In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1879) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1795
From The History of McLean County, Illinois; portraits of early settlers and prominent men (1879), The good old times in McLean County, Illinois / containing two hundred and sixty-one sketches of old settlers, a complete historical sketch of the Black Hawk War and ... all matters of interest relati (1874)
James Miller was born May 23, 1795, in Rockingham County, Virginia. His ancestors were Scotch-Irish; his grandfather was a Presbyterian minister in Ireland. Young James received such an education as could be obtained in a district school, for his father had quite a flock of little ones to take care of; there were ten of them in all, nine boys and one girl. In 1811 his father moved to Madison County, Kentucky, on account of his ill health. This was when James was sixteen years of age. It was intended that James should be a farmer, and he was raised with a view to this occupation; but, having a talent for trade, he became a merchant. When he was twenty years of age he was filling the offices of collector and sheriff, positions of trust and responsibility. At that time he became a member of the Methodist church. Christianity was not then fashionable. Popular feeling was against it, and especially against the Methodist denomination. It was in the face of this popular feeling, and in spite of the fact that he was holding a position dependent, in a great measure, upon popular will, that he took his stand for the Lord and determined to lead a Christian life. Mr. Miller was earnest and devoted and soon was made a class leader, and afterwards a recording steward. During the whole of his remaining life he occupied positions of trust and responsibility in the church, and was indeed one of its brightest ornaments.
Mr. Miller has been twice married. His first wife lived only one year. His daughter, who was born during his first marriage, is living in Kentucky.
m'lean county. 309
On the 18tii of March, 1827, he married Mrs. Belle McGarvey, the ceremony being performed by Bishop Morris. She is an excellent lady, and during their whole wedded life, a period of forty-five years, she sympathised with him and worked with him in the cause of Christianity. They have had three boys born to them, all of whom are living.
While in Kentucky Mr. Miller was dissatisfied with the institution of slavery, and for that reason he determined to leave the State. His wife disliked this very much, but when she saw how much Mr. Miller was annoyed by the condition of things around him, and how much he wished to go, she said, like a prudent wife: " Husband, in case you wish to go, now is the time. I will not stand in the way. Our children will soon be waited on by slaves, and it will then be hard to break away."
[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]
In 1856, Mr. Miller was elected State Treasurer of Illinois, and so well and faithfully did he fulfill the trust reposed in him that he was re-elected in 1858. Mr. Miller's long and useful life was brought to a close on the twenty-third day of September, 1872. His funeral was largely attended; the Masonic fraternity, of which he was an honored member, taking an active part. At the Quarterly Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, held October 14, 1872, in Bloomington, resolutions of respect were passed to the memory of Mr. Miller. The following is one of the resolutions passed:
" Resolved, That our faith is an unfaltering one that the departed, who has so long been to us a brother, a counselor and a friend, is now among the angels and the redeemed in heaven, where we hope to meet him when the journey of life is ended."
William H. Temple.
As printed in The good old times in McLean County, Illinois / containing two hundred and sixty-one sketches of old settlers, a complete historical sketch of the Black Hawk War and ... all matters of interest relate (1874). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
HON. JAMES MILLER, deceased, Bloomington, whose portrait appears in this work, was of Scotch-Irish descent, and was born in Rockingham Co., Va., May 23, 1795. His grandfather was a Presbyterian minister in Ireland. He received such an education as could be obtained in a district school. When he was 16 years of age, his parents moved to Madison Co., Ky.; he was brought up on a farm, but having a talent for trade, he left the farm and became a merchant. At the age of 20, he was elected to fill the offices of Collector and Sheriff, positions of trust and responsibility. While living in Kentucky, he became greatly dissatisfied with the institution of slavery, and determined to leave the State, and, in the year 1835, came to Bloomington, and formed a copartnership in the mercantile business, first with John Magoun, and afterward with John Magoun and John E. McClure. He owned a great deal of land, which he had entered, and also a large city property. In 1856, Mr. Miller was elected State Treasurer of Illinois, and so well and faithfully did he fulfill the trust reposed in him to the satisfaction of the people of the State that he was re-elected in 1858..Mr. miller, early in life, became a member of the Methodist Church, at a time when popular feeling was against that denomination, and while he was holding a position dependent upon popular will; he was earnest and devoted, and soon was made a class-leader, and afterward a recording steward. During the remainder of his life, he occupied positions of trust and responsibility in the church. Mr. Miller has been twice married; his first wife was Miss Juliet McClelland, of Shelby Co., Ky., who lived but one year after marriage, leaving one child, Juliet, now living in Kentucky; on the I8th day of March, 1827, he married Mrs. Belle McGarvey, a daughter of John and Jane Moore, natives of Rockbridge Co., Va.; she was born Jan. 15, 1793; she had one child by her first husband, Alexander McGarvey, viz., John W. A., born Dec. 1, 1820; by Mr. Miller, she had four children, three living — Robert A., born Feb. 10, 1828: William T., Aug. 17, 1831; James E., Sept. 5, 1833; and one deceased— Otaway W., born March 23, 1830, died July 14, 1830. Mr. Miller, after a long and useful life, died on the 23d day of September, 1872. He was an honored member of the Masonic fraternity, who took an active part at his funeral obsequies. At the Quarterly Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, held in Bloomington Oct. 14, 1872, resolutions of respect were passed to his memory. Mrf. Miller is still living, at the ripe old Age of 86, an excellent lady, who, during her whole wedded life, worked with her husband in the cause of Christianity.
As printed in The History of McLean County, Illinois; portraits of early settlers and prominent men (1879). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Named in this biography: John Magoun (b. 1806) W. A. (b. 1826) William H. Temple (b. 1811)
Their biographies name James Miller: Malon Bishop (b. 1810) William T. M. Miller (b. 1831) Robert Guthrie John Moore (b. 1793) James Depew (b. 1800) Abraham Brokaw (b. 1815)
The printed record stops around 1879. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.