1.

CAPTAIN JOHN MILLER - later SIR JOHN RIGGS MILLER

From the age at death on his monument in Bath Abbey (see photo below), John MILLER was born in 1739 or 1740. He was the second son of John Miller of Drumline, co.Clare and Anne, daughter of Thomas Browne, of New Grove, co. Clare. [S16].

He was schooled at Dalston near London and Eton, and was admitted at the Middle Temple 1AUG1757. He then entered military service, becoming in 1760 a cornet in Elliot's Light Horse Regiment [S14] (the Light Dragoons). He fought with them in Germany during the Seven Years War and became a Captain in the 113th Foot in 1761.[S16]. He completed his education by being admitted as a Fellow-Commoner at Trinity Hall College, Cambridge 20MCH1761 and matriculated from there at Michaelmas the same year (see the note on his entry in Cambridge University Alumni).

At the end of AUG1765, Faulkner's Dublin Journal [S19] reported the marriage "A few Days since, at Bath," in England, of "John MILLER, Esq of Ballycasey, in the Co. of Clare to Miss RIGGS, Daughter (sic) and Heiress of the Right Hon. Edward RIGGS of Riggsdale in the County of Cork and Binfield in Berkshire, late Commissioner of his Majesty's Revenues."

The RT.HON. EDWARD RIGGS of Riggsdale was in fact Anne's grandfather. [S6] ANNE RIGGS (or Anna [S6]) was the only child and therefore heir [S3][S4][S6] to EDWARD RIGGS OF MIDDLE TEMPLE. From the dates of his marriage (licence dated 22DEC1740) and his death (Will proved 20JNE1743), Anne was born between 1741 and 1743. She was a poetess and authoress, and three of her works were published, as noted in the Cambridge Bibliography of Eng.Literature. [S15]

John Miller built Batheaston Villa at Bath, Somerset "at extravagant cost" [S16] and Walpole's Letter on the Riggs-Millers refers to the poetic academy which they instituted there. They had founded the academy on their return from travelling in France and Italy, after they "ran out their fortune, and all went to France to repair it". [S6]

John was created a Baronet in 1778, as SIR JOHN MILLER OF BALLYCASEY, co.Clare.[S16]. Ballycasey Beg and Balleycasey More are two placenames within Drumline Civil Parish (the parish of his father).

Burke [S12] ascribed the following achievement to "MILLER, of Ballycasey, Co.Clare", as illustrated by the image on the left:
CREST: A griffin's head erased argent, ducally gorged and chained azure.
ARMS: Argent, a fess wavy azure between three griffins' heads erased gules.
As Sir John was a baronet, the helmet shown would be a 'barriers helm', replacing the 'tilting helm' worn by gentlemen and esquires.

As Sir John Miller's wife, Anne became Lady Miller. On her death, Lady Miller was buried in Bath Abbey "where her husband erected a beautiful marble monument" (see photo) "to her memory" [S5]. The inscription states that she died on 24JNE1781 "at the Hot Wells of Bristol ... in the forty-first year of her age".

After Anne died, Sir John was M.P. for Newport (near Launceston) in Cornwall from 1784-1790. [S14]

Following the death of his mother-in-law MARGARET RIGGS in 1788, Sir John MILLER changed his name to Sir John RIGGS MILLER. This was first reported in the Bath Chronicle newspaper [S40] dated 30OCT1788 which reported: "News: Sir John Miller, bart has lately added the surname Riggs to his own, further to the will of his late mother-in-law (whose family is extinct). On Mrs Rigg's (sic) death, a considerable estate in Cork has devolved to Sir John." This was picked up by the Times newspaper [S54] which reported: "Sir John Millar (sic), Bart, has lately prefixed to his own, the surname of Riggs, in pursuance to the will of his late mother-in-law, whose family is extinct. We hear that a considerable estate in the county of Cork has devolved to Sir John by Mrs Riggs's death" Walpole commented that "'His wife brought him a large fortune, and he, full of good-natured officiousness, adopted her maiden name before his own." [S16]

The Bath Chronicle newspaper [S40] dated 4JLY1793 reported "Property: to let - furnished from 20 Nov, Batheaston Villa, let at present to Lord Audley. Stabling for 6 horses, coach-house for 2 carriages, dairy, brew-house, greenhouse, cold bath & 19 acres. Partics Sir John Riggs Miller, bart (London) or Mr Hay, Bladud's Bldgs, Bath".

Sir John married a second time, to JANE DAVENPORT, the widow of SIR THOMAS DAVENPORT M.P., [S16] (who had died in March 1786). [S14]

He died in Bloomsbury Square, London on 28MAY1798 (see his biographical notice) [S14] and was buried at Bath Abbey [S13] [S16]. His son Sir John Edward RIGGS MILLER's Will states "I desire that my body may be interred within the Abbey Church at Bath and that there may be a plain monument" (see photo) "with my Name & Age and my Fathers Name & Age, & expressing that he was also buried there, as well as my maternal Grandmother Mrs Margaret Riggs".[S13].

The Will of Sir John's second wife, DAME JANE RIGGS MILLER, was dated 30JLY1798 with codicil dated 12FEB1820, memorandum dated 15MAY1822 and codicil dated 21JLY1824, and was proved in London 10OCT1826 [S45].

The known children of John and Anne are said to be as follows (Walpole's Letter refers to Anne's mother being left with "the grandchildren" in France while Anne and John returned to Italy [S6]):