White Clay Creek Hd.
Isaac Miller – 8
James Miller – 5
John Allen – 8
Andrew Allen – 12
Samuel Bradford – 10

Mill Creek Hd.
Samuel Bradford – 10

Christiana Hd.
Abr Miller – 13
(also found last names: Allen, Allison, Sarah McDowell, Springer & Grubbs; no Bradfords)

Pencader Hd.
Hance Miller – 4
Bravard - 3
(also Allen’s and Allison’s)

Newcastle Hd.
David Miller
(also Allen’s, Wm. Blackburn, and James LaFaver)

(no other Hundreds not found)


1778:
Mill Creek Hd.
Allen Springer
James Miller - 5

Red Lyon Hd.
Henry Gibson
John Miller
John McDowell

Christiana Hd.
Sarah McDowels
Hance Miller
Ab ___ ? [name cut off]
Abnear Bradford
Spinger’s

White Clay Creek Hd.
Isaac Miller
John McDowell
Andrew Allen
John Allen
Samuel Bradford

Pencader Hd.
Allen’s and Bravards

Brandywine Hd.
None

Newcastle Hd.
Wm. Bradford
David Miller
Joseph Allen

(no other Hundreds found for 1778)


1779:

St. George’s Hd.
Wm Bradford

1779 (continued)

Appoqu. Hd.
William Bradford

Mill Creek Hd
Samuel Bradford

(no other Hundreds found)

Grandson Silas Miller

Silas Miller was the grandson of William Miller and son of Samuel Miller and Rachel Dawson.


Silas married Hannah Abrahims in Ohio in 1845 and had two sons before his father died in 1850. They began a trek westward within two years of Samuel's death through Illinois and Indiana adding six more children to their family. Hardships apparently plagued the family and they made a further move south towards the Oregon Trail--on foot. Silas became ill and died three months after arriving in the Ft. Scott, Kansas area (1864) leaving his two mid-teenage sons to support the rest of the family. His widow, Hannah, stayed in the general vicinity for the rest of her life and died in 1913.


The attachment is a scan of the family record in Silas Miller's Bible and then his second son, Samuel Enoch Miller (my ggrandfather).


submitted by Lori Miller Butler

A Signature Over Two Hundred Years Old

Above is the signature of Rebecca Bradford Miller's grandfather, Samuel Bradford! The handwriting is shaky, but no less beloved to us! The will was written on December 31, 1763, making this signature 246 years old! It is a miracle that this document has been preserved, and our thanks to Sue Sisk for finding and sharing it.

The beginning of the will is actually shown in the image below. At the time, Samuel was a resident of Red Lion, or Red Lyon as written in this document, Newcastle County, Delaware. It mentions his wife, Margret, his daughters Sara and Martha (Sara being Rebecca's mother that we know as Sarah Bradford in the Allen Family Record), his son, William, and his grandson, Samuel Bradford.

And yes, this means Rebecca's father was Samuel Bradford (no relation to these Bradford's), her grandfather was this Samuel Bradford, and her cousin was Samuel Bradford--a researcher's nightmare!

But let us not get side-tracked. In his will, Samuel directs that the costs of his burial and debts first be taken out of his estate. He then bequeaths to his "dearly beloved" wife, Margret, "her bed and covering thereto belonging, also her sadle (sic) and whatsoever the ___ will allow her of my Estate."

To each to his "well-beloved" daughters, Sarah and Martha, he leaves 20 shillings.

His grandson and namesake inherits 10 pounds.

But it is to his "well beloved son William" that he leaves the majority of his "lands and possessions."

Oh what questions arise in our minds! Was Margret happy to inherit the sum total of a bed, a bed covering, and her own saddle? And just how many women of this era rode on horseback? What would the worth of the shillings and pounds be today? How much land and how many possessions did William inherit? Did Samuel and Margret only have three children, quite a low number for that time? I could go on and on.

While we are concentrating on researching the Miller's right now, I couldn't resist sharing this wonderful document. May we find many such treasures in our quest to understand more about the lives of our Miller and Bradford ancestors.

