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m. Bef 1697 - Jacob Miller1697 - Bef 1768
- Adam Miller1703 - 1783
Facts and Events
Adam Miller was one of the Early Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia
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Biography of Adam Miller
- the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia
With residency beginning in 1727, Adam Miller (Mueller) is recognized as the first permanent white settler in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, US. Born in 1703 in Schriesheim, Germany, Miller immigrated to America as a young married man, settling in Lancaster County, PA in 1724.
On a trip through eastern Virginia, Miller heard reports about a lush Valley to the west which had been discovered by Governor Alexander Spotswood's legendary Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition. In 1727, Miller and his wife Barbara moved from Pennsylvania to Virginia and staked out a claim on the south fork of the Shenandoah River, near the line that now divides Rockingham County from Page County.
The year of Miller's 1727 arrival in the Valley is confirmed in a 1742 naturalization proclamation by Virginia Governor William Gooch, which states, "And Adam Miller ... having Settled and Inhabited for fifteen years past on Shenandoa in this colony". Miller's birthplace is also cited in the proclamation, which notes that he was "born at Shesoin in Germany", but the correct spelling of "Schriesheim" is cited on the reverse side of the original document, written out and signed by Adam Miller.
Shenandoah baptismal records show that Miller and his wife had at least three children: Catarina Elizabetha (b. December 20, 1734), Adam Jr. (b. July 16, 1736) and Anna Christina (b. October 18, 1738). In adulthood, Catarina (Catherine) and Anna married brothers, John Baer and Jacob Baer, respectively.
In 1741, Miller purchased , including a large lithia spring, near Elkton, Virginia, and lived on this property for the remainder of his life. He sold of this property to his son-in-law, Jacob Baer, and the spring on Miller’s land is still known as Bear Lithia Spring. In 1758, Miller fought in the French and Indian War, serving in the Company of Lt. Christian Bingaman. He died in 1783, with his estate settled in Rockingham County, VA.
Estate Records of Adam Miller
- 1783--July 28th, Jacob Bear appointed administrator of Adam Miller.
Early Land Acquisition in Augusta County, VA
Acquisition of Land from Orange County, Virginia Records:
- Pages 399-402. 26-27 May 1741. Jacob Greuter of Orange County to Adam Miller of same. Lease and release; for £64 Pennsylvania money. 200 acres on the north side Sherundo (Shenandoah) River... at the uppermost corner of Stover's survey... at the mountain... also 217 acres... corner of Seltzer's on the north side of the river... to Kaufman's corner... being part of the Massenutten Tract of 5,000 acres granted to Jacob Stover. (signed) Jacob Greiter. 28 May 1741. Acknowledged by Jacob Greuter. [Orange County Virginia Deed Book 4, Dorman, pg. 61].
- Pages 199-202. 9-10 March 1741 [1742]. Joseph Bloodworth of St. Mark's Parish, Orange County to Adam Miller of same. Lease and release; for £110 current money. 820 acres on the east side of the South Branch of Sharrando (Shenandoah) River... between the Hawk's Bill and Elk Run... including all the islands of the river... corner to Henry Dooling... across the Mill Branch near the mill in Stover back line... courses of Jacob Stover's pattent... being that part of the land I bought of Jacob Stover... (signed) Joseph Bloodworth. Wit: John Newport, Leonard Ziegler, Christopher Zimmerman. 27 May 1742. Proved by Jno. Newport, Leonard Zigler and Xtopher Zimmerman. [Orange County Virginia Deed Book 5, Dorman, pg. 10].
Disposition of Land from Orange County, Virginia Records:
- Pages 42-46. 16-17 March 1741 [1742]. Adam Miller of Orange County to Mathias Seltzer of same. Lease and release; for £110. 200 acres on the north side Sharando River... uppermost corner of Stoves [sic, s/b Stover's] survey... uppermost corner of the mountain... up the river... Also 217 acres on the north side of the river... corner to Seltzer... Kentsman's line... up the courses of the river... part of the Massanutten Tract of 5,000 acres granted to Jacob Stover... (signed) Adam Miller. Wit: Jonathan Gibson, Catlett Conway, James Porteus. 25 March 1741 [1742]. Proved by Jonathan Gibson Gent., Catlett Conway and James Porteus. [Orange County Virginia Deed Book5, Dorman, pg. 3].
