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Hi there. This is my first time posting to this forum, but I have been researching my family tree for a few years now. I'm looking for some help with a problem I have never managed to resolve - finding out what became of my 3 x great grandfather, John Henderson Miller. The last record I can find of him is the 1901 census, where he is living in Leith (Edinburgh) and working as a 'Tramcoay Servant' (not sure what that is, but presumably something to do with the trams!). Strangely, the census lists him as living alone, despite his wife still being alive then. After that, I can find no record of John - nothing in the 1911 census and no death certificate. He appears to have died before 1929, as his wife's death cert in that year lists him as deceased (if that is accurate). Can anyone point me in the direction of where else to look or help me find out what happened to John? This is what I know about him:
Born in 1850, Shetland.
Married Barbara Tait in Shetland, 1876, he was a sailor at the time.
They had several children in Shetland, then moved to Leith in the early 1880s.
6 children in total.
He worked as a Police Constable in Leith for a period (1891 census).
1901 - living in Leith, no-one else listed on the census. Tramcoay Servant.
He witnessed his mother's death in 1908, so was still alive then!

Is anyone able to help? Thanks!
Leanne

John Henderson Miller
Scotland Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950
Name:
John Henderson Miller
Gender:
Male
Christening Date:
03 Jun 1850
Christening Place:
UNST,SHETLAND,SCOTLAND
Birth Date:
08 May 1850
Father's Name:
Thos. James Miller
Mother's Name:
Margery Gray

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/2:2:SG6X-GX9

For our reference, this is from https://www.bayanne.info

John Henderson MILLAR
Born 8 May 1850 Baliasta, Baltasound, Unst, SHI, SCT Find all individuals with events at this location
Gender Male
Census 1851 Resident at Gew, Baliasta, Unst. Find all individuals with events at this location [1]
Census 1861 Resident at Clivocast, Unst. Find all individuals with events at this location [1]
Census 1891 Resident at 3 Hope Street, North Leith. Find all individuals with events at this location [1]
Occupation Merchant seaman, police constable
Died UNKNOWN Edinburgh, MLN, SCT Find all individuals with events at this location
Person ID I105322 Shetland
Last Modified 3 May 2017

Father Thomas James MILLER, b. 22 Nov 1822, Baltasound, Unst, SHI, SCT Find all individuals with events at this location, d. Jun 1886 (Age 63 years)
Mother Margery GRAY, b. 29 Aug 1825, Burrafirth, Unst, SHI, SCT Find all individuals with events at this location, d. 21 Apr 1908, Edinburgh, MLN, SCT Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 82 years)
Married 17 Feb 1848 Unst, SHI, SCT Find all individuals with events at this location [2]
Family ID F10111 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Family Barbara Arthurson TAIT, b. 6 Sep 1852, Aith, Fetlar, SHI, SCT Find all individuals with events at this location, d. 26 Sep 1929, Edinburgh, MLN, SCT Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 77 years)
Married 18 Feb 1876 Upper Sound, Lerwick, SHI, SCT Find all individuals with events at this location [3]
Notes

Married by Rev. A. R. Saunders.

Children
+ 1. Andrew Tait MILLER, b. 29 Dec 1876, Scarpigarth, Fetlar, SHI, SCT Find all individuals with events at this location, d. UNKNOWN
+ 2. Eliza Ann Arthurson MILLAR, b. 15 Aug 1878, Scarpigarth, Fetlar, SHI, SCT Find all individuals with events at this location, d. 30 Nov 1960, Edinburgh, MLN, SCT Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 82 years)
3. John Henderson MILLER, b. 28 Jul 1880, Scarpigarth, Fetlar, SHI, SCT Find all individuals with events at this location, d. UNKNOWN
4. William Peter Tait MILLAR, b. 27 Oct 1882, Leith, MLN, SCT Find all individuals with events at this location, d. UNKNOWN
+ 5. Clementina Scott MILLAR, b. 2 Oct 1883, Leith, MLN, SCT Find all individuals with events at this location, d. 30 Dec 1965, Edinburgh, MLN, SCT Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 82 years)
6. Magnus MILLAR, b. 22 Nov 1886, Leith, MLN, SCT Find all individuals with events at this location, d. 25 Feb 1934, Edinburgh, MLN, SCT Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 47 years)



and that 1901 census.