Abraham - Overseer of Roads

I have often wondered exactly what the job of "Overseer of Roads" entailed. We know that Abraham Miller, our William's father, and others in the family worked as overseers in Cecil County, Maryland for several years in the 1700's. Here is a job description from that era:

AND BE IT ENACTED, That it shall and may be lawful for the several and respective overseers of the said roads, and they are hereby authorised and empowered, as often as need shall require, to dig, take and remove, any stones, gravel, or earth of firm quality, which may be found on any land adjoining the roads for which the same may be necessary, and to employ the same in the repairing of the said. roads ; and for the making or repairing of bridges over the heads of rivers, creeks, branches, swamps, or other low and miry places, through and over which the said roads may pass, to cut down, or cause to be cut down, any tree or trees growing on any of the next adjacent lands to such places where bridges may be necessary as aforesaid, and the same trees to maul and carry away from off such lands, and to apply the same to the making or repairing of the said bridges; provided, that it shall be the duty of each and every overseer aforesaid to render a true account, (certified under their hands and seals respectively,) of all and singular such tree or trees by them cut down and taken for the purpose aforesaid, with a description of the size and quality of such tree or trees, together with their estimation of the value thereof, to the owner, tenant or overseer, of the lands from whence the same shall have been taken, and to return a duplicate of such account, on oath, to the next levy court of the county, in order that the justices of said court may be enabled to estimate the real value thereof, to be allowed or paid to such owner or owners in such manner as said justices shall appoint and direct...the said overseers shall have power, and they are hereby authorised and required, to call upon all and singular the free able bodied male inhabitants of their respective limits, above the age of eighteen years and under the age of fifty years, and upon all and singular the able bodied male slaves residing therein, above the age of eighteen years and tinder the age of fifty years, to labour and assist in clearing, amending, improving and repairing, the several and respective roads aforesaid, and to require such and so many of the said persons as they shall from time to time deem necessary, to assemble at such place within their respective limits as the said overseers shall severally appoint, with sufficient implements of labour, and thereupon to proceed in the execution of such work and labour upon the said roads, for the improvement and repair thereof, as the respective overseers shall order and direct; and the said overseers shall also have power to hire and employ carts and teams for the carrying and removing all such stones, dirt, gravel and timber, as may be deemed requisite for repairing and completing the said,roads and bridges, and the expence of such carts and teams shall be levied upon the county" [sic] (Maryland State Archives, Vo. 558, p. 41 - http://aomol.net/000001/000558/html/am558--41.html)

[picture from awesomeamerica.com/maryland/]

Can You Just Imagine?

Below is a land record (double click on it to enlarge) for William's father, Abraham Miller from 1749!! Wouldn't you give anything to know what the land around Elkton looked like back then! How did our ancestors live, dress and travel? What did they eat? We will never know for sure, but this entry from another famliy history site (not related) gives us a flavor of what it might have been like:

Life on the eastern shore in the late 1700s was very basic, as described by a writer in the Chestertown Transcript:
Farm implements were of the rudest kind. We used wooden plows, with an old saw for the land side, and the mold board covered with a gar skin. Corn was worked with the fluke harrow and hoe. ... The smaller products of the farm were taken to town every Wednesday and Saturday, where they were exposed in the market for sale until 9 A.M. If not disposed of by that time, they were exchanged with the merchants for their goods. Clothing was of the simplest kind, and very often homespun, though there were at the time several woolen mills in Kent. Shoes were made at the farmers' houses by an itinerant shoemaker, whose avocation was called by the euphonious name of "whipping the cat." Roads were generally very poor, and laid out without regard to straight lines. If a mudhole was in the middle of the road, they drove around it and made a new road. Horseback was the favorite method of traveling. On Sunday the families would generally pile in an ox-cart and go that way to church. There were a few gigs, but they, like coaches, were costly, and were only used by the very rich.There were several kinds of amusements indulged in by the men, one of which was horse racing. The distance run was generally a quarter of a mile, and the stakes a gallon of whiskey. The very best whiskey cost fifty cents per gallon. Husking matches were common in the winter. The husking was generally done by the negroes, while the white folks had a good time in the house. The huskers were always provided with a good supper; plenty of roast pig, corn-bread and whiskey. Once a year there was a day appointed for a squirrel hunt, generally in June, when the young squirrels were tender and eating fit for the Gods," (picture and article from VanderFord Family.com).

