MILLER
family
of Sunny Bank
The first Miller to settle in the Gaspe area was Richard Miller, who arrived single and lived for some time with William Annett in Peninsula. As with many early settlers no written records of their prior life have been uncovered, though several traditional stories tell of their past. In her memoirs, Christie West (nee Ascah), claims that Richard was from Sussex, England. Another story that was handed down through the generations is that his son, James, was "the seventh son of the seventh son." Not surprisingly, if this is true, Richard came from a large family.
Richard Miller and Frances Annett raised a family of 10 boys and 3 girls, all of whom settled around the Gaspe Bay.
Their sixth son, Henry, married Margaret Patterson of Sunny Bank in 1831. The baptism records of their first three children indicate that they settled first in Sandy Beach. It was related to me by Alfred Miller, a grandson of Henry's that they hauled their house past Gaspe and up the Southwest Arm with horses on the frozen Gaspe Bay during winter. The story goes on to say that a party was held in the house each night, where ever it happened to be. It is certain that their fourth child was born in the "Southwest Arm" in 1838. Their final homestead was on lot 21 in Sunny Bank.
For complete text of the
book:
"Sunny Bank, Our Ancestral Home"
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