Disposition of Land from Chalkley's:
- Page 1.--Adam Miller to Jacob Miller, 16th August, 1748, on Shanandoe. Witnesses, Jno. Cormichel, Wm. Burk, Henry Downs. Delivered: Henry Miller, 24th July, 1756.
- Page 821.--20th March, 1764. Adam Miller to Henry Miller, £50, 600 acres on Shanando River and Elk Run; corner Adam Miller, Jr.; line of Jacob Miller. Delivered: Henry Miller, May, 1769.
- Page 823.--28th September 1764. Adam Miller to Jacob Bear, £300, 280 acres whereon Adam now lives, purchased by him from Joseph Bloodworth and he from Jacob Stover, part of tract of 820 acres, on Shanandore River; corner Eastes land; corner Henry Miller's land, including an island in river. Delivered: Jacob Bear, May, 1769. (Note: Jacob Bear was Adam Miller's son-in-law).
- Page 824.---29th April, 1764. Jacob Bear, yeoman, to Adam Miller, mortgage, £200. conveys above. (Note: immediately follows above record).
- Page 829.--28th September, 1764. Bond by same to same conditioned upon payment of the £200 above and also during Adam's life yearly 25 bushels of wheat ground, 10 bushels of barley, 33 gallons of whiskey, 400 weight of meat, 1/2 of pork and 1/2 of beef; 1/3 of orchard or profits of it; Adam and his family to dwell in the new house now a-building on said plantation, and to have a garden, two cows and a horse. (Note: immediately follows above records).
Records in Orange County, VA
- Pages 281-82. Bond of Jacob Koger, Adam Miller and Wm. Carpenter unto Robt. Slaughter, Gent., justice. For £200. 25 Aug. 1743. Jacob Koger os exor. of Nicholas Koger, dec. [Indexed in will book as "Coger']. (signed) Jacob Koger, Adam Miller', William Carpenter. Wit: Marmaduke Standfield. 25 Aug. 1742. Acknowledged. [Orange County Virginia Will Book 2, Dorman, pg. 52].
- Pages 50-51. George Everts. Inventory. 20 Jan. 1744 [1745]. Total valuation £45.8.6. (signed) Rudia Moak [Mock], Paul Lung [Long], Adam Millir [Miller]. 28 Feb. 1744 [1745]. Returned. [Orange County Virginia Will Book 2, Dorman, pg. 8]. (Note: the Paul Long listed in this record married Barbara Miller, possibly a sister of Adam?)
- Pages 177-78. Nicholas Coger. Estate account. 1743-. Payments made to Widow Eliza. Coger (her part), Richard Mauldin, Christian Eyster, Matthias Selser (for Melecar Ingle), Adam Miller, Jonathan Gibson, Henry Thomas, Isaac Roudabus, Michael Evert, John Swoak, John Tritulate, John Chrisouf Court, Christian Lefful, Tobias Fry, Christof Beser, George Martin, Jacob Weller, John Selser, Geo. Taylor (clerk's fees), and for travel twice to Pennsylvania. Signed by Jacob Coger. 24 May 1753. Returned. [Orange County Virginia Will Book 2, Dorman, pg. 39].
Records in Augusta County, VA
From Chalkley's Augusta County Records:
- Vol. 1 - ORIGINAL PETITIONS AND PAPERS FILED IN THE COUNTY COURT. - 1750 - List of tithables liable to work on road from Sherrendo River to top of Blue Ridge at Swift Run Gap. Petition of Hance Magard (Magot). James Urry, William Burk, Stephen Hansburger, Samuel Thornbill, John Fought, John Furniss, Little Partrick, Charles Cross, George Wanol, Jacob Miller, Henry Lung, Adam Miller, Jacob Coger.
- Vol. 1 - 1750. - List of tithables liable to work on road from Sherrendo River to top of Blue Ridge at Swift Run Gap. Petition of Hance Magard (Magot). James Urry, William Burk, Stephen Hansburger, Samuel Thornbill, John Fought, John Furniss, Little Partrick, Charles Cross, George Wanol, Jacob Miller, Henry Lung, Adam Miller, Jacob Coger.
- Vol. 1 - MAY 20, 1752. - (247) James Urrey, Steven Hans Burger, John Fought, Wm. Burk, Saml. Thornhill, John Fornice, Little Patrick, Jacob Miller and son, Adam Miller and son, Charles Cross, Henry Lung, Jacob Coger, George Warrell-to be added to Hans Magart's road hands on road from Shanando River to top Blue Ridge.
