John Frederick Miller acquired his first land in Virginia, almost down to the North Carolina border, in 1748. He was joined by his brother Harman, in 1763 or 1764, who came down from the Little Fork area in Culpeper County. Harman had married Elizabeth Holtzclaw, the daughter of the 1714 immigrant Jacob Holtzclaw. Elizabeth's mother is uncertain as Jacob was married twice, and the mother of children number four, five, and six (counting Elizabeth as six) is indeterminate. Jacob Holtzclaw gave land to Elizabeth in the Little Fork, which is probably where she had been living with Harman. They sold the land and moved to the south of Virginia. A Hitt moved at the same time (was this Henry Hitt who had married Alice Katherine Holtzclaw?).
Because John Frederick Miller was so active with land transactions after he moved south, the question arises as to why was he was so quiet for the first ten years, from, 1738 to 1748. It would appear that he was in Virginia, probably in the Little Fork area, where his brother Harman seems to have been. Did he rent land there?
I have wondered if the 1738 immigrants were indentured to someone, such as Jacob Holtzclaw, who was probably responsible for bringing them over. In the case of John Frederick, there is a strong contrast between his behavior for the first ten years in America and in the period after that.
John Frederick Miller made his will in 1787. To his wife Mary he left his plantations, two slaves and other items. To his sons, Haman and Harman, and his daughters, Elizabeth and Mary, he left one shilling each. Jacob was bequeathed forty pounds. John, Jr., was left a slave girl, Jane, after Mary's decease. Frederick was to receive a slave boy, Simon, and fifty pounds. Martin, the remaining child, was to inherit the plantation and two slave boys, after Mary's decease. The will was probated in 1787. John Frederick's wife came into Court and relinquished all claim to the will and demanded instead her third interest. The estate was appraised at 369 pounds, 11 shillings and 6 pence.
There is speculation that Mary may have been a second wife. And whether she was on the best of terms with the sons has been questioned. In 1790, there is a marriage of Mary Miller to Hugh Bragg, but it is not clear if this is the same Mary Miller.
Starting with Matthias in Germany, there seems to be nine children of John Frederick Miller. They dispersed widely, and places of death of the children include North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Virginia, with three unknowns. (The county records often confused Haman and Harman but the will shows clearly these were two separate individuals.)
(23 Dec 02)
We gratefully acknowledge the work of John Blankenbaker who published over 2,500 Germanna History Notes via the Germanna-L@rootsweb.com email list from 1997 to 2008. We are equally thankful to George Durman (Sgt. George) for hosting the list and republishing the notes via rootsweb.com.