John Ontario Miller

For other uses, see John Miller (disambiguation).

Sir John Ontario Miller KCSI (7 August 1857 – 19 January 1943) was a British civil servant in India.

Early life

He was born in Toronto, Canada West, the eldest son of Robert Schaw Miller and his wife Eliza Mitchell, daughter of William Mitchell, founder of the Alloa Coal Company.[1][2] His father, the son of John Miller of Alloa, emigrated to Canada in 1841, worked in commerce, and died in Montreal in 1862.[3] Miller's younger brother Robert Schaw Miller was born on 3 March 1863.[4] He died in 1928, having been a Writer to the Signet and director of the Alloa Coal Company. Carvel's 1944 book on the Company suggests that another brother, William M. Miller, became a mining engineer.[5]

The Miller family moved to Scotland. Eliza Miller died in mid-1863. John Ontario Miller left notes of his youth, where he described how he associated with "other junior members of the Mitchell family circle".[6] He was educated at the Gymnasium, Old Aberdeen, and King's College, University of Aberdeen.[7][8]

Career in India

In 1877, Miller qualified by examination for the Indian Civil Service.[9] In 1879 he was posted at Lakhman in the North-Western Provinces.[10] Most of his initial period in India was then spent in the North-Western Provinces.[11]

Miller held various administrative positions from 1895 to 1907. He was Chief Secretary to the North West Provinces and Oudh Administration 1898 to 1902,[7] and was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Star of India (CSI) for his services in the New Year's Honours List 1 January 1901.[12] He served as a Secretary in the Government of India Revenue Department 1902 to 1903.[7] He also was employed as private secretary by the Viceroy Lord Curzon, and acting Viceroy Lord Ampthill.[1] He was then Chief Commissioner of Central Provinces and Berar from 1905 to 1907.[7]

Miller was appointed a member of the Viceroy's Executive Council 1907, resigning in 1910.[13][14] He was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India (KCSI) in 1911.[1]

Later life in England, and family

On his final return to Britain, Miller served as a London County Council (Non-Member) representative on the Port of London Authority from 1917 to 1925.[7] He also served as Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Food, and is named in correspondence for the period 1916–1919.[15][16] Miller's residences in England included Rowley Lodge, Arkley, 6 Sussex Place, London, and Robson's Orchard, Mid Lavant, Sussex.[7][17][18] He died at Lavant.

Works

Miller was interested in the quantity theory of money, and published two pamphlets on economics:

  • High prices and the quantity theory of money (1920)[19] Discussing the wartime price of food and the role of the Minister of Food Control in rationing, Miller wrote "Lord Rhondda boldly announced his intention of flouting the ordinary rules of economics, and the result justified his policy, which met with a success unattained in any other country."[20]
  • Politicians, Financiers and Currency (1931).[21] "A critical examination of the working of the gold standard internationally and its influence on employment."[22] It was reviewed by Edward Manico Gull.[23]

Family

Miller married Mary Evelyn Lyall, daughter of Alfred Comyn Lyall, in 1888.[7][24] Of their children:

  • Godfrey Lyall Miller (1893–1914) was killed at the beginning of World War I.[25][26][27]
  • Alexander Alfred Lyall RN (born 1894), married in 1918 Evelyn Mary More, daughter of W. H. More of Crown Lodge, Harlech.[28]
  • Evelina Catherine (born 1889), married in 1909 Col. Donald Elphinston Robertson,[28] son of Donald Robertson.[29]
  • Margaret Magdalen (Peggy) (1897–1938), married the Rev. Leslie Hills,[28][30] and was mother of Richard L. Hills.[31]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Kelly's (1943). Kelly's Handbook to the Titled, Landed and Official Classes. Kelly's Directories. p. 1276.
  2. ^ Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage (99th ed.). London: Burke’s Peerage Ltd. and Shaw Publishing. 1949. p. 1398.
  3. ^ Robertson, John Ross (1917). Landmarks of Canada : what art has done for Canadian history : a guide to the J. Ross Robertson Historical Collection in the Public Reference Library, Toronto, Canada. Vol. I. Toronto : [Toronto Public Library?]. p. 155.
  4. ^ Society of Writers to H. M. Signet (1890). A History of the Society of Writers to Her Majesty's Signet: With a List of the Members of the Society from 1594 to 1890 and an Abstract of the Minutes. Society at the University Press. p. 145.
  5. ^ "One Hundred Years in Coal : The History of the Alloa Coal Company - Clackmannanshire.scot". clackmannanshire.scot.
  6. ^ Carvel, John Lees (1944). One Hundred Years in Coal: The History of the Alloa Coal Company. Privately printed by T. and A. Constable at the University Press. p. 174.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g "Miller, Sir John Ontario". Who's Who. A & C Black. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  8. ^ Walford, Edward (1912). Walford's County Families of the United Kingdom. Spottiswoode & Company, Limited. p. 808.
  9. ^ The India Office and Burma Office List. Harrison and sons, Limited. 1928. p. 727.
  10. ^ Tupp, Alfred Cotterell (1880). The Indian civil service list, for 1880 . Madras, Lawrence asylum Press. p. 98.
  11. ^ "A Canadian in India". King and his Navy and Army. 11 February 1905. p. 14.
  12. ^ "No. 27261". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1901. p. 1.
  13. ^ "No. 28001". The London Gazette. 5 March 1907. p. 1573.
  14. ^ "No. 28393". The London Gazette. 8 July 1910. p. 4858.
  15. ^ "Sir John O. Miller, K.C.S.I." The Scotsman. 22 January 1943. p. 4.
  16. ^ "Ministry of Food: correspondence". archives.lse.ac.uk.
  17. ^ A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage and Baronetage, the Privy Council, Knightage, and Companionage. Harrison & Sons. 1915. p. 2493.
  18. ^ A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage and Baronetage, the Privy Council, Knightage, and Companionage. 1934. p. 2772.
  19. ^ Miller, John Ontario (1920). High prices and the quantity theory of money. London: Sifton, Praed.
  20. ^ Miller, John Ontario (1920). High prices and the quantity theory of money. London : Sifton, Praed. p. 71.
  21. ^ Miller, Sir John Ontario (1931). Politicians, Financiers and Currency. P.S. King & Son Limited.
  22. ^ The Bankers' Magazine. BPC (Bankers' Magazine) Limited. 1931. p. 281.
  23. ^ Journal of The Royal Central Asian Society - Vol.18; Pt.3. London: The Royal Central Asian Society. 1931. pp. 611–612.
  24. ^ Prior, Katherine. "Lyall, Sir Alfred Comyn (1835–1911)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/34641. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  25. ^ "Miller, G L, Rugby School". rugbyschoolarchives.co.uk.
  26. ^ "Godfrey Lyall Miller - Lives of the First World War". livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk.
  27. ^ Clutterbuck, L. A. (1914). The Bond of Sacrifice: A Biographical Record of All British Officers who Fell in the Great War. Anglo-African Pub. Contractors. p. 268.
  28. ^ a b c Debrett's Peerage, Baronetage, Knightage, and Companionage. Kelly's Directories. 1931. p. 1147.
  29. ^ Kelly's (1943). Kelly's Handbook to the Titled, Landed and Official Classes. Kelly's Directories. p. 1540.
  30. ^ "The Late Mrs. M. Hills". Chichester Observer. 14 May 1938. p. 8.
  31. ^ Wainwright, Martin (5 June 2019). "Richard Hills obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
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