Hope Terrace, 13, Leith, North Leith, Midlothian, Scotland

John H Millar Head Married Male 50 1851 Tramway Servant Unst, Shetland Islands, Scotland


and his wife and family.


1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census

Leith Walk, 326, Leith, South Leith, Midlothian, Scotland

Barbara Miller Wife Married Female 48 1853 Laundress Shetland Islands, Scotland
Eliza Miller Daughter Single Female 22 1879 Ruleress (Paper) Shetland Islands, Scotland
Clementina Miller Daughter Single Female 17 1884 Formerly Laundress Leith, Midlothian, Scotland
Magmis Miller Son Single Male 17 1884 Paper Feeder Leith, Midlothian, Scotland

John H Miller
Scotland Census, 1861
Name:
John H Miller
Event Type:
Census
Event Date:
1861
Event Place:
Unst, Shetland, Scotland
Enumeration District:
5
Gender:
Male
Age:
11
Occupation:
STONE DYKER
Birthplace:
Shetland
Relationship to Head of Household:
VISITOR
0
Affiliate Publication Number:
2
County:
Shetland
Birth Year (Estimated):
1850
Piece:
11
Digital Folder Number:
004549970
Household Role Sex Age Birthplace
Thomas Williamson Male 34 Shetland
Joan Williamson Female 32 Shetland
Thomas Miller Male 39 Shetland
Margery Miller Female 26 Shetland
John H Miller Male 11 Shetland
Andrew Miller Male 6 Shetland
Agnes Miller Female 2 Shetland
Margory Miller Female 0 Shetland
Agnes J Muir Female 45 Shetland

Do you have his wife's death certificate? If so, is she described as a widow?

Yes, his wife Barbara's death certiicate from 1929 states that she is 'widow of John Miller, Police Constable'.


Thanks for the census record info, which I have seen already. Unfortunately I just haven't been able to find out about his death. Other public family trees he appears on seem to list his death as unknown or in Edinburgh but with no date....

As John and Barbara appear to be living apart in 1901, I wonder if they separated and he remarried ??

MILLER
JOHN H
SCOTT
MARGARET S
1911
015/ 4
Eday and Pharay

On the other hand that might be the son's marriage.

Or some entirely different John H Miller, of course!

Well, if this is that Margaret's birth, it would seem more likely that it's the son John H's marriage - (or some other JHM ) -

SCOTT
MARGARET SMITH
F
1877
026/ 30
Sanday


And her death (also listed as Scott):

MILLER
MARGARET SMITH
79
1957
015/ 2
Eday and Pharay


EDIT:

and, in fact, to destroy my own theory, this was probably her husband's birth:

MILLER
JOHN HARCUS
M
1868
015/ 4
Eday and Pharay

So forget that marriage!

Thanks for looking into that theory anyway! I did consider that they'd separated but even if John H Miller had remarried, his death cert should still be available with the same name. Are there any reasons that a death certificate from 1900s wouldn't exist?! Could it have been wrongly recorded?
I have only searched online but could go to the search room in person if that would make any difference....

Can you copy and paste the 1911 census for his wife at all for us.
What does it say then of her marital status?

1911 only available on Scotland's People
Transcripts of earlier ones are available Ancestry, FMP, but not able to see originals.

I've just looked up the 1911 census (sorry, can't see a way to copy/paste, but I'll explain what is says). There are 2 members of the household: John's wife Barbara Miller and her son Magnus Miller. Magnus is listed as head of the household. Barbara's marital status shows as married for 35 years. So not widowed, but John is not there! My understanding of census records (please correct me if I'm wrong!) is that they capture whoever happened to be in the house on that particular night. However, if John was just temporarily away, surely his son Magnus would not be listed as 'head' of the household??

could he have immagrated

Possibly, any tips on how I could find out?

