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Troy's Genealogue

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Family Histories:

MILLER Family History, Part II

John Peter MILLER (~1714-1794)

11A. John Peter MILLER was born on January 19, 1713-1715 in Kaiserslautern, Rheinland, Preussen (Preußen), Germany. He emigrated to America in 1727 as a teenager. He married Elizabeth WARREN in 1752 in Maryland and had at least 11 children per his will:

In 1745, Peter (and/or his father, Michael) bought a 150-acre parcel of land called "Ash Swamp," then located in Prince George's County, Maryland, (later under Frederick County and now part of Washington County) from John George ARNOLD.

In 1752 this land was added to and resurveyed by his younger brother Philip Jacob MILLER on the authority of Lodowich MILLER, another younger brother.

In December 1783, and about four years after his father's death, brother Lodowich, who had earlier moved southeast of Hagerstown, conveyed 220 acres of "Ash Swamp" to brother Philip Jacob for 5 shillings. Philip Jacob turned around and conveyed 144 acres to John Peter, again for 5 shillings "and brotherly affection." This plot is said to have had a small cemetery on it which is no longer in existence.

John Peter MILLER died in Washington County about December 1794 at about the age of 80. He made his last will and testiment on December 13, 1794 and named eldest son Daniel and his daughter Catherine's husband, John FISHER, as his executors. The will was probated on December 26, 1794. (Washington County Will Records, book A, pages 318-319)

As no wife (or wives) was named, she is presumed to have died before 1794.

Peter named 11 children in his will. The last three sons, Ludwick, David and Michael, being under the age of 21. On April 6, 1795, the executors of Peter's estate sold the "Ash Swamp" land, 143½ acres, to John SCHNEBLY (Deed book I, page 584). On September 25, 1795, John SCHNEBLY, also bought adjoining "Ash Swamp" land from Philip Jacob MILLER (deed book I, page 360). Philip Jacob MILLER, then moved to Kentucky.

On April 9, 1799, the executors of Peter's estate made distribution of 2,070 pounds in equal parts, to his 10 remaining children (Book I, page 80), all apparently now 21. The order of the named heirs is basically the same as in the will. Michael, the last named in the will, is missing in the distribution list.

Hans Jeremiah MILLER (~1717-1781)

11C. Hans Jeremiah MILLER was born about 1717, likely in Rheinland, Preussen (Preußen), Germany. He emigrated to America in 1727. He married Magdalena about 1742 in Hagerstown, then in Frederick County, now in Washington County, Maryland. They had at least four children:

Hans Jeremiah MILLER died in 1781 in Hagerstown, Maryland. He was about 64 years old.

Hans Michael MILLER (~1720-1784)

11E. Hans Michael MILLER was born about 1720 in Darmstadt, Hesse (Hessen), Germany. He emigrated with his family as a boy in 1727. He married Elizabeth BRUMBAUGH about 1748 and had as many as eight children:

Hans Michael owned land in Franklin County, Pennsylvania; Frederick County, Maryland (present-day Washington County); and Hampshire County, Virginia (present-day Mineral County, West Virginia).

After Hans Michael's death in 1784, Elizabeth moved to a farm on the Conococheague, near Williamsport, Maryland with her eldest son John. She died about 1798 in Washington County and willed part of her estate to her "society" at the Beaver Creek Church of the Brethren.

George MILLER (~1722-~1798)

11F. George MILLER was born in 1722 in Germany. He emigrated to the American colonies in 1727 as a child. He grew up in Pennsylvania and married Catherine about 1747. They had as many as 10 children:

"Elder" George was said to be the first preacher at the Big Swatara Church of the Brethren in Swatara Township near Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennysylvania.

He died about 1796-1798 in Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He was about about 75 years old.

Lodowich "Lewis" MILLER (~1724-~1792)

11G. Lodowich "Lewis" MILLER was born about 1724 in Germany. He emigrated to the American colonies in 1727, first settling with his parents in Pennsylvania and later in present-day Washington County, Maryland. He married Anna Barbara MEYER, originally of Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, about 1741 in Frederick County, Maryland (likely the present-day portion of Washington County) and had 11 children:

After Lodowich's marriage he likely lived on the family estate known as "Ash Swamp" north of Hagerstown. He purchased an adjacent, 150-acre plot to the south and just east of the Salem Reformed Church in 1751 known as "Tom's Chance." In 1752, he and two of his brothers resurveyed (and partitioned) "Ash Swamp".

In 1754 he purchased land from Walter FUNDERBURG near Beaver Creek, east of Hagerstown and sold "Tom's Chance" to Peter TYSHER the following year in 1755, thus signaling a move away from his parents and siblings.

