The Miller archive : an introduction

              THE MILLER ARCHIVE: AN INTRODUCTION
William Miller*
Fecha recepción: 23 de agosto de 2018
Fecha de aceptación: 17 de octubre de 2018
Resumen: La familia Miller tuvo una importancia especial en el desarrollo co-mercial
de las islas Canarias desde la llegada fortuita de James Swanston Miller en
1812. Su archivo familiar incluye una colección de documentos fotográficos tanto
de la saga familiar como de la vida cotidiana en Gran Canaria a finales del siglo xix.
Palabras claves: Familia Miller; Archivos familiares; Fotografía histórica; Gran Ca-naria.
Abstract: The Miller family was particularly important in the Canary Islands
commercial development since the chance arrival of James Swanston Miller in
1812. Their family archive includes a collection of photographic documents about
the familiar saga itself and about the daily life in Gran Canaria at the end of the
19th century.
Key words: Miller family; Family archives; Historic photography; Gran Canaria.
The author’s interest in researching and documenting the history
of the Millers was stimulated by two books which were written
about his family nearly thirty years ago1. The first, by Miguel Ro-driguez
Diaz de Quintana2, was published in 1989 and was called
Miller y Compañía: cien años de historia. The second was publis-
* Miller Archive. Northamptonshire County Record Office, Wootton Hall
Park, Northampton, nn4 8bq, Reino Unido
1. The originals of all the photographs in this paper are held in the Miller
Archive, in Northampton, United Kingdom, in Box wfn 10. Copies of Forward:
the Journal of Miller history, Issues 1-70 (July 2005-January 2018) are kept
at the Archivo Histórico Provincial de Las Palmas and the Northamptonshire
Record Office.
2. Rodríguez Díaz de Quintana, Miguel. Miller y Compañía: cien años de
historia. [Las Palmas de Gran Canaria]: Miller y Cía., 1989.
Cartas diferentes. Revista canaria de patrimonio documental, n. 14 (2018), pp. 79-93.
80 William Miller
hed in 1990 by the author’s father, Basil Miller3, and was called
Canary saga: the Miller family in Las Palmas (1824-1990).
Rodriguez’ well researched book is particularly important as it
quotes archival sources some of which have now been lost. It is
quite shocking that the extensive Miller y Cía. company archives
did not survive the sale of the company by the British Condor
group to the Spanish Boluda Group.
The author’s response to learning about the lost company ar-chives
was to set out to attempt to recreate a family archive by
contacting every branch of the family, and from as many surviv-ing
sources as possible. Gradually over the last twenty five years a
substantial archive of manuscript, printed and photographic ma-terial
has been accumulated successfully and deposited, currently,
in the Northamptonshire County Record Office, and catalogued.
3. Miller, Basil. Canary saga: the Miller family in Las Palmas (1824-1990).
[S.l.]: Haggerston Press. Published by the Miller family, 1990; Miller, Basil.
Saga canaria: la familia Miller en Las Palmas (1824-1990). Traducción: María
Dolores de la Fe. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: Cabildo Insular de Gran Canaria,
1994.
~ FORWARD
JOURNAL OF MILLER FAMILY HISTORY
Volume 3
Numbers51 - 64
February 2015 - June 2016
Written and edited
by William Miller (b. 1951)
The Miller archive: an introduction 81
George Swanston Miller (1807-1875).
Thomas Miller Swanston
(1805-1885).
Album of Thomas Miller & his secon wife Alice Miller de Parry.
Margaret Wilson.
82 William Miller
The second book, by the author’s father, raised a huge number
of questions, in particular, what exactly had the Millers done in
Scotland before they came to the Canary Islands, and indeed why
they came. More intriguing was the question of whether the fam-ily
did indeed arrive as a result of the intervention of a privateer,
as is recorded anecodatally.
After many years of research, including months spent in the
National Archives of Scotland in Edinburgh, the author published
his book Scottish Saga: the Miller family in Scotland (1600-1999)4.
Published in 2007, this answered many of the outstanding ques-tions,
but that is another story.
