HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-12-15, Page 34is
RICH SIGNAL-StAR, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1977
Ben Miller sold a strip off the west of Lot 8, opposite the
Park House, to the Baron van Tuyll, presumably for a
driveway. Apparently he did not own Lot 8 at the time,
but picked it up a few years later on a sheriff's writ. It
runs through to Lighthouse street, and has long been a
public thoroughfare, known as Vickers Lane. Mrs.
(Capt.) Vickers lived for years on the property next west.
Ben Miller
• from page :IA
collar 28, height six foot two.
According to medical
authority today. the condition
which brought about his
abnormal weight of 485
pounds could have been
caused by glandular
disturbances Or a tumor of
the hypothalmus. Jonathan's
wife was of generous
proportions, too, though nut of
her husband's dimensions.
The couple often shared a
reinforced seat in a one-horse
buggy.
"Jonathan passed
peacefully away at his
residence, Carlow, aged 61
years and 8 months. He was
born in the township in which
he died, his father. Daniel,
being a well known resident
of Benmiller` and his uncle.
Benjamin, a member of the
first municipal council in
1850. His remains now rest in
Maitland Cemetery beside
those of his family who have
gone before ..:.
"Although of -s reat
weight -- latterly t 486
pounds -- for a man o his age
he moved about with an easy
grace that was remarkable.
He owned and worked a farm,
which he relinquished only a
short time since.
"The funeral was under
Masonic auspices, deceased
being a member of Mor-
ningstar Lodge of Colborne,
and members of the Canadian
Foresters and Orange Order
also attended, deceased being
a longtime member of both.
"A specially made casket
was ordered by Brophey: &
Son, from London. Inside
dimensions 61'2 feet in length.
31.2 in width, 2 feet four inches
deep, and weight 455 pounds.
The doorway of the house had
to.,be enlarged, and as no
hearse could hold so large a
casket an express wagon *as
fitted up. The casket had
handles for 12 pallbearers.
.and it. was no easy task for
that number to hear it and
lower it to its last resting
place. Rev. Mark Turnbull
(St. George's, Anglican) .and
the Masons conducted the
service at the grave.
PRESBYTERIANS
The Dominion census of
1861 listed Daniel, Benjamin
and Joseph Miller and
Daniel's son and daughter as
belonging to the Church of
Scotland. Mary Miller, Dan's.
wife, was a Methodist. The
Miller name is not among
those mentioned in available
material concerning tilt:
Church of Scotland in
Goderich. That congregation
dated from 1841.
The Signal's obituary' ..f
Jonathan mentions a.-farn-
which he worked, anct
"relinquished only a ,hart
time ago." He owned a farm
across the river from Bk:n-
miller. second lot from the
river and numbered 13, w h!ch
he acquired from Jesse
-• Gledhill and the Slattery
estate. apparently 120 ac res
However, he sold that
property to Betsy Jones in
1883, for $1,000. in rer,•nt
years it belonged to W'illi,tm Mr
Moorhead, retired hanker.
who resided there.
There is no memorial in
Maitland Cemetery to the life
and works of-- Jonathan
Miller; no shaft hearing the
names and dates of those
who, as the Signal noted,. had
gone before. Only what are
known as footstoncs identify
the plot, and now they are
covered with snow.
Ben Miller voted against
tolls on Goderich bridge
Benjamin Miller, of
Colborne Mill Village, was
elected to the first township
council in 1850. along with
Michael Fisher, John Morris,
William Young and John
Armand (reeve). In 1857, Ben
Miller was reeve and so a
member of Huron- Bruce
counties council. At that time
the term "townrecves•' was
used.
As a newcomer, Ben sat on
none of the standing com-
mittees and the printed
minutes do.not indicate that
he introduced any important
business, but he voted on the
motions, mostly relating to
gravel roads, and was one of
a gallant half-dozen who tried
to prevent the imposition of
tolls at a gate on the Maitland
bridge here.
Reeve Woods of Stanley
and Reeve Girvin of
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In documents relating to Ben Miller's numerous real estate transactions, his lawyers'
invariably used his full name, Archibald Benjamin Miller. Signing them, he invariably
wrote "B. Miller," as in this acquisition of one of Baron van Tuyil's lots on a sheriff's writ.
Ben Miller, Goderich innkeeper, held a mortgage on this West street corner lot in 1835.
and in 1844 acquired the next lot west on a sheriff's writ. The BP gasoline station and A &
P store occupied the site until recently.
Pioneers in Middlesex......
• from page lA
two females nNer 16, three under. The
family was Church of England.
All of which failed to show any Huron
r onnert ion• so as a last resort the. will of •
Jonathan Miller was checked for family
names. W,D .J Moss, Q.C., of Glencoe,
obliged by making a ,search at West
Mtdr'lesex Registry Office. Miller died in
April 1.872. His will mentions a son,
JACK'
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lon:!thun. a!,u on I, uaugntet nmily and
tit
That was the end of the road. The
Middlesex Millers were contemporary
with those in Colborne: township and
there was no indication of relationship.
Since they pioneered in Middlesex about
the same period as the Millers in Huron,
there could have been a common origin
in an earlier settled part of Upper
Canada, or in England.
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Wawanosh moved: "That.
council -propose to receive
from the Northern Gravel
Road Company 100 pounds
per annum to enable council
to maintain Maitland bridge
and approach thereto from
Cambria road in efficient
repair; and the Company is
authorized to impose a toll of
not more than a penny for a
double team and a halfpenny
for each single beast of
burden, at the first gate north
of Maitland bridgd."
Reeve Holmes of Goderich
township, who had been
elected 'warden unopposed,
rnoved in amendment that the
bridge be toll-free, and found
five supporters, including
Miller. The motion prevailed.
Pennies and halfpence theft
and for fifty years or so after
in circulation were British
coins. The penny passed for
two cents. Pennies were
never minted by Canada or
the United States).
Council at this session
proposed that the Gravel
Road Company should
"proceed from the northern
extremity of Maitland bridge
on through Colborne and
between Ashfield and""
Wawanosh to the extreme of
the county of Huron."
The county treasurer was
instructed to "proceed
without delay to England and
endeavor to have a , sale of
gravel road debentures. He
was to receive one-half of one
percent, for his services.
As result of a petition to the
Assembly, an Act had been
passed recognizing the.deed
given b,y the Town of
Goderich to county council of
the site of the courthouse.
A report from the engineer
on "Ben Miller's bridge" was
received, read, and referred
to the finance committee.
At the June session, Reeves
Dickson and Detlor moved
that 500 pounds be granted for
the purpose of erecting a
Grammar School building in
Goderich, on condition that
the town council appropriate
a similar amount. (Nothing
came of that; the Grammar
School never had a building).
Salaries were set as
follows, in pounds sterling:
Clerk, 175; surveyor 160,
warden 30.
The warden was authorized
to "procure the royal arms in
wood, to be placed over the
Bench". • (Who now
remembers that decoration?)
Sheriff Macdonald had
applied for two rooms in the
new courthouse. Council
noted that other officials had
got along with one, and
decided "usage cannot•prove
that he is entitled to two."
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