Jane (Hardy) Miller (1835 - 1917)

Born 28 Dec 1835 in Kirkby, Moorside, Yorkshire, England

Ancestors

Wife of William Miller — married 22 Jun 1857 in Garafraxa Township, Wellington, Ontario

Descendants

Died 20 Apr 1917 at age 81 in Owen Sound, Grey, Ontario, Canada

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Pat Miller [send private message]

Biography

Jane Hardy was born in Kirkby, Moorside, Yorkshire, England in 1835, the daughter of Lancelot Hardy and Ann Wood. Although this was where Lancelot was raising his large family at that time, he was a descendant of a long line of Hardy ancestors from West Heslerton, Yorkshire. Their graves still stand beside the village church. Lancelot decided to relocate his family to Meadowvale Village, Ontario around the spring of 1844. He left idyllic Yorkshire behind perhaps to have an ability to own land rather than pay lifetime rent to the Lord of the Manor. Jane Hardy was eight years old when the move to the new Hardy home occurred according to her obituary. Her mother gave birth to another Hardy child, Maria, in the fall of 1844, then died soon after. In 1857 Jane at age 22, married William Miller who was from Cooksville, in the Toronto area. William was a carpenter and wagon maker and the couple remained in Meadowvale where four of their seven children were born.

Meadowvale Village Church

The village of Meadowvale was started in 1819 when a group of Irish emigrants from New York moved north after receiving land grants. In 1836 John Simpson built a dam, a sawmill and carding mill. Although the area was beautiful it was isolated from Toronto. In the early 1840s settlers often walked to the city and back for provisions, a distance of twenty miles. A solution was found when Mr. Robinson opened the first store in 1847. From then on the village grew and prospered. By the 1850s there were two hotels, a wagon shop, a foundry and a school. The list of businessmen at Canadian Confederation in 1867 included William Miller, "waggon maker." Unfortunately, two of William and Jane's children died in Meadowvale in May 1862. They were buried in the nearby Churchville Cemetery with the inscription: "These tender buds so young and fair have gone to heaven to blossom there."

Churchville Cemetery

Jane and William and their two remaining children Margaret Anne and Harry, relocated north to Owen Sound, Ontario where William's father was living. Despite the 1867 date for a business in Meadowvale, Jane's obituary states the family arrived in Owen Sound in the fall of 1865 and William began working for his father as a painter in George Miller's carriage shop. Likely the Meadowvale business date was based on earlier listings, or William still had a share in his Meadowvale business that was being run by others. In 1870 William started his own painting and decorating business in Owen Sound.

Owen Sound on a misty Spring Morning

Like Meadowvale, Owen Sound was a pretty environment. As my father, John Miller, Jane's grandson, described the place: "Owen Sound was a sleepy town of about ten thousand souls lying at the southern tip of Georgian Bay. Built on water and surrounded by hills would be a good description of the unique location. The Sydenham River, actually a gentle, meandering stream, runs through the center of town. The town was laid out in geometrical fashion, avenues running parallel to the river on either bank and streets perpendicular to the river. Leaving the town toward the east or west, four or five blocks from the river you have a rather steep hill to climb, and a short distance later limestone cliffs narrowly frame the town. These were known locally as East Rocks and West Rocks."

The town originally called Sydenham was incorporated in 1857 as Owen Sound, population of 2000. William's father George Miller and all of William's siblings had moved to Owen Sound. One suspects Jane and William remained in Meadowvale as Jane's Hardy family relatives were there. In the end, less than a decade later, William joined the rest of the Millers in Owen Sound.

However, as the 1800s progressed Owen Sound became quite notorious. It was a major port and as such became known for its taverns and brothel. It had two street corners of interest, one named Damnation Corners boasted four taverns, then a block away, competing for attention, was Salvation Corners, with four churches. The town settled down in the early 1900s when drinking was banned within city limits, a ban that lasted until 1972.

In Owen Sound Jane gave birth to three more children and lost two of them, Arthur who died as an infant and George Russell Miller who died suddenly in 1897 at age 19. Charles Reuben Miller joined older siblings William Harry Miller and Margaret Anne (Miller) Brown as the surviving children of Jane and William. Her husband passed away in 1908. In 1910, Jane helped her son Charles during a crisis. His first wife had died in childbirth, leaving Charles with a newborn Bill Miller and a toddler Dora Miller. Harry Miller, brother of Charles, and his wife Maggie Russell took in baby Bill while Jane moved in with Charles to look after Dora. Charles remarried in 1913 and Jane moved in with her daughter Margaret's family. A photo likely taken by Charles in 1915 shows little Bill Miller with his grandmother Jane and she seems to be a contented lady. Jane died in Owen Sound in 1917 and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery, once known as Cemetery Hill. From her obituary: "Beloved by a very large circle of friends, it was but natural that the floral tributes were not only beautiful but numerous. Of a family of *six, two sons, Messrs. W. Harry Miller and Charles R. Miller and one daughter, Mrs. J.R. Brown, survive, and also one sister Mrs. Maria Fleming, of Brampton. Amongst those present from outside points were Miss Barnhill, niece of Norval and Miss Mabel **Cardwell, Brampton, a grand-niece." (* seven ** Cardinell)

Jane Hardy and grandson Bill Miller

Sources

• England, Select Births and Christenings, Jane Hardy, Baptism 31 December 1835, Kirkby Moorside, Yorkshire, Lancelot and Ann Hardy
• 1841 England Census, Lancelot Hardy 45, miller, Ann Hardy 40, Joseph Hardy 16, Lancelot Hardy 13, William Hardy 11, Jonadab Hardy 9, JANE HARDY 6, Ann Hardy 2, Mary Hardy 2 mos
• Ontario, Canada, County Marriage Registers, 22 June 1857, Wellington County, William Millar (Miller) 22, son of George and Margaret, JANE HARDY 21, daughter of Lanclelot (Lancelot) and Ann
• 1861 Census of Canada, Toronto, Peel, William Miller 26, carpenter, JANE MILLER 26, George Miller 3, Margaret Ann Miller 2
• 1871 Census of Canada, Owen Sound, Ontario, William Miller 34, painter, JANE MILLER 34, Margaret Ann Miller 11, William Henry Miller 8, Charles Reuben Miller 1
• 1901 Census of Canada, Owen Sound, Grey, Ontario, William Miller 64, JANE MILLER 65, Charles R. Miller 30
• Ontario, Canada, Deaths, 1869-1938, JANE MILLER death April 20, 1917, Owen Sound, Grey County, age 81 years, 3 months, widow, born Kirkby, England, parents Lancelot Hardy, Ann Wood, cause of death, old age.
• Brief death notice Owen Sound Times, April 20, 1917
• Obituary, Times, Owen Sound, Ontario, Tues 24 April 1917, p.3, Death of Mrs. William Miller
• Meadowvale by Mrs. Chadwick, 1956
• heritagemississauga.com
• Wikipedia.org, Owen Sound
• OWEN SOUND, text by John Russell Miller, circa 1980