Since 2007 the author has continued his research into all the
branches of the family, which comprises about 200 living mem-bers
in England, Scotland, the usa, New Zealand, Australia, Por-tugal
and the Canary Islands. The results have been published
in a journal of Miller history founded, and edited, by the author
4. Miller, William. Scottish saga: the Miller family in Scotland (1600-1999).
Published by the Miller Family, 2007.
James (standing), Joseph (left),
Thomas Wilson Miller.
Thomas Hamilton-Miller with his sons Dudley
(left) an Cecil.
The Miller archive: an introduction 83
entitled Forward. The 70th issue was published in January 2018.
Not only does this serve to disseminate research, but it has also
served as a means of communicating with family members and
institutions in attracting further additions, both written and pho-tographic,
into the family archive.
Unfortunately an image of James Swanston Miller (1798-
1855) has not yet been discovered. He was the first member of
the family to arrive in the Canaries on 26 August 1812, after be-ing
captured by the French privateer John Ordronaux5 and land-ed,
penniless, in the island aged only 14. However, I have recent-ly
found a photograph of his brother George Swanston Miller
(1807-1875) who joined him in business in Las Palmas in 1822
aged only 15.
Another wonderful recent find for the archive is a painted
portrait in miniature of Thomas Miller Swanston (1805-1885)
as a young man. It is fascinating to see that he had red hair. He
joined his cousin James Swanston Miller in business in Las Pal-mas
in 1824 at the age of 19, and eventually went on to found his
own business in 1854.
5. Forward, 28 (January 2009).
Harry Miller and his family. Gerald Miller (right), with Harol Mac-
Millan and Ken Park, when he was
British Consul.
84 William Miller
The archive is fortunate in possessing the personal photograph
album of Thomas Miller Swanston6 which probably contains rel-atives
of James Swanson Miller as, sadly, there are several uniden-tified
images.
Also in the archive are all the originals of the photographs
which are reproduced in Basil Miller’s book Canary saga. For ex-ample,
the well-known photograph of three of the four surviving
sons of Thomas Miller Swanston, namely James and Joseph Mill-er
Vasconcellos, and Thomas Miller Wilson. James Miller (1839-
1915) built the shipping company Miller y Cía. on the Santa
Catalina mole. Joseph Miller (1840-1920) was a partner in the
Swanston company which built the Puerto de La Luz7. He was
also a partner in the company which built the Santa Catalina ho-tel.
Thomas Miller Wilson (1857-1930) continued the business
of his father in 46 Triana, and developed into motorcar sales and
fire and marine insurance8.
6. Album owned by the author, William Miller. Original photographs in
Miller Archive wfm Box 10.
7. Forward, 62 (April 2016).
8. Forward, 64 (June 2016).
Lieutenant (Sp.) T.B.C. Miller rnvr, dsc (from row, second from right)
in the Azores with Portuguese officers.
The Miller archive: an introduction 85
There is a very nice, full-colour, painted portrait in the archive
of James Miller’s wife Alice Parry (1851-1931) who was born in
Agra, India, had 10 children with James, and is well known for
having operated a soup kitchen to feed the poor of the town. She
also played the organ in the British Church.
Ship’s bell of the Alexander (1867). James Miller Vasconcellos’ desk
(ca. 1880).
Crested silver tray (ca. 1880).
86 William Miller
New mole built by the Swanstons & Millers
(1903).
Miller’s electric coal conveyor.
Laden coal barges at anchor.
Tugboat Gran Canaria
(1904).
The Miller archive: an introduction 87
James Miller was in his 60s when the Miller building was con-structed
on the Santa Catalina mole, so the burden of the opera-tion
of the business soon began to fall on the shoulders of three
of his sons, Thomas Hamilton-Miller (1872-1952)9, Harry Miller
(1879-1959)10 and Gerald Miller (1889-1982)11.
The eldest son, Thomas Hamilton-Miller was a senior partner,
but less known in Las Palmas because he was based mainly in the
London office. Harry Miller divided his time between London
and the Canaries in order to support his youngest brother Gerald
in the early years. As is well known, Gerald was, for many years,
British consul in Gran Canaria12.