If he died in Scotland, but not in Leith, and without the middle name or initial being put on the record, then it will be impossible to know which of the many possible deaths 1901-50 could be his.

In that timeframe, there are three possibilities in Edinburgh alone, including this one in Leith - if he hadn't actually died before Barbara:

MILLER
JOHN
88
1938
685/9 60
Leith

As far as emigration goes, all you can do is trawl through all the travel records of John Millers with YOB approx 1850, leaving (or arriving elsewhere) after 1901, and hope to find one with a likely occupation or other bit of identifying info.

I haven't found one so far.

EDIT:

There's this one, but too young to be either John or his son:


John Henderson Millar
in the New York, Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957
Name: John Henderson Millar
Arrival Date: 13 Jul 1918
Birth Date: abt 1898
Birth Location: Scotland
Birth Location Other: Leith, Scotland
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Ethnicity/ Nationality: Scottish (Scotish)
Port of Departure: Liverpool, England
Port of Arrival: New York, New York
Ship Name: Carmania

He's an engineer.
Mother: M Millar, 40 Craighall Road, Leith.

There is below...

Chris :)

25 November 1895 - Edinburgh Evening News - Edinburgh, Midlothian

ALLEGED STABBING AT LEITH.
At Leith Court today, Thomas Miller, described as a Baker in Hope Street, North Leith, was remitted to a higher court charged with having on Saturday, in Prince Regent Street, assaulted John Henderson Miller, a police constable, and Andrew Miller, waiter, and with a knife stabbed the former repeatedly on the breast, sides, and back, and the latter on the breast, both to the effusion of blood. It is said that the prisoner had quarrelled with his wife, and had followed her to the house of the constable, who is a step brother. The injuries are not considered serious.


1876 Marriage, as mentioned on Bayanne...

26 February 1876 - Shetland Times - Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland

Marriages.
At Upper Sound, Lerwick, on the 18thinst. by the Rev. A.R. Saunders, M.A., John H. Millar, sailor, Upper Sound, to Barbara, daughter of Thomas Tait, boat carpenter, Fetlar.


Edits (what does 1911 give for Address details?...)

If Magnus was 'Head' in 1911, his mother was living/staying with him rather than vice versa

Knowing the names and Barbara's age - ish from 1901 census can manipulate SP website and see these 2 together, but no further details available without looking at original. Is this your family?

Surname Forename Year Gender Age at Census Ref RD Name County/ City Image View
MILLER BARBARA 1911 F 60 685/2 26/ 14 St Andrew Midlothian
MILLER MAGNUS 1911 M 22685/2 26/ 14 St Andrew Midlothian

There are many examples of census being wrongly completed - just because she says married and for 35 years unfortunately doesn't mean that's true. Saving face was important to some.

If he was alive then she would still be married, doesn't mean they were together. If Magnus is listed as Head , yes, you would think his Father wasn't in that household at least.

If you were able to get to the Records Office in Edinburgh a day ticket I believe would allow you to look at as many records as you wanted, so you would be able to trawl through the death certs. As there are such a lot of possibles in Scotland it would cost a fair bit to buy SP credits and check them out - but you could only go up to 1918 that way anyway.

Given the St Andrew reg district in 1911, there's also this death as a very long shot -

MILLER
JOHN
80
1930
685/2 80
St Andrew (Edinburgh)


I don't see him definitely anywhere in 1911, unless, again, the middle name/initial was omitted, or his age given incorrectly, in which case the same applies as for deaths - there are lots to choose from, both in Edinburgh and in other places.

There's this one in 1911 with correct age - but he's with a Margaret, aged 43 -

MILLAR
JOHN
1911
M
61
685/4 43/ 5
St Giles
Midlothian