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William G. Miller
Born 1750? ?Frederick Co. VA
Died after 1820 ?Rapides Parish LA or Tuskegee, Macon Co. AL

SPOUSE	CHILDREN
Anne Marie (Margaret?) Ilor (widow) m. after 1767? ?Frederick Co. VA b. 1748? ?Frederick Co. VA d. Nov 3, 1806 Natchez, Adams Co. Miss. Terr.	Christopher b. Mar 12, 1770 ?Frederick Co. VA d. Dec 24, 1854 ?Natchez MS	Joach (?Joseph) b. by 1771 ?Frederick Co. VA d. by 1850 St. Francisville LA	Susannah b. 1772 ?Frederick Co. VA d. Feb 15, 1838 St. Francisville LA
	Anna Madeline b. 1774 ?Dunmore Co. VA d. Oct 20, 1820 St. Francisville LA	Anne Marie (twin) b. 1774 ?Dunmore Co. VA d. 1812 Rapides Parish LA	Robert b. by 1775 ?VA d. after Jan 1805 ?Adams Co. Miss. Terr.
	William G. Jr. b. d. after 1821 ?Macon Co. AL
?Eliza m. after 1775 ?Rowan Co. NC b. after 1756 d. after 1816? ?Adams Co. MS	Jeremiah b. 1789? Natchez Dist. d. after 1810 ?Claiborne Co. MS	James b. 1790? Natchez Dist. d. after 1840? ?East Feliciana Parish LA	?Nancy b. after 1795? Natchez Dist. d. after 1841? ?Macon Co. AL
	?daughter b. after 1795? Natchez Dist. d. after 1841? ?AL	?daughter b. by 1816 ?Adams Co. Miss. Ter. d. after 1816? ?Adams Co. MS
In Frederick Co. VA there are deed records that show, as either witness or owner of adjoining land between 1755 and 1774, individuals named "Adolph Ilor" and "Jonas Rhinehart" and in Dunmore Co. VA similar records involving "George Rindhart" and his assignor "Mark Ilor" between 1761 and 1774 [Northern Neck Land Grants, p.307]. During both of these periods Adolphus Jonas Iler was born, possibly named for siblings and/or parents of his parents.
Frederick Co. VA was formed in 1738 from Orange Co. (see present day map for location of Frederick Co. It is the northernmost county in VA, bordering WV not far from the state of Maryland. Dunmore Co. VA was formed on May 15, 1772 but renamed Shenandoah Co. on Feb 1, 1778 and now borders Frederick Co. to the southwest (see present day map [familysearch.org, "Virginia County Creation Dates... "].
By 1770 William married Anne Marie Iler widow of Marcus Iler in Frederick Co. VA. after apparently being separated from her husband during the war. Her first son, Adolphus Jonas Iler, was born about 1767. By 1786 the Miller family was in the Natchez District.
A "William Millar" was a neighbor of Charles McDowell at Quaker Meadows, Burke Co. NC, in a Dec 1778 Land Grant and was a chain carrier in the Aug 1779 Survey for the 1,000 acres of land on the north side of the Catawba River. The other chain carrier was John Holloway [NCLandgrants.com, website]. Like the Millers, the McDowells had migrated from Frederick Co. VA.
The earliest grant in NC to a William Miller was entered in Burke Co. on Feb 5, 1778 - spelling his name as "Millar" - on Grant no. 21. It was issued on Dec 10, 1778 for 300 acres of land "lying on Wilses Creek joining above Moses Langlee..." [usgwarchives.net, website], Likely the land bordering that of Charles McDowell since McDowells survey less than nine months later mentions "Langlees corner, "Millars" line" and "Wills Branch". On Jun 5, 1778 Grant no. 747 was entered for a "William Miller" on Potts Creek next to land of a John Ford, a son or grandson of Preserved Ford, entered as Grant no. 277 a few months later, in Rowan Co. NC. Then on Aug 6, 1778 Grant no. 661 was entered for a "William Miller" next to land of a David Miller on "Buffalow Creek" also in Rowan Co. These claims were all issued by Nov 1784 and were south of Burke Co. in what are now Cabarrus and Mechlenburg counties [NCLandgrants.com, Burke Co. NC, #21, #277, #291, #661, #747].