The author’s father13, Basil Miller (1920-2002), the second of
three sons of Gerald, should be mentioned at this point because
9. Forward Issue 11, August 2006.
10. Forward Issue 49, August 2014.
11. Forward Issue 42, January 2014.
12. Forward Issue 22, December 2007; Forward, Issue 39, June 2012; For-ward,
Issue 41, October 2012.
13. Forward, Issue 1, July 2005; Forward, Issue 32, March 2010; Forward,
Issue 33, April 2010; Forward, Issue 38, May 2011; Forward, Issue 39, June
2012; Forward, Issue 41, October 2012; Forward D, Issue 43, February 2014;
Forward, Issue 63, May 2016.
MILLER & CO.,
(Lo.t.TK0lü.8 IIILLil&BONB,J
ll3anlters anb (l;eneral Merchants,
L.A.S PA....L.:M:.AS,
GRAND CANARY.
Tlu O/áest EstaJl,slrd Eng/isl, HoJtSe i,r. ti:. lsla11d.
Tel_...phla Ad.d,-- • Mll,l,IUI, LAJJPALMA .. ~
Foreign Money Changed.
Bank Notes, Bills, and Cheques Cashed.
Bllls granted on London, París, Madrid, &c.
Agent. far ttt following Engll1h and Fonlgn Bitnll,:
LONDON AND WD3TMlliSTER BANK.
NATIONAL BlllK OF SOOTLAND, Limiwd.
UNION BANK OF SPAIN AND ENOLAND, Lil!lited.
LONDON AND BIVER PLATE BANK, Limited.
ilIBRIOAN EXOHANOE IN EUROP.E.
lanulacturera or tbe welHnown brand or CIGARS
URGE ASSORHIEMT & EXTEHSIVE STOCK AT MOOERATE PRICES.
The- CIOARS oan be dellvered, OUtJ' Pald, In
anJ' part or the Unlc.ed Klnsdom.
ltANAGERS OF THB LAS PALMAS COALING CO.
(Tk r,ltlQI •!aWi••• CHl/~g 0.,,,,t iw llrund c.,..,.,.J
Agents In London: SWANSTON & CO., 1, Laurenoa Po1mtne7 Hill, E..C.
eo.llnr Apnts: HULL, BLYTH ,l co., 4, rencbun:h Aunue, E.e.
Miller'1 advertisement before lhe ehipping day1
88 William Miller
he was recruited into British naval intelligence to help with the
planning for Operation Pilgrim, and in the last two years of the
war was an intelligence officer attached to the British and Amer-ican
navies occupying the Azores. After the war he became a di-rector
of the London based shipping company, Lambert Brothers
Ltd., who by that time where shareholders in Miller y Cía., s.a. in
Las Palmas. After the Second World War, Gerald’s youngest son
Jim Miller14 (1926-1995), was Lloyds Agent employed by Miller
y Cía., Las Palmas.
The archive is trying to collect photographs of significant
artefacts which depict the history of the Millers, for example,
the ship’s bell of the sailing ship Alexander which was used by
Thomas Miller Swanston to store coal, anchored by the old mole
at San Telmo. A photograph of a large silver tray carrying the
family crest, illustrates the wealth that the family had acquired at
the end of the 19th century. However, because the family is now
very large, the wealth has been disbursed, and no one is rich now.
The author is fortunate to have inherited the office desk belong-ing
to James Miller Vasconcellos.
The archive has some wonderful photographs of the port and
the commercial activities of the Millers, for example, one showing
14. Forward D, Issue 23, February 2008.
Clothes washing in an irrigation
channel.
Collecting water from the fountain in
Plaza Santo Domingo.
The Miller archive: an introduction 89
A cave-dwelling family. Cave village of Atalaya.
the new mole built by the Swanstons and Millers in the 1880s.
