John Douglas Miller

John Douglas Miller 1850-1921

Whilst transcribing the census between 1841-1911 we have been discovering within these records many well-known, prominent and celebrated personalities that have resided in the village of Croxley Green. Transcribing the 1921 census for Croxley Green we have found that John Douglas Miller a professional artist and Mezzotint engraver lived here with an interesting background.

John Douglas Miller was born to parents John and Harriet Miller whilst they were travelling in France and Italy with their daughter Harriet and son Andrew. John was born in Paris and William in Florence. Further children followed on their return to England, Emma, Alfred and Alexander. They returned to their home 44 Cavendish Street, London, W1, by the 1861 census, where John is recorded as 11years old.

Record of the John Douglas Miller birth on the 1849-1854 Overseas Consular births showing that he was born in Paris.

1849-54 Overseas Consular Births showing John Douglas Miller born in Paris

1861, 7th April - Census - John Douglas Miller is 11 years old, a scholar and living at 44 Cavendish Street, London W1.

1869, 14th January at aged 18, John Douglas Miller was admitted to the Royal Academy of Arts.

1871, 2nd April - Census - John Douglas Miller is living with his parents and siblings at 16 Camden Street, London. He is 21 years old and his occupation is listed as an Art Student at the Royal Academy. It also appears that his brother William E. Miller b1852 in Italy was also an Art Student at the Royal Academy.

Sometime after leaving the Academy, he went into partnership for a short while in the 1880's with David Mossman. However, The London Gazette details, the partnership between John Douglas Miller and David Mossman trading as Disderi and Co. was dissolved on 3rd September 1883. Disderi & Co. were based at 4 Brook Street, Hanover Square, London and also at 3 Boulevard des Italians, Paris, France.

Clearly John Douglas Miller would have been well respected to have been in business with such an eminent photographer as David Mossman and his connections with a new and exciting profession.

Early records for Disderi and Company have been found where he was famously a photographic artist to H. I. Majesty Emperor Napoleon III and the Imperial Family: to H. I. the Emperor to all the Russias: also, to his Majesty the King of Italy: to his Majesty the King of Holland: to his Majesty the King of Portugal: to the Imperial Academy of Music: Photographer of the Palace of the Universal Exhibition of 1855

As early as 1866, The Morning Herald, for Thursday 3rd May, published an advert for Desderi as a Photographist and Inventor of the Carte Visite, patented 27th November 1854. Their studios were at 70, 71 and 72 Brook Street and for equestrian portraits at Hereford Lodge, Gloucester Road and 8 Boulevard des Italians, Paris. Establishments in London, Paris, Madrid and Toulon for enlargements up to life size could be produced.

Also, in the summer of 1877, Sydney Smyth advertised in the Weston Mercury and Somerset Herald; PORTRAIT AND LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHER, Late Manager to Desderi & Co. and the Sutotype Company of London. Respectfully informs the residents and visitors of Weston and neighbourhood that he has opened a studio in Waterloo Street for the production of first-class portraits at reasonable prices. Faded Daquerrotypes, restored copied and enlarged to life size. Mansions and Villas, Private Parties, Groups and Schools Photographed.

Advert for Desderi in the Morning Herald, Thursday 3rd May 1866

Napoleon III by Desderi 1859

1891, On the 5th April 1891 when the census was taken, John Douglas Miller was residing at 31 Fitzroy Street, London W1 and his occupation is listed as a Mezzoist Engraver. It also states and confirms his place of birth as France and he was Naturalised in UK.

1891, Parliamentray Voter Registration - John Douglas Miller living at 31 Fiztroy Street, London and sharing with a Mr. A. Lacoste

Parliamentray Voter Registration - John Douglas Miller living at 31 Fiztroy Street, London and sharing with a Mr. A. Lacoste

1897, 15th August - Wedding Certificate - The marriage of John Douglas Miller to Mary Louisa Smith. The marriage took place at St Stephen's, Upper Holloway, Islington. His occupation was an Artist and he resided at 112 ???? Road, London. The witnesses were Arthur Balemond Churly and Alice Maud Churly

15th August - Wedding Certificate - The marriage of John Douglas Miller to Mary Louisa Smith.