In May 1782, "Xphal Ryer & wife" arrived at Natchez without children or slaves. The "wife" may be the "Eliza Ophill" in the St. Catherine's Creek area in one of the translations of the 1792 Natchez District Census, identified as a widow (in Spanish) of [Mark] Iler [similar in sound to Ryer). The only other "familia" to arrive that day without children was recorded as William Barland under the name "Guillermo Barland" [Natchez Court Records, 1767-1805, record at the Archives General of the Indies, Spain]. A total of 13 families were recorded by Spanish authorities as arriving, and the record was signed by Commandant Charles de Grand-Pré on Jul 6, 1782.
About 1785, Anne Marie Miller married Jonas Iler in Shenandoah Co. VA, previously Dunmore Co. that was formed from Frederick Co. in 1772. Anne Marie and William Miller may have been separated by the Revolutionary War.
The last two children of William and Anne Marie Miller were twins who married the brothers Jeremiah Routh Jr.(1763?-1815) and Job Routh (1763?-1834), the future owners of Dunleith plantation. Anne Marie's husband Jeremiah died in Rapides Parish in 1815. Most of the Millers and Rouths are buried in the Routh Cemetery in Natchez.
On Jan 18, 1787 a Census of the Natchez District was reported to the commandant, Charles de Grand-Pré: There were 1,926 Individuals; 25 male births, 20 female births, 4 male deaths, 3 female deaths, and 356 were able to carry arms. In Saint Catherine [St. Catherine's Creek section] 10 individuals were counted in the family of "Mark Oiler": 3 white males in age group 1 [Mark, Jonas, William Barland]; 1 white male in age group 2 [Andrew Barland]; 2 white females in age group 1 [Elizabeth, aged 21, and Anne Marie Miller aged about 40; 1 white female in age group 2 [?dtr of Mark's wife, Anne Marie Miller]; 2 male mulatoes in age group 1 [slaves but children of William and Eliz.]; 1 female mulatoe in age group 1 [slave but child of William and Eliz.]; and 12 cattle; 3 horses, 30 hogs [Baker, wiki website].
On Jun 25, 1787, stepson Christopher Miller and possibly his mother, Anne Marie, and her new husband Jonas Iler all witnessed the will of Lucy Crane. The witnesses were recorded by the Natchez Court on Aug 26, 1787, upon notice of her death, as "Moore Cilon, Jonas Cilon, Christopher Miller, Esther Bradshaw" [McBee, p. 42]. "Moore" may have been misread or transcribed from Mark or Marie and Cilon the same from Oiler, meaning the Crane will was witnessed by Mark Iler and his eldest son and eldest stepson.
In 1787, a George Forney sold to Marcus Tyler [Iler], "140 arpents he purchased from John Row, near the Fort, bordered by lands of John Hartley, John Lusk and Saint Germain, for $400, $200 at end of present year [1787]; $100 at end of 1788; $100 at end of 1789" [McBee, Book A, p. 64]. This may be where Iler had begun building Hope Farm, which was eventually bought by Natchez District Commandant Charles de Grand-Pré to be his residence.
On Nov 3, 1788 "Margaret Tyler" (likely Anne Marie after marrying Jonas Iler) was one of the witnesses of the will of Anne Gaillard [McBee, Book B, p. 59]. The plantation of "Mistress Gillaird" produced 12,800 lbs. of tobacco in 1790 [MDAH, website].
