Born in Dublin on the 18th of May 1832, the son of Orsmby Bowen Miller, Esq., of Milford, Co. Mayo, and his wife, Catharine Ann, daughter of Thomas Ormsby Esq., of Knockmore, Co, Mayo. His father had assumed the additional surname of Miller by Royal Licence in 1812.
Obtained his B.A. from Trinity College, Dublin, on the 20th of April 1853, and later qualified at the Richmond and Whitworth Hospital, Dublin. He obtained his M.D. qualification on the 22nd of November 1864.
Assistant Surgeon in the 77th Foot: 28th of March 1854.
Assistant Surgeon in the 11th Hussars: 14th of September 1855.
1861 Census
Fulwood Barracks, Preston.
O.B.Miller, unmarried, 28, "A. Srg'n" [presumably "Assistant Surgeon"], 11th Hussars, born Ireland.
Surgeon in the Military Train: 22nd of November 1864.
Surgeon (Staff): 1st of April 1865.
Surgeon in the 14th Hussars: 9th of June 1865.
Surgeon Major (Army Medical Department): 9th of September 1865.
Retired, and on to half-pay: 17th of October 1875.
Assistant-Surgeon Miller served the Eastern campaign of 1854-55, including the battles of the Alma, Inkerman, and the Siege and fall of Sebastopol with the 77th Foot and later with the 11th Hussars. (Medal and three clasps, the Turkish medal and the 5th Class Order of the Medjidie.
Entitled to the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Inkerman and Sebastopol, the Turkish Medal and the Order of the Medjidie, 5th Class.
He is shown on the medal rolls of the 77th Foot for the Alma and Inkerman clasps and is also shown on the Sebastopol clasp roll of that regiment, but the entry is annotated, "Transferred to the 11th Hussars. " He is also shown on the medal rolls of the 11th Hussars for the Sebastopol clasp only.
J.P. for Co. Mayo and High Sheriff of Co. Galway in 1893.
Lived at Milford, Co. Mayo and Blindwell, Co. Galway.
He had married twice. His first marriage was to Elizabeth Mira, daughter of General William Irvine, of St. Catherine's Park, Co. Kildare, on the 1st of November 1884.
His second to Monica Mary, daughter of Oliver Dolphin, Esq., of Tuero, Co. Galway, and widow of Charles Stanton Kirwan, Esq., D.L. of Blindwell, Co. Galway, on the 25th of April 1890.
Died at Blindwell, Tuam, Co. Galway, on the 8th of April 1910.
Extract from the Western People, 23rd of April 1910:
"From our own correspondent.
The late Ormsby Bowen Miller, Esq., D.L. J.P.
The grave has closed over the scion of an old and aristocratic family, the last of his race, in the person of the above deceased, who was laid to rest with kindred dust in the Protestant Cemetery, Kilmaine, on Monday of last week. He was a very much respected gentleman through-out his life and he had a very kind heart.
If he could not be said to have taken a very active part in local affairs, he followed their course with much interest, and when for health reasons he had lately found it necessary to spend the winter in more congenial climes he always had the "Western People", to which he was an old subscriber, regularly forwarded to him.
The Millars of Milford could trace their descent back for a very long time. The family history is an interesting one, and reflected the phases of the times in many strange events. Thus it is recorded that in the year 1747 that a duel was fought between one Millar and one Browne of the Neale at Ballinvoher, a short distance outside Kilmaine. In those days the landed gentry lived most of them exciting and boisterous lives and the club-house which existed at Kilmaine was often the scene of wild meetings, when wine made hot blood hotter still.
In 1803, when three men who were suspected of being rebels were publicly flogged in the street of Kilmaine, a Millar of Milford used all his influence on their behalf, and when this failed (the treacherous evidence of a neighbour proving too strong against them) he mounted his horse and hurried to save them from the executioner's rope by getting them away as fast as he could. At that time the Millars were very extended landed proprietors and owned the Kilmaine property.
One, a Major-General, fell during the campaign in Flanders, and a marble slab in Kilmaine Church perpetuates his memory.
The late Mr. Omsby Millar was a Surgeon-Major in the 10th Hussars [sic] and went through the Crimea, and on the death of his brother, Mr. C.C. Millar, came into the possession of the landed property, which being entailed, has been passed to the deceased's nephew, M. C. Ormsby Millar.
The funeral to the burial place at Kilmaine was exceedingly large and impressive and representative, and his memory was warmly honoured by the two-fold character it thus possessed. A conspicuous feature of the cortege was the presence of all the tenants. [Then follows a list of family mourners and others present.]
The coffin, supplied by Mr. Valkenburgh, was richly mounted, the shield bearing the inscription, 'Ormsby Bowen Millar of Milford and Blindwell. Died 8th April 1910. Aged 78 years.'"
At the Milltown Petty Sessions, the presiding chairman, Mr. H.P. Shiel, R.M. referred to the death of Mr. Millar:
"The Magistrates assembled at Milltown have heard with regret of the death of Mr. Ormsby B. Millar, D.L. a magistrate who presided at this court and beg to tender to Mrs. Millar the deep sympathy they feel with her in her bereavement and hereby adjourn this court as a mark of respect for their late colleague."
It is a moot point as to whether his name should be spelt "Miller" or "Millar". Every English source shows his name as Miller but the Irish newspapers all refer to him as Millar.
Brigadier General P.D. Hogan, a member of the Military History Society of Ireland, furnished the following:
"The family burial plot in Kilmaine Protestant Cemetery is large and enclosed by an iron railing. There are several monuments in it... Towards the front there are at least three uniform plain limestone crosses on a base, each totalling about four feet high.The inscription on one of these monuments is 'In memory of Ormsby Bowen Miller of Milton and Blindwell. Born 1832 — Died 1910.' The twin monument beside it is in memory of his wife, Mira, who died in 1886 and the third monument is in memory of a Captain John Miller."
[Note that the spelling on these monuments is Miller with an "e".
Census information for 1851 kindly provided by Chris Poole.