This land deal involved Abraham buying a large tract of land near the Head of the Elk [River]. He was probably around 39 years old. He and his wife, Rosannah (or Susannah?) would have had several children by now (we know William was born in 1732). They seem to have been fairly well situated financially in order to buy this much land. They had been living in NewCastle County, Delaware [why does the deed say "in the Territories of Pensylvania [sic]?...we'll leave that question for another posting], and were now moving to Cecil County, Maryland, though this was a move of only 5 or 10 miles. Someday perhaps one of our members will travel to this part of the country, pinpoint this area and take pictures, though we can be sure it won't look even remotely the same! We are lucky to now have these land records at our fingertips to help give us a more complete picture of what our ancestors' lives were really like.

More Miller's To Sort Out!

Orphan’s Court proceedings of Newcastle County, DE (975.11P2):

Index:

p. 23: MILLER: 22 May 1746. James Miller to court as administrator of estate of Robert Morrison, taylor, dec’d.

p. 139: MILLER: 20 Feb 1760. Petition of Mary Blackburn (sister and co-heir with Abraham Miller, Robert Miller and the children of James Miller, dec’d) of Samuel Miller of Newcastle Hd, yeoman, dec’d, who died intestate; she receives 1/5 of the estate.

Newcastle Land Records:

Newcastle Hd, Samuel Miller, son of Donald Miller deceased, named in a land deal dated 21 Feb. 1749.

So if you combine these records, it looks like there is an Abraham Miller, son of Samuel Miller, son of Donald Miller, with Abraham's siblings being Mary, Robert and James.

More puzzle pieces!

One Land -- Our Miller's in Maryland and Delaware

As we research William Miller and his family, remembering that some of them also owned land and lived in the adjoining Newcastle County, Delaware, will richly add to our body of knowledge. We know that Rebecca Bradford Miller's mother, Sarah Bradford, was the daughter of Samuel Bradford of Red Lion, Newcastle County, DE. Red Lion is only 10 miles from Elkton! Our Miller-Bradford ancestors populated this region on both sides of the state line.

This is a letter written in 1921 by someone by the name of Grace Torrance Clark who was researching the Bradford's and Millers. She pinpoints Abraham Miller, William's father, as living in Pencader Hundred which is part of Newcastle County, Delaware. The letter (page one shown above) says in part,

"I write to inquire if there are birth, marriage or death records extant in the original Head of the Christiana--White Clay Creek, Head of Elk or Pencader Presbyterian churches. If so, where are they? I am interested in proving the marriage, about 1730, of Abraham Miller of Pencader Hundred to Rosannah. I believe she was the daughter of James Grimes of Pencarder Hd. In 1754 Abraham bought 175 1/2 acres, a part of Knowlwood, from Henry Pierce of Chester Co, PA. and his wife Sarah. Abraham had a brother Robert whom I think married a daughter of the Rev. George Gillespie--Head of Christiana from 1712 on to 1746."

Here is a description of Pencader Hundred according to Wiki:

Pencader Hundred is that portion of western New Castle County that lies south and west of the Christiana River, north of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, and generally west of Salem Church Road and Red Lion Road (DE Route 71). It also includes a large area north and east of the Christiana River generally from the old Pennsylvania Railroad tracks to Cooch’s Bridge, as well as another small area south of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, west of Summit Bridge and north of Back Creek. Finally, it excludes the small area west of the Christiana River immediately west of Newark. It was formed from portions of New Castle...