On Dec 31, 1788 a William Miller family of 3 (possibly with his second wife and a child), along with two other families ("Fooy" or Foye and Bassitt), arrived in Natchez from the "Chacta (CHOCTAW NATION)" which meant they travelled by land either from the east, possibly through Alabama and from as far as the Carolinas, or down the Wilderness Trail which became known as the Natchez Trace [MDAH, website].
On Mar 19, 1789, "Having received notice from Jonas Hailer of the death of his father, Marcus Hailer, Commandant [Grand-Pré] and others repaired to his plantation, 1 mile from Fort, to take an inventory of the deceased Marcus Hailer who died interstate [without a will], whereupon Jonas Hailer was interrogated and he made the declaration that his father had no children but the deponent and that he left no wife" [McBee, Book B, pp. 247-8].
Historians of the Hope Farm off of Homochitto Street in Natchez believe the back part was built by Mark Iler about the time he arrived there in 1774-5 "while the city was under British rule; the front wing was added by Carlos de Grand-Pré" [Historic Houses of America, American Heritage Books, 1971], after he purchased it from Jonas on Mar 21, 1789 for $100 a "parcel of land formerly belonging to John Row and afterwards to John Forney from whom my deceased father Marcus Hailer, purchased" [McBee, Book B, p. 247, 581].
In a 1789 deposition after the death of Mark Iler was reported by his son, Jonas, "Joseph Fort" (Joseph Ford Sr., 1724?-1804) said that Mark came to this country from England on the ship Royal Oak with him about 14 years ago [1775] and "he did not know him to be married nor that he had other children than the one present [Jonas] whose mother died in America" [McBee, Natchez Court Records, Book B, p. 64]. Six "young men" came to West Florida in 1775 from England aboard the ship Royal Oak, participated in the West Florida rebellion in Bayou Sara (before it was part of the Natchez Dist. and now within Louisiana), and then settled in the Natchez District [Louisiana Anthology, website].
Bayou Sara no longer exists because the Mississippi River now runs through it. In 1820 it was partly in Wilkinson Co. MS (formed in 1802 from a part of Adams Co.) and a part of West Feliciana LA, south of the town of Natchez (see present day map for location of Wilkinson Co. and present day map for location of West Feliciana Parish.
On the third page, third column, 7th household (7th Company) of the 1790 Burke Co. NC Census Quaker Meadows neighbor Charles McDowell was listed as a head of household of 8 family members. His brother Joseph (Jr.) was listed as the seventh household in the same company. There was no William Miller heading a household in any company, but there was a George Miller family in the 5th Company, a "Robt., Jesse Miller" in the 9th Company, and Henry Miller in the 13th Company [genealogytrails.com, 1790 Burke Co. Census, website].
In the 1790 Rowan Co. NC Census for the Salisbury District, there were 36 Miller households but only one for William Miller. Salisbury has been the county seat of Rowan Co. since 1755. His household counted 3 male children under age 10 and 3 females, with him being the only adult male [genealogytrails.com, 1790 Rowan Co. Census, website].
A Spanish grant to "Mark Oiler" for 400 acres on St. Catherine's Creek, 5 mi. east from Fort, bordered by lands of Mr. Andrews and Richard Adams, Lewis Bingaman and Peter Surget (also in the 1792 Natchez Census) was mentioned later as the 400 acres bordering lands of "Mrs. McIntosh" and others, that was "sold by his lawful heir [Jonas] to Christian Harman [McBee, p. 384].
Map of the Natchez District as it may have looked between 1779 and 1799.
In a letter dated Mar 2, 1790, from Carlos de Grand Pré, Natchez, to Governor Don Estavan Miro, the amount of tobacco produced in 1790 was reported by growers of Natchez. "William Meller" reported producing 100 pounds of tobacco, and "Archd. Miller" reported producing 3,400 pounds [MS Dept of Archives & History, website].
On May 17, 1790, "Jonas Eiler" sold to William Barland "a mulatto woman 'Elizabeth', aged 25, nat. of America, with her four children, for $700 specie, paid" [McBee, p. 78]. If she was the woman identified by the Spanish as the "wife" of Marcus in May 1782, she would have been about 17 years old then.