- Page 123.--19th November, 1755. Adam Miller's bond as guardian to Michael Cogar, orphan of Nicholas Cogar, with sureties William Oller (Owler, Wilhelm Ohlner), Henry Miller.
- Vol. 1 - NOVEMBER, 1766 (A). Jacob Miller deposes: That being at the house of John Fetch some time in March, 1749, he heard George Carpenter ask three Gerles, that were heirs to the estate of _____, if they were satisfied with what they had received. Jacob Pershinger deposes like Augustine Price. Barbary Miller deposes, that being in company with Usley Shutling in 1750, Usley said she had received a mare and some clothes, and was well satisfied. (Note: Barbara Miller was Adam Miller's wife, Jacob Miller was Adam's probable brother).
- Page 77.--15th March, 1768. Isaac Robinson's bond (with Adam Miller) as administrator of George Gost.
Information on Adam Miller
From "Early Settlement - Elkton, Virginia":
- The first influx of settlers to the Valley, however, were German immigrants, who followed the Valley south from Pennsylvania. Adam Miller (Mueller), born in 1703 in Shreisheim Germany. is credited with establishing the first permanent settlement in the Shenandoah Valley. He settled first north of Elkton near the Rockingham County-Page County line in approximately 1726, bur later moved to the banks of the Shenandoah River near the current Town. His cabin was still standing in 1958. Miller lived until 1783 and his descendants held the homestead well into the twentieth century.
- The Millers and two other families, the Hamsbergers and the Kites, each held large land grants near Elkton. For several generations, there was not much additional settlement in the area. William Kite's land grant contained what is today the center of Town. The Millers held the land to the north and the Hamsbergers to the south. The Hamsbergers, originally from Switzerland, were living in the area by 1751. The Kites also were an influential family. The land grant to William Kite was dated 1801 and contained the Lithia Springs, which are still owned by descendants and serve as a partial water source to the Town.
Source: http://www.elktonva.gov/PDF/comprehensiveplan.pdf
From "A History of Rockingham County, Virginia", by John Walter Wayland, pg. 35:
- On March 13, 1741-2, Adam Miller received from Governor William Gooch a certificate of naturalization, which recites that the said Miller had been a resident on the Shenandoah for the past fifteen years. This fixes the date of his first settlement in 1726-7.4 In 1733, eight men, Adam Miller being one, addressed Governor Gooch in a petition, praying him to confirm their title to 5000 acres of land in Massanutting, purchased about four years past for more than 400 pounds from Jacob Stover, reciting that they had moved upon the said land from Pennsylvania immediately after the purchase, and that they had located thereon at the time of the petition nine plantations and 51 people.5 This would fix the date of settlement of the Massanutting colony in 1729 or 1730.
From Genforum.com post:
Early in December, 1749, Brethren Schnell and Brandmueller were on a missionary tour in Virginia.
They came down from the vicinity of Staunton, into what is now East Rockingham, and made record of their goings and doings in the following interesting narrative:
On December 2nd we continued our journey the whole day, because we wished to be with the Germans on Sunday. Once we lost our way. But our desire to preach tomorrow strengthened us in our journey. In the evening we attempted to hire a man to go with us part of the way, but none was willing. We continued for a time down the Tschanator, and arrived rather late at the house of the sons of the old Stopfel Franciscus, who kept us over night. On Sunday, December 3rd, the young Franciscus went very early with us to show us the way to Matthias Schaub’s, (Sharp) who, immediately on my offer to preach for them, sent messengers through the neighborhood to announce my sermon. In a short time a considerable number of people assembled, to whom I preached. After the sermon I baptized the child of a Hollander. We staid over night with Matthias Schaub.(Sharp) His wife told us that we were always welcome in their house.We should always come to them whenever we came into that district.
On December 4th we left Schaub’s house, commending the whole family to God. We traveled through the rain across the South Shenandoah to Adam Mueller, who received us with much love. We staid over night with him. Schaub (Shoup) died a month or two after Schnell’s visit. On February 26th, 1750, Jacob Nicholas and Valentine Pence qualified as executors of his will. See Augusta County Will Book No. 1, pp. 312, 313. He evidently lived on the west side of the river, somewhere between Port Republic and Elkton.
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