The Miller Family

NJGenWeb ~ Morris County, New Jersey

The Miller Family

Source: J. Percy Crayon, Rockaway Records of Morris County, N. J. Families, (Rockaway, N.J., Rockaway Publishing Co., 1902)

Among the early settlers in Morris County were three brothers named MILLER, who came from Holland perhaps as early as 1740 or 50, as each had sons old enough to serve in the Revolution.

Frederick Miller settled at Stony Brook, near Rockaway Valley, where his son Frederick bought lands, over 400 acres, in May 1788, and it is said that some of the descendents still own parts of the original tract. He became a member of the Rockaway church in 1770 and is probably buried there.

There are those now living who remember of coming to Rockaway church in Dr. KING’s time from Rockaway Valley and Stony Brook in ox wagons in summer and "jumper" sleds in winter, the only conveyances and propelling power used by the early settlers about their "clearings’ and "patches" now called farms. A slow and sure progressive movement, but the best the early settlers had, and they accommodated whole families and sometimes neighborhoods, and usually those who had farthest to go to church, succeeded in getting there first.

Jacob MILLER settled at Hook Mountain, near Pine Brook, bought a large tract of land, on which some of his descendents now live and own in part. His sons served in the Revolution.

Christian or Christopher, there is some uncertainty as to which name, settled on 600 acres of land near old Boonton. His son, John Frederick, it is related, was one of Washington’s Staff officers or express riders, while encamped at Morristown. While the enemy were at or near Trenton it was necessary to communicate or get dispatches to Philadelphia. Washington selected John Frederick MILLER and the brown mare to carry these dispatches. The ride was a perilous one, and through the enemy’s lines, but the brown mare and her daring rider performed the distance and returned bringing important information in just thirty-six hours.

The distance probably traveled at that time, and on the occasion was nearly 180 miles, or an average, without including rest or time for feeding, of nearly five miles per hour. The power of endurance of both horse and rider over the rough roads of Revolutionary days would compare favorably with the improved horse flesh of today, covering the more direct lines and improved roads.

The daring rides of General PUTMAN, Paul REVERE and General SHERIDAN have passed into history and poetry, but the feats of the brown mare and its daring rider, John Frederick MILLER has only been handed down in the plain prose of family tradition.

John Frederick MILLER lived and died at Old Boonton, his place of burial is unknown. He had thirteen children. Frederick; Alexander, married Phebe ______ and died at Old Boonton, Ada married (2) PIERSON, and lived and died at old Shongum. Thomas died at Orange. Jemima; David, died at Pine Brook; Sarah, married TUTTLE, died at Brooklyn. Stephen, born Dec. 11, 1791, married a VANDINE. Her mother was a DOREMUS, a lineal descendent of Aneka JANS. He served six months in the 1812 war, and did service at Jersey City and Sandy Hook with the Rockaway boys under the JACKSONs. He died at Paterson, March 2, 1888. Lydia and Nellie died at Old Boonton. Ann married TUTTLE, who married Sarah and died at Brooklyn. Obediah, died at Newark. Aaron died at Old Boonton. His son Edward now owns a part of the old MILLER homestead.

The facts of the MILLER family were related to me by one of the descendents, who has taken no special pride in tracing ancestry or the interesting part of history connected with the family, in less than half an hour. To trace to the sixth and seventh generations of the three original brothers, all having large families would occupy many years of time and research, as they are related to very many of the old Rockaway and Morris County families.

Transcribed by John Cresseveur (1949-2003)