Daughter Susannah married a native of Scotland, John Scott (1760-1801). He died Jun 19, 1801 in Natchez. She then married Philander Smith (1765-1824), who died in Natchez [Find-a-Grave, website].
Portraits of son Christopher Miller and daughter Susannah Miller Smith [Find-a-Grave, website].
Son Christopher married Hannah Elizabeth Boyd (1775-1848). They were both buried in historic Natchez City Cemetery, but there his memorial marker says he was born in Hagerstown MD which was founded 8 years before he was born when it was still a part of Colonial Virginia [Find-a-Grave, website].
On Aug 9, 1791 son Robert Miller signed a mortgage note with Baptist Stilly that was later cancelled and contested [McBee, Book B, p. 85].
In the 1792 Natchez District Census, there is a "Guillermo Miller" household in Bayou Pierre (later Claiborne Co. MS) with 4 members [with his new wife and two young children] and no land or slaves. Son "Roberto Miller" had 6 members, no slaves, on 250 arpents in the Homochito section [became part of Adams and Wilkinson Co.] [Adams Co. Gen. Hist. Network].
According to a translation of the 1792 Spanish Census for the Natchez District, there is no Barland household, but there is an "Oiler, the Gentleman" household with 8 white members, and one black, living on 800 arpents of land. This would have to be William Barland, Elizabeth, their five children, and Jonas Iler, the heir of the estate. The translator may have confused "Gentleman" for the Spanish word for widow [Adams Co. Gen. Hist. Network].
On Apr 15, 1794 son Christopher Miller bought from William Barland Lot no. 2, Sq. no. 21 in the "new town of this Post [Natchez] ... part of the ground granted to [Barland by Miro], said lot 150 feet square, for $30" and then sold it on Apr 22, 1803 [McBee, p. 412, Book C, p. 101].
On Oct 27, 1795 a Joseph Miller [not son Joach] received land granted by the Spanish Govt. "by residence and cultivation", according to a claim for land in Adams Co. (Miss. Terr.) on the Buffalo River by the administrator of his estate made on Nov 30, 1804 after Joseph died [McBee, p. 586].
Between 1792 and 1796, son Robert Miller had moved north and was living on "his plantation on Cole's Creek". On Aug 23, 1799, son "Robt. Miller" bought 250 acres on Wells Creek from Hezekiah Williams. A witness was Jesse Hooper, brother of Absalom Hooper [McBee, Book B, pp. 218, 393].
In the 1800 Rowan Co. NC Census there are many Miller households. On line 13 of page 308 the household of 30 year-old son "Christopher Miller" had him (as the only adult male), 2 children under age 10, a female (wife) born after 1775, and a female older than 45. On line 5 of page 318 the household of 26-44 year-old "William Miller" had him (as the only adult male), 4 children under age 10, and a female aged 26-44 (likely a 2nd wife or daughter Savannah b. 1772) [U.S. Census 1800, Roll 33, v. 5, National Archives website, pp. 308, 318].
A William Miller partnered with Alexander Fulton (1764-1818), an Indian trader who came to Rapides Parish "in the early 1790s from Pennsylvania" and formed a "monopoly to trade with the Indians of this section" and built a store on the banks of the Red River. In Jun 1805, William became the county Judge and Alexander the coroner. In Feb 1805, Alexander Fulton named and laid out the town of Alexandria LA. William served as a judge until May 1807 and a few years later returned north, living in several states, including "Maryland where he died" [LAGenWeb, rapidesgenealogy.org, "Development..."].
William Miller and Alexander Fulton (1764-1816/8) were "traders at the post of Rapides as early as 1803" after Choctaw, Pascagoula and Beluxy Indian land on Bayou Boeuf was sold and certified through a petition signed by many Indian leaders in May 1802. William Miller himself claimed land "at falls of Row Gully Bayou" [AHGP, "Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Louisiana", website].