One showing a social celebration on board the new tugboat the
Gran Canaria in 1904. Another showing the electric overhead
coal conveyor that the Millers built behind their warehouse, on
the Santa Catalina mole, to automate the handling of coal in large
quantities. And one showing rows of coal barges, piled high with
bags of coal, at anchor awaiting orders from ships.
Another section of the archive contains a collection of adver-tisements
placed by the various Miller companies, and depicted
here is the one which is perhaps the best known.
The Miller family were well aware of the contrast between
their own personal wealth and the poverty of the general popu-lation
of the Canary Islands. Not only did they document it with
photographs and take a huge interest in the local culture and tra-ditions,
but they tried to alleviate the condition of the people in
various ways not least by providing a great deal of employment.
The historian Miguel Rodríguez Díaz de Quintana has esti-mated
that at one time no less than three quarters of the working
population of Gran Canary was employed by one or other of the
Miller companies.
The archive contains many photographs showing the condi-tion
of the local people deprived as they were, for example, of
piped water into their homes, and having to put up with unac-ceptable
living conditions.
The Miller family were very aware that some local islanders
were so impoverished in the 19th century that they lived in cave
90 William Miller
villages. Photographs of these living conditions in the family al-bums
may in fact be commercial photographs, rather than taken
by family members, but they are included here because they are
so important to the story of the Canary Islanders. The Millers
clearly cared because, in addition to the soup kitchen operated
by James and Alice Miller, Joseph Miller made regular monthly
cash payments to three hospitals in the island, and Thomas Miller
Wilson allegedly paid for water rights to be given to a poor part
of the town. He also appears to have given money to anyone who
approached him.
The Millers were also fascinated to record some of the crafts
which they observed being carried out inside these primitive
homes, including spinning and weaving, and essential life giving
activities such as agriculture, the latter utilizing very primitive
equipment which inevitably involved very hard work in view of
the hard, sun dried soil and the lack of rain.
The family also recorded urban scenes, and it is fascinating to
see a quiet street scene in Teror with its cobbled road and young
children playing in the road.
Not surprisingly there are several photographs of street scenes
in the capital Las Palmas, particularly of the street called Triana,
where many British merchants had their houses including the
Millers at number 46.
Also not surprising was the fact that the family made several
photographs of their new offices at the foot of the Santa Catalina
Weaving. Ploughing.
The Miller archive: an introduction 91
Spinning and water carrying.
Street scene in Teror.
Offices of Miller y Cia on the Santa
Catalina mole.
Tennis - Gerald Miller (right)
Ernest Wootton (centre).
92 William Miller
Swimming led to tourism.
mole which proved so important to the family’s life from 1883
onwards, as well as its importance to the economy of the island,
the arrival of passenger ships and the beginnings of tourism.
The British introduced many new sports to the island, cricket,
golf, tennis and football, and these activities they documented
extensively, obviously mainly because they enjoyed the sports
themselves. But perhaps the most important sport they intro-duced
was swimming which has become so popular because of
the wonderful climate of the Canaries and led to the huge boom
in tourism which is now so beneficial to the island’s economy.
Finally a note as to why it is important to conserve our histor-ic
photographs. Shown below are two photographs of a famous
Miller gravestone in Cockburnsparth, Scotland, the first taken in
about 1970 when the text was still legible, and the second taken
in 2006 by which time the stone had weathered so badly that it
was no longer legible.
\
The Miller archive: an introduction 93
Grave of Thomas Miller (1729-1795) & Alison Sinclair (1730-1797)
showing erosion and loss of text.
Bibliographical references
Miller, Basil. Canary saga: the Miller family in Las Palmas (1824-1990).
[S.l.]: Haggerston Press. Published by the Miller family, 1990.
Miller, Basil. Saga canaria: la familia Miller en Las Palmas (1824-1990).
Traducción: María Dolores de la Fe. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: Ca-bildo
Insular de Gran Canaria, 1994.
Rodríguez Díaz de Quintana, Miguel. Miller y Compañía: cien años de
historia. [Las Palmas de Gran Canaria]: Miller y Cía., 1989.