1901, 31st March - Census - John Douglas Miller 51 years is the Head of the household and is living with his wife Mary 47 years and a stepdaughter Mary Shepherd 17 years. They were living at 159 High Street, Monken Hadley, Barnet.

1910, September. It would appear his wife Mary died prior to 1910 and as a widower John remarries. On the 4th, 11th, 18th September 1910 the reading of the wedding banns for John Douglas Miller and Fanny Vincent were announced at St. Mary Magdalene, Richmond, Surrey. The actual wedding took place on 25th September 1910.

1911, 2nd April - Census - John Douglas Miller was living with his wife at 109 High Street Barnet. His occupation was as a Mezzotint Engraver working for Fine Art Publishers. Other family members have also been found in the 1911 census. His sister Harriet age 61yrs, single and living on Private Means as well as his brother Alfred Heywood Scarr Miller, aged 56, working as a Junior Examiner in the Civil Service. They lived at 8 Oppidans Road, Hampstead

1921,19th June - John Douglas Miller was living at "Hadley" Watford Road with his wife. He was a Retired Artist and Engraver. Also on the 1921 Census, the brother and sister of John Douglas Miller are now recorded as; Harriet Miller, Head, aged 73, Single, with an occupation listed as None Alfred Heywood Scarr Miller, Brother, aged 66, now retired and he was working as and Examiner for the Board of Trade Bankruptcy Departments. They lived at 8 Oppidans Road, Hampstead.

1921, 29th October -John Douglas Miller died and was residing at "Hadley" Watford Road, Croxley Green at the time of his death. Probate was granted on 8th December 1921 December. His wife being the sole beneficiary.

Currently we do not have any records when or why John and Fanny chose to move to Hadley, Watford Road, Croxley Green as recorded on the 1921 census, but it is interesting that he chose to name his house by the area he had moved from?

Whilst researching John we also discovered his brother William Edwards Miller who had been born in Florence was admitted to the Royal Academy School on 29th May 1868, a few months prior to John. William was admitted on 14th January 1869. (See Below)

Examples of work by John Douglas Miller

John Douglas Miller, Sylvia (Mezzotint)

John Douglas Miller, Invocation (Mezzotint)

John Douglas Miller, Faith after Leighton 1900 (watercolour)

John Douglas Miller, The Surprise (Mezzotint)

John Douglas Miller, The Lady of Shalott (Mezzotint)

John Douglas Miller, The First Whisper of Love, after Bouguereau

John Douglas Miller, Summer Slumber (Engraving)

William Edward Miller

William Edwards Miller was admitted to the RA Schools on 29th May 1868, a few months before his brother John Douglas Miller was admitted on 14th January 1869.

Apparently in 1910 William Edwards Miller painted a portrait of Lewis Evans (1853–1930), another collector whose benefaction of time and other instruments endowed foundation of the Museum of the History of Science at Oxford in 1925. Though cut down at some time after Evans’s death, that portrait was first lent to the MoHS by Evans’s grandson in 1984 (via the Ashmolean Museum) and presented to it in 2020. A surviving pre-cut-down copy, probably also by Miller, also appears to have been commissioned by the John Dickinson paper company about 1918, marking Evans’s retirement as its chairman (1912–1918). This Evans connection – and the two men would certainly have known of each other as collectors alone – also led Miller to give the Oxford Museum three items, including a sixteenth-century iron clock. Even before Evans, Miller was also commissioned in 1897 to paint a full-length portrait of the eight-year-old George St Vincent Harris (1889–1984) later 5th Baron Harris, who started collecting clocks as a boy and amassed what is now the Harris collection at Belmont, Kent (which includes the Miller portrait).