On Jan 2, 1805, son "Robert Miller" witnessed a claim that was rejected [McBee, p. 532].
On Sep 7, 1805, a signed agreement between "Abraham Iler" and the sons of "Mark Iler" was submitted to the Adams Co. Court. A transcription of the agreement which was signed by Abraham Iler, "Jacob Eiler", and "Job Routh". The "believed" death of Jonas is mentioned. The Ilers' eldest stepbrother, Christopher Miller, also signed the agreement on the same day "to lend myself as surety that the above named Jacob Iler shall comply" [Adams Co. Chancery Court file, "Estate of Mark Iler (or Eiler) deceased", box no. 49, item 4].
On Sep 26, 1805, an inventory was authorized for the estate of "Jonas Iler, late of said county [Adams] deceased" [Adams Co. Miss. Terr. Orphan's Court].
On Jan 7, 1806, "Joach Miller, resident of Feliciana" (Louisiana) sold 300 arpents of land that "was granted to my sister, Susannah, widow of John Scott" [Archives of Spanish West Florida 1782-1810].
Will and Testament of William Barland, Adams Co., MS, written Aug 15, 1806, proven in Apr 1816.
On Nov 3, 1806, Monday evening, former wife Anne Marie "Eiler", died in Natchez "on Monday evening last in the "59th year of her age" [Mississippi Messenger, obituary of Mrs. Anne M. Eiler, Tuesday Nov 4, 1806].
The "heirs" of "W. Miller" (possibly Widow Anne) were taxed in the 1810 Tax Roll of Claiborne Co., on page 10, line 25, owning 460 acres of land in W. Bayou Pierre, with no polls (taxed persons) or slaves. On page 8, line 9 a Jeremiah Miller was only taxed for 1 poll and no land and a James Miller was taxed with no land or polls [Kohler, 1810 Claiborne Co. Tax Roll].
A "Mary Miller" (daughter Anne Marie who later married Job Routh) was listed as a head of family of 5, including 3 daughters under the age of 21) in the 1810 Claiborne Co. Census, on line 7 of page 18 [MDAH].
In 1810 "Jeremiah Miller" is listed in the Claiborne Co. MS Census submitted Oct 25, on the next to last line of page 15. He was at least 21 years old with a female over 21 and 3 females under age 21 [MDAH, 1810 Claiborne Co. Census].
St. Francisville is a city along the northwest bank of the Mississippi River. See present day map for location in West Feliciana Parish. Wilkinson Co. was formed in 1802 from a part of Adams Co. and a part of West Feliciana Parish, south of the town of Natchez (see present day map for location of Wilkinson Co.)
In the 1816 Adams Co. MS Census, page 23 (line 38), there was a household headed by "Eliza Miller" with: 1 adult female [Eliza, William's 2nd wife], 3 females under 21 years old [Nancy b. after 1795, and no slaves. On page 20, line 5, the household of son Christopher Miller and wife had 6 children and 2 slaves [MDAH, Adams Co. Census].
In the 1820 Rapides Parish LA Census, page 132, line 30, in the Red River section, there is a William Miller with 3 children under age 10, a male aged 26-44 [child who arrived in Natchez Dec 31, 1788], a female aged 16-26, and a male and female both over the age of 45 [William and his second wife]. Also, there were 3 slaves for a total of 5 persons engaged in agriculture [Rapides Parish 1820 Census].
Son William Jr. may have married Julia Ann Pinchard or Pinkard of Macon Co. AL.
On Feb 22, 1821, brother Robert Jesse Miller's grandson William G. Jr. married Rebecca Phillips in St. Clair Co. in central Alabama which was founded in Nov 1818 [familysearch.org, marriages 1816-1957].
In the 1840 Census for East Feliciana Parish LA, there was a James Miller (?son), aged 40-50 with two male children under 5, and a female aged 20-30. In the 1840 Census for West Feliciana Parish LA, there was a Christopher Miller household [usgwarchives.net, file 1840east.txt and 1840west.txt].
