Return to the Land

When asked who John’s father was, Grandfather exclaimed, “John”. So armed with this information I searched for information on John Millers. From early 1700 to around 1760 the main emphasis of public record keeping were land transactions in the form of deeds, grants, and wills. Most personal family records were kept in Bibles or with other valuable possessions and keepsakes. Some family records of the Shenandoah Valley are found in genealogical reference books and histories but our search for the earlier John Miller was not found. We now return to John Miller of Miller’s Mill. John Miller (Johannes Mueller ) was a German settler who was granted land in Augusta County. In reviewing deeds and historical writings it was apparent that he was living at Miller’s Mill in Augusta County as early as 1745. In 1745 Botetourt County had not yet been founded but Miller’s Mill was located at what later became the town of Fincastle. 7 John Miller owned and operated the mill for his livelihood. He also dealt in land transactions, some evidence of which is as follows:

- April 16, 1755, John Miller, 81 acres on the south branch of Catawba.

-Surveys were made for Neal McNeal on the ground in 1750, delinquent list, Daniel Miller, John Miller, Isaac Taylor, Thomas Tosh – 65 acres joining Tasker Tosh.

-April 16, 1748, survey for John Miller – 65 acres on Little River.

-August 20, 1760 John Miller – grant 84 acres on the south branch of Catawba – PAT BK 34, 685.

-Feb. 14, 1767 John Miller, survey 104 acres Catawba.

-Feb 19, 1768 Israel Christian from Andrew Miller, Heir-at-law of John Miller, deceased £100, 84 acres on a south branch of Catawba; corner to a survey of Samuel McRoberts crossing the Mill dam. AV D.BK. 15, 68. 8

There is a possibility that other John Millers lived in the same region at this time. However, this was a sparsely populated area and it is more likely that the above records are referring to the same person. During this time there were a number of other Millers inhabiting the region that are listed in land deeds and grants, militia listings, and road upkeep responsibilities. Such first names found were John, David, Abraham, Adam, Alexander, Andrew, Anne, Charles, Henry, Hugh, Jacob, James, Peter, Joseph, Mary, Robert, Samuel, Sarah, Thomas, and William. As you will see these first names were to be repeatedly used in successive generations up to the present.

7 Kegley’s Virginia Frontier , p. 121. 8 Kegley’s Virginia Frontier, p. 121.

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