Thomas Miller

Brothers Obadiah Miller & Thomas Miller emigrated to Springfield, Massachusetts, by 1649. They are seen as the sons of Robert Miller, of Northumberland & Elizabeth Miller in old GEDCOM uploads, but details do not pan out. They’ve been detached.

• Lieut Thomas Miller
  • BIRTH say 1629 in England (estimated; age 20 at marriage)
  • DEATH: 5 Oct 1675 (aged 41) Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts
  • BURIAL: Springfield Cemetery, Springfield, Hampden County, Massachusetts
  • PLOT: Willow Avenue 2-97
  • Parents: unknown
  • Sibling: Obediah Miller born say 1626
  • Spouse: Sarah Marshfield Foster 1628–1709 married 12 August 1649, Springfield, Hampden, Massachusetts Bay Colony, British Colonial America.
  • Children:
    • Sarah Miller Ball unknown–1683
    • Thomas Miller 1653–1690
    • Samuel Miller 1655–1727
    • John Miller 1657–1676
    • Deborah Miller Garrell 1662 – unknown
    • Martha Miller Ferry 1665–1691
    • Experience Miller Frost 1673–1731
• According the Springfield Records Thomas arrived 1649 resided in Springfield 26 years and died in Springfield in 1675 Oct 5 when attempted to "talk with the Indian" at Mill River with Thomas Cooper. Thomas Miller was killed instantly.

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Disputed origins

Neither he nor his brother were born IN the River Tyne.

• There are three towns in Northumberland that might be their birth towns, though the last two seem least likely:
  • Tynemouth, Northumberland – The birthplace showing for their mother on Geni as of 31 Oct 2024.
  • Blaydon, Tyne and Wear – Nearest place to Tynemouth of these listed towns.
  • Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland
  • Langley-upon-Tyne, Northumberland - most distant from Tynemouth

1. Passenger and Immigration Record Index 1500s-1900s. Arrival 1635 in Massachusetts.
2. Baptism record England & Wales Christening Records 1530-1906. Source Citation: Place: Balderton, Nottinghamshire, England; Collection: [BTs; Date Range: 1630 - 1640; Film Number: 503473]. Name: Thomas Miller. Gender: Male. Birth Date: ca 1633. Christening Date: 27 December 1633. Christening Place: Balderton, Nottingham, England. Father’s name: Robert Miller. Mother’s Name: Elizabeth.
3. 1636-1675. Early History of Springfield. Pages 27-28. Thomas Miller was one of the white men that had troubles with the Indians. Indians complained that Miller, then a young man, had committed an assault upon their father, striking him with the butt of the gun. ¶ "May 9, 1660. Thomas Miller complayned against certayne Indians yet came to his house, which, as his wife sayth, scarred his children by throwinge stickes at them; his wife cominge out of her house & callinge to her husband for help, he was going into his house to fetch a cudgell & his wife followed him & at the doore of his house one of the Indians stroke his wife on her head with his fist yet shee fell down with the blow & Thomas Miller turninge back layd hold on the Indian that struck his wife; then another of the Indians laid hold on Tho. Miller & rescued him yet struck ye woman & the other Indians struck Tho Miller diverse blows while he & the Indian were scuffling: the Indians being pursued by diverse men & horses, three of them were taken & brought before ye case but the Indian that stroke the woman could not be taken: the names of those yet were taken & found guilty were Kollabauggamitt & Maullamaug who dwell in Nipmuck county they were adjudged to pay for themselves & yet escaped 14 fathom on wampum: the Indians paying the wampum 6 fathom was delivered to ye constable to defray the charges of 10 men & 5 horses that pursued them or yet were required to waite on the service & 8 fathoms was given to Tho. Miller in way of satisfaction for ye injury done to him & his wife." Thomas Miller was unquestionably a brave, stout man, and evidently bore no special good will toward the Indians, being ever ready, when occasion offered, to engage in a fray with them.
4. Massachusetts, Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988. Death for Thomas Miller, in Springfield on 5 October 1675. Killed by Indians during the burning of Springfield, Massachusetts.
5. New England Marriages page 509.

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Thomas Miller died in the"Falls fight". Other children of Thomas and Sarah's included: Sarah, Thomas, Samuel, John, Joseph, Josiah, Martha, Mehitable, Joseph (again), and Experience.

The bio above was written by Ed Poulin, the creator of this memorial. Thank you to Ed for transfer of this memorial.

The following is per Clay Crandall: (I will try to find more information). Thomas did not die in the "Falls fight". He died 4 years earlier in 1675 by an Indian bullet when he and Lt. Cooper were traveling to talk to the Indians about their intentions. The "Falls fight was same war but a few years later. It was Captain William Miller that was in that conflict.

Thomas was born at Tyne River, Northumberland, England (Present UK). Daughter, Experience (born 1673), married Samuel Frost (born 1664). Their son named Josiah is my ancestor who married Mary Paulk.

Wikitree has some interesting records on Thomas Miller and his ancestors.

According to Wikitree (as copied on 2/16/2020):

Biography
Thomas was born about 1631 probably in England. He passed away on 5 October 1675 at Springfield in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and is buried there at the Springfield Cemetery.