In the 1840 Census for Natchez, Adams Co. MS, on line 14 of page 18 son Christopher Miller, aged 70-80 headed a household of 5 adults: Christopher and Hannah, his wife aged 60-70, a male aged 20-30, and 2 females aged 30-40, and no slaves. [familysearch.org, website].
Son "Christopher Miller" was listed on page 12, line 10, as head of a household of 2 white males and 2 white females in Adams Co. MS in 1853 living outside of the city of Natchez. Listed on line 9 was another "W J ?? C Miller" household of only 2 females, likely belonging to a widow [MDAH, Adams Co. MS 1853 Census, page 12, col. 1, line 10].
Sources: Adams Co. Mississippi Genealogy & History Network, "1792 Census for Natchez District (under Spanish Government control)", 2009, 1792 Census. AHGP, Rapides Parish, Louisiana History and Genealogy, "Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Northwest Louisiana", website. Archives of Spanish West Florida 1782-1810, vol. X, p. 292-93, roll 176. Baker, Anne, www.wikitree.com/wiki/Eiler-186, last updated Mar 23, 2024. Cumberland Compact, original document signed May 13, 1780, Washington County NC, website. Clayton, Prof. W.W., History of Davidson County Tennessee, reprod. 1971 by Charles Elder, Nashville TN. Drake, Doug, Jack Masters and Bill Puryear, Founding of the Cumberland Settlements, The First Atlas, 1779-1804, Warioto Press, 2009, map F8. Genealogy Trails, 1790 Census, Burke Co. NC, website, transcribed by Linda Natale, 2020. Genealogy Trails, 1790 Census, Rowan Co. NC, website, 2025. Imbert, J. Leopold, map maker, Carte des Possessions Angloises... 1777, reprinted by the Museum of the American Revolution from map image at the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center, Boston Public Library. Kohler, Lee, transcriber, 1810 Claiborne Co. Tax Rolls, genealogytrails website. LAGenWeb, "Section II The Antebellum Period 1804-1861... Development of Alexandria-Pineville Trade Center", rapidesgenealogy.org, website. Louisiana Anthology, website. McBee, May Wilson, comp., "Land Claims", in Natchez Court Records, 1767-1805, Book F, p.21. McBee, May Wilson, comp., Natchez Court Records, 1767-1805, Greenwood MS, 1953, v. 2, pp. 42, 412, 586, 596, Book A, pp. 64, 78, Book B, pp. 59, 64, 84, 247-8, 581, Book C, p. 101. MS Dept. of Archives & History (MDAH), Jackson MS, rootsweb, Americans Arriving in Spanish-Held Natchez 1780-1790. MS Dept. of Archives & History (MDAH), Will Book Vol. 1, Adams Co. Courthouse, Natchez MS, microfilm, Apr 1816. MDAH, Claiborne and Warren Cos., MS Territorial Census 1810, website, microfilm. MDAH, Adams Co. MS 1816 Census, Territorial Census 1801-1816 website, microfilm. MDAH, Adams Co. MS 1853 Census, State Census Returns 1818-1880, signed Jun 2, 1853, website, microfilm. North Carolina Land Grants, Burke Co. NC, #21, #291, # 661, #747, website Potter, Dorothy Williams, Passports of Southeastern Pioneers 1770-1823, Gateway Press, Baltimore MD, 1982, p. 342. Rapides Parish, 1820 Census, S-K Publ., 2003, p. 132. U.S. 1840 Census, Adams Co. MS, familysearch.org, website, p. 18. U.S. 1800 Census, Roll 33, North Carolina, Volume 5, pp. 308, 317, 318, including Rowan Co., National Archives website. Whitley, Edythe Rucker, comp., Pioneers of Davidson Co., Tennessee, Clearfield Publ., 2009.