Janet (Armit) Millar (1836 - 1900)

Born 20 Feb 1836 in Inverkeithing, Fife, Scotland

Wife of George Millar — married 1860 in Dunedin, New Zealand

Descendants

Died 19 Mar 1900 at age 64 in Roslyn, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Ian Millar [send private message]

Biography

Janet was born in 1836. Janet Armit ... She passed away in 1900. ^[1]

Janet was the first of the Armit family to emigrate from Inverkeithing , Scotland to Dunedin, New Zealand as a female servant in 1858. She ma rried George MILLAR in 1860 and they had a family of 7 sons.

INQUEST REPORT Otago Daily Times, 20 March 1900, pg 2. Death from Phosphorus Poisoning. An inquest was held before Mr C.C. Graham, S.M. and a jury of six at R oslyn yesterday afternoon, touching the death of Janet Millar, wife o f George Millar, who died at half - past eight yesterday morning unde r circumstances which pointed to the conclusion that deceased had take n her life by ating match heads. George Millar, husband of deceased gave evidence that deceased underwe nt an operation for hernia four weeks ago, and had been confined to be d ever since. Since the operation she exhibited symptoms of her mind b eing affected. The expence of the operation seemed to pray on her min d very much, although witness assured her there was no reason for anxi ety on that point. Elizabeth Marshall, neice of Mr Millar, stated that she had been atten ding deceased for three weeks. She had never been herself since the op eration. Her mind at times seemed affected. She talked at various time s of the expence of the same, and she said she wished she had not gon e in for it. She was always harping on the operation and the expence o f it. On Friday she was in very low spirits, as she was also on the pr evious day. She would not take her food, and commenced retching at nig ht. She was ill all night, and she complained that she had some pain t wo or three times while the other nurse was there, and on witness aski ng her whyshe did not mention it, she said she did not want to make af uss of it. Witness found a box of matches in her bed, and the matches had their heads off. She gradually sank, and died that morning at hal f - past eight, Dr Burns being with her at the time. Dr Batchelor gave evidence that he was called early in February to se e the patient by Dr Burns. She was suffereing from an iternal complain t that was endangering her life, , and a constant source of discomfort . An operation was decided upon, and performed on February 20. She wa s making a satisfactory , but the nature of the operation necessitate d her lying in bed some six weeks. Witness judged her from the first t o be rather a peculiar woman, and the enforced rest seemed to pray onh er mind. She seemed to him very unusually and very unnecessarily depr essed. He called in now and again, more to encourage her than anythin g else, as the case was almost entirely in the nurse's hands. On Marc h 16 he called, as there was a change of nurses, one of the nurses hav ing to go away. The patient seemed very depressed and weaker than usua l, but beyond that there was nothing unusual. On Saturday her husban d rang him up, and told him that she was vomiting, asking him for som ething for it. Witness said he could not account for it, and he wouldc all and see her in the afternoon. About ten minutes after, he rang wit ness up again, stating that she had taken something, and would he cal l and see her. He went up again, and found her almost dead. Witness wa shed out the stomach, but the poison had evidently been taken some tim e. Witness ordered the usual remedies for phosphorus poisoning...

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Sources

"Pedigree Resource File," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:SRFC-5Q4 : accessed 29 August 2021), entry for Janet /ARMIT/; file (2:2:2:MMQ5-QS5), submitted 12 May 2011.

Footnotes

1. ↑ Entered by Ian Millar, Feb 18, 2013

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Ian Millar for starting this profile.

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