From: A Family History; recording the ancestors of Russell Snow Hitchock, page 125:

Miller Ancestry, Thomas Miller: Thomas Miller #519 was first heard of at Springfield, Massachusetts. His son Thomas was born at Springfield on 1 April 1653. On 13 March 1655 he testified at court at Northampton according to the court records. The Springfield records show that on 21 February 1658 he sold an acre of land to his brother Obadiah Miller. On 12 September 1649 he married SARAH MARSHFIELD #520, daughter of THOMAS MARSHFIELD #521 and sister of Samuel Marshfield.... Thomas Miller was one of the signers of the petition dated 2 December 1668 wherein the inhabitants of Springfield protested certain impost duties. Thomas Miller was killed by the Indians at the burning of Springfield on 5 October 1675. The inhabitants of Springfield had been warned of the attack by a friendly Indian and retired to three houses deemed to be the strongest to resist attack. As the Indians approached, Thomas Miller and Thomas Cooley (N.B. actually Thomas Cooper) went out to parlay with them and both were killed. Children of Thomas and Sarah include:[1]

Sarah b. 3 September 1650 Thomas b. 1 April 1653 Samuel b. 20 April 1655 John b. 23 April 1657 Joseph b. 27 September 1659 Josiah b. 27 September 1660 Deborah b. 9 November 1662 Martha b. 10 November 1664 Martha b. 4 November 1665 Ebenezer b. 25 August 1667 Mehetabell b. 12 November 1669 Joseph b. 13 December 1671 Experience b. 9 May 1673 Sarah married second Edward Foster at Springfield on 17 January 1683/4.

Research Notes This profile at one point included the middle name "Edward" for Thomas. But no source was provided, and since middle names were almost non-existent in the 17th century British empire, the name was removed.

The stimated birth year 1631 placed on this profile seemingly includes no source or analysis. An alternative accounting of his birth and death are on FindAGrave, with no sources given: Birth December 1633 at Northamptonshire, England. "According the Springfield Records, Thomas arrived 1649 resided in Springfield 26 years and died in Springfield in 1675 Oct 5 when attempted to 'talk with the Indian' at Mill River with Thomas Cooper. Thomas Miller was killed instantly."

Probate

On 30 March 1680 a settlement of Thomas's estate was made:[2]

Setlemt of ye Estate of Thomas Miller Senr deceased Whereas there was an Inventory formerly pesented to ye Corte of ye estate of our Honored ffather Thomas Miller deceased & ye sd Estate yet not Setled, Wee ye are the heirrs to ye sd Estate having in Consideration & advise Considered ye Same do agree as ffolloweth, — ffirst ye our honored mother shall have a 3d part of ye whole Estate & for ye lands her 3d part of it she shall have ye parssell of land which lyeth East of Mr. Glover's lot which is fifteene acres & Six acres on ye West End of ye homelot, being pt of ye homelot, And ye Over & above her 3ds of ye Lands she shall have her 3ds of ye Remayndr of ye homelot which is about seven acres But this Seven acres which is above her 3d part she shall injoy only during her Widdowhood, & for ye remaynder of ye Estate of Lands, Wee agree to devide Equallie amongst us ye Sons of ye abovesd Miller, Only allowing Our Eldest Brother Thomas Miller a double portion, And for our Sisters whose portions are 14th(?) a peice Our Bror Thomas & Our Mother doth ingage to pay them, And ffurther we agree ye wn(?) ye revertion of Lands wch now is in Our Mothers hands wch at her decease is to be devided among all ye Sons then Our Sisters shall have fortie shillings a peice of ye same, some Considerations moveing us to Consider or sisters & to allow them fortie shillings a peice more soe ye it will make ye portions Sixteene Pounds — The abovesd being ye prsentment of ye abovesd partners was approved & allowed in this Corte as a Setlement of ye Estate of Tho : Miller Senr deceased & wch was signed By Sarah Miller Widdow, Tho : Miller (TM his marke), Samll Miller, Jno Miller On 27 March 1683 a further settlement was reached:[3]:

March 27 1683 A further agreement besides wt was agreed on & confirmed by the County Corte at Northampton march 1680 between Widdow Miller & Thomas Miller her Son as ffollowes. — The sd Thomas Miller is to have two Oxen two Cows & a heifer , one horse one mare, & that part

References

1. Cutter, William Richard. 'Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of the ..., " Volume 2. Page 845. < GoogleBooks > Brothers Obadiah Miller and Thomas Miller.
2. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/collaborate/LKDF-MVK
3. (Probably not this man, because there's no Obediah in the family.) "England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J9WM-DV4 : 4 February 2023), Thomas Miller, 1634.me Thomas Miller Sex Male Father's Name Robert Miller Father's Sex Male Mother's Name Elizabeth Mother's Sex Female Event Type Christening Event Date 9 Nov 1634 Event Place Farningham, Kent, England, United Kingdom Event Place (Original) Farningham, Kent, England
4. Thomas Miller in the Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988 < AncestrySharing > Name Thomas Miller Record Type Marriage Marriage Date 12 Aug 1649 Marriage Place Springfield, Massachusetts, USA Spouse Sarah Marshfeild.
   1. Comment: He must have been born before 1631 (age 18 in 1649) and probably some years before then. His brother Obediah Miller shows an estimated birth date of 1626 at https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Miller-7891
5. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/112539007/thomas-miller
6. https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Miller-7891 "The estimated birth year 1631 placed on this profile seemingly includes no source or analysis."