John Downey Miller (1827 - 1888)

Born 6 Nov 1827 in Lebanon, Warren, Ohio, USA

Husband of Sarah Ann (Ellis) Miller — married 26 Sep 1854 in Greene County, Ohio, USA [uncertain]

Descendants

Died 6 Jul 1888 at age 60 in Rockport, Ohio, Kentucky, USA

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Biography

John Downey Miller (sometimes "J.D.") was born on 6 November 1827 in Lebanon, Warren County, Ohio.^[1]

John's middle name gives a substantial clue as to the identity of his parents. An Abraham Miller was married to a Susannah Downey, they were living in Lebanon, Warren County, Ohio in 1827, and they had a son named John.^[2]

While Susannah had a sister Sarah Downey who married a John Miller, probably a brother of Abraham's, and they did pass through Lebanon,^[3] they do not seem to have been in Warren County in 1827, and they had their own son named John who was born around 1837,^[4] so they are ruled out.

John married Sarah Ann Ellis, daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth (Vanneman) Ellis of Greene County, Ohio, on 26 September 1854,^[5] likely in Greene County.

Before the birth of their first child, John and Sarah removed to Illinois, perhaps stopping in Putnam County, but of record in the 1860 census in Hope Township, LaSalle County, Illinois.^[6] At least five of Sarah (Ellis) Miller's siblings were living nearby in this year (see her profile).

In 1870, they were in the Shepherdsville District of Bullitt County, Kentucky,^[7] and by 19 March 1879, in Rockport, Ohio County, Kentucky, on which date Sarah Ann, John's wife, died.^[8][9]

John died on 6 July 1888 and is buried next to her.^[10]

Children of John Downey and Sarah Ann (Ellis) Miller:^[6][11]

• Sarah Ann Miller, b. 3 March 1856, m. Mark Henry Howard
• Elizabeth Emily Miller, b. 26 May 1858, m. Sutton Lee Reid
• Susan Arletta Miller ("Sue"), b. 29 November 1859, John Dayton Maddox
• John Summerfield Miller, b. 17 October 1864, d. 3 February 1865
• Laura Ellen Miller, b. 27 July 1866, d. 1 October 1868

Sources

1. ↑ See attached image of family bible record of marriage and births, which gives John's full name, birth date and place as Warren Co., Ohio.
2. ↑ Profile of Samuel Harrison Miller, listing his brothers, including John. Drury, A W. History of the City of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio. Chicago: S.J. Clarke Pub. Co, 1909. pp. 699-700.
3. ↑ Profiles of Emily Mary (Baylis) Downey and John Darby Downey, with considerable Downey history and touching on the travels of Sarah (Downey) Miller. Blum, Willetta B, and William Blum. The Baylis Family of Virginia. Washington, D.C, 1958, pp. 203-8.
4. ↑ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (12 April 2016), John H Miller in household of John A Miller, Posey, Rush, Indiana, United States; citing family 272, NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
5. ↑ See attached family bible image of marriage and births for marriage date.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (13 December 2017), John Miller, 1860.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1870," index and images, FamilySearch (accessed 2 March 2015), Susan Miller in household of John D Miller, Kentucky, United States; citing p. 27, family 166, NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.); FHL microfilm 545,949. Note: this is clearly the same family as the 1860 census.
8. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (accessed 26 October 2018), memorial page for Sarah Ellis Miller (1 Feb 1834–19 Mar 1879), Find A Grave Memorial no. 38212101, citing Rockport Cemetery, Ohio County, Kentucky, USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave (contributor 8).
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (14 August 2017), John Miller, Rockport, Ohio, Kentucky, United States; citing enumeration district ED 180, sheet 541A, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0436; FHL microfilm 1,254,436.
10. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (accessed 26 October 2018), memorial page for John D Miller (6 Nov 1827–6 Jul 1888), Find A Grave Memorial no. 38212023, citing Rockport Cemetery, Ohio County, Kentucky, USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave (contributor 8).
11. ↑ See two attached family bible images for births and deaths of the children.