There is some evidence that he moved his family from place to place during the perilous days of the French and Indian War (1754-1763). It is recorded that at the time of the birth of Daniel (1752), he was living in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania and land records further state that in 1763 and 1767 he was living in York County, Pennsylvania. Most of the other deeds state that he was living in Frederick County, Maryland, perhaps "Chestnut Level," located near Woodsboro, north of Frederick in Frederick County, or his farm at Beaver Creek in what is today Washington County, Maryland.

One land records states that he was a weaver.

Lodowich sold his remaining 220 acres of "Ash Swamp" to younger brother Philip Jacob on 9 December, 1783 for 5 shillings. Philip Jacob turned around a conveyed 144 acres of the plot to his eldest brother John Peter later that same month for 5 shillings "and brotherly affection."

Lodowich appears to have later moved to Taneytown, further north of Frederick and Woodsboro, in Caroll County during his later years as it is recorded that he died in Taneytown, Maryland in 1792. He was about 78 years old.

Anna Barbara (MEYER) MILLER also died in 1792. She was about 57 years old.

Philip Jacob MILLER³ (1726-1799)

11H. Philip Jacob MILLER³ was born in 1726 in Rheinland, Preussen (Preußen), Germany. He emigrated the following year to the American colonies and grew up in Pennsylvania. He married Magdalena ROCHETTE, a native of former Frederick County, Maryland, in Pennsylvania in 1751 and fathered 13 children:

The MILLERs owned land north of Hagerstown, then in Frederick County, now Washington County, from 1745. He and two elder brothers resurveyed their father's land known as "Ash Swamp" in 1752. In December 1783 he acquired his brother Lodowich's 220 acres for 5 shillings and turned around and sold 144 acres to his eldest brother John Peter for 5 shillings "and brotherly affection."

Following brother John Peter's death in December 1794, John Peter's estate sold off the 143½ acres to John SCHNEBLY in 1795 and Philip turned around and also sold the rest of his "Ash Swamp" property to John SCHNEBLY and moved to Campbell County, Kentucky, opposite Cincinnati, Ohio to the northwest, along with several of his grown children.

Philip also bought 2,000 acres of land that lay along O'Bannon Creek in Warren County, Ohio, northeast of Cincinnati, for $1.10 per acre. After his death, his children made an agreement among themselves to divide this land into ten 200-acre parcels. Magdalena, decided to take her share in cash. The other children drew lots for the 200-acre parcels, but only a few of them ever lived on their land in Warren County, Ohio.

Philip died in Campbell County in August or September 1799. He was about 73 years old.

His widow, Magdalena (ROCHETTE) MILLER also died in in Campbell County nine years later in 1808.

Following Philip Jacob's and Magdalena's deaths, several MILLER children settled in southwest Ohio counties of Warren, Clermont, Montgomery, and Preble. Daughters Susannah and Magdalena migrated into northern Indiana, settling in Elhkart County.

Barbara (MILLER) GARBER (1733-1808)

11K. Barbara MILLER was born in 1733, likely in Pennsylvania. She married Johannes "John" Hans GARBER in 1752 in York County, Pennsylvania. They had 10 children:

Interestingly, about a year after their marriage, Barbara's widower father Johann Michael and John's widowed mother Elizabeth wed, technically making Barbara and John stepsister and stepbrother.

Johann Hans worked as a farmer, shoemaker, and minister of the German Reform Brethren.

Based on the childrens' birth places, the GARBERs lived in York County, Pennsylvania into the early-mid-1760s. By about 1768 they moved into Washington County, Maryland (then part of Frederick County), and about 1775 into Shenandoah County, Virginia (then part of Rockingham County).

John GARBER died in 1787 in Forestville, Shenandoah County, Virginia. He was about 70 years old.

Barbara (MILLER) GARBER died in 1808 in Flat Rock (perhaps referring to the area of Flat Rock Church near Forestville), Shenandoah County, Virginia. She was about 75 years old.

Jacob MILLER (1735-1815)

11M. Jacob MILLER was born in 1735, in Lancaster Colony in Lancaster/Franklin County, Pennsylvania. He may have first married Barbara BOWER in 1761. On December 30, 1763 he married Mary Elizabeth GOODWIN of the Lancaster/Franklin County area. They had as many as 12 children. Mary died in 1801 and Jacob remarried to Barbara LYBROOK the same year.

The MILLER family started out in Washington County, Pennsylvania and then headed south into Virginia, settling in the part of Bedford County now known as Franklin county by 1765 through at least the 1780s.

Mary Elizabeth (GOODWIN) MILLER died in 1801 at about the age of 64.

Jacob remarried that same year to Barbara LYBROOK and the following year moved west to Ohio, settling in Montgomery County by 1802.

Jacob MILLER died on May 28, 1815 in Dayton, Montgomery County, Ohio. He was about 80 years old.

Continue on to Part III