Newcastle County land records list several Millers involved in land deals. A few include:

Andrew Miller - 1762 - White Clay Creek Hd

Thomas Miller - 1741 - White Clay Creek Hd

Abraham Miller - 1748 - [Hd not listed]

Samuel Miller, son of dec'd Donald Miller - 1749 - Newcastle Hd

The above list is very abbreviated, and future posts will more completely report on the Bradford's and Miller's listed in Newcastle County land and church records. Researching in both counties, Cecil County, Maryland, and Newcastle County, Delaware, will surely give us a more complete record of our ancestors.

More Miller's to Factor In (Or Out??)

Calendar of Delaware Wills, New Castle County, 1682-1800:

pg.20 James Anderson-(?Bro.) David Miller (David b.abt 1690)

pg.43 James Miller- son David Miller (James b. abt 1669)

pg.28 Mary Miller-son James Miller (Hans Hansen Miller b. abt 1648)


http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mizliv/AlexNewCastle.html:

13 Jun 1758 Isaac Alexander and David Miller, both of New Castle Co. DE to David Alexander and Susannah Alexander of Cecil Co. for the sum of 70 pounds a certain tract of land in Cecil Co. late the property of Andrew Alexander and by him transferred to the present Grantors by deed dated 8 May 1756 part of Hispaniola & Bullen's Range. Wits: Moses Alexander, Samuel Gillespy and Mary Craige. Received 11 Jul 1758 [Cecil Co. Deed Bk 9 p. 23]

A Challenge Issued

I was just pondering William Miller's military status (did he serve in the Revolutionary War or not??), and thus gave this record another look. Some have thought this is our William...others disagree.

First question: Does anyone have a clearer copy in order to decipher the handwritten part in the middle?

Second question: While the 3rd Maryland Regiment was not originally composed of men from Cecil County, it combined and recombined with other groups. It formed in 1776 and disbanded in 1783, though members could have finished their service before this. Is it in the realm of possibility that this could be our William?? It's pretty clear that some of his brothers served (we'll cover that in future posts), and we have the family legend that he built boats for Washington for the Chesapeake campaigns. It is hard to think that there isn't some scrap of evidence somewhere regarding our William's possible military service.

Comments are welcome, and I would challenge all of us to redouble our efforts at solving this mystery once and for all.

Sorting Out The William's

In our ongoing quest to find our William Miller, the following references show how our scant sources of information sometimes shed as much confusion as light:

From the History of Cecil County by Henry C. Peden we have these excerpts:

1. Miller, William m. Rebecca Bradford ca. 13 Jun 1778 (lic); took Oath of Allegiance in 1778; appeared on property list (3 white males in household) in 4th Dist. in 1773 (tax list); voted on Congressional election in January, 1789 (MSA Microfilm M1068).
[our William had moved to Fayette County, PA by 1783. Regarding the voting in 1789, are they confusing him with the other William?...did he come back to Maryland to vote?? Doubtful...]

2. Miller, William (doctor) and Sophia Cox m. ca. 25 Dec 1797 (lic.)
[perhaps this is the William who voted in the above-named election?]

3. Miller, William. Two men with this name took the Oath of Allegiance in 1778 (A-7, A-18). One William Miller married Rebecca Bradford, Jun 13, 1778 (O-2).
[so the latter was obviously our William...was the other one the doctor?]

And from the "Revolutionary Patriots" series of books, also by Peden:

4. "William, Miller. Private, Capt. Samuel Smith's Company, Continental Troops. Enlisted on February 13, 1776, and in barracks at Dover on April 12, 1776. He subscribed to the Oath of Allegiance and Fidelity in 1778...There is also a William Miller who enlisted in the Delaware Militia on May 27, 1782..."
[are either of these William's ours??...the first one could be, as we don't really know what our William was doing in the years just preceding his marriage to Rebecca in Cecil County in 1778. Dover, Delaware was only 45 miles away, and we know the troops traveled extensively during the Revolutionary War]

This is just one of endless examples of information that has led so many researchers on the Miller-Bradford line to tear their hair out! However, with us all working together, we will persevere and "win the prize" some day!