| Notes |
- NOTE 1./ THE SURNAME MILLIE
The research of the Millie Surname for my ancestors stops with Robert R. Millie. His name was obtained from the Ontario Marriage Registration of Henry Thomas Beale Millie and Grace Edith Melmer. The lost ancestors seem to be in the maze of Ireland's sons. ADDENDUM 10-12-02 : On the Marriage Registration of Henrietta Amelia Millie and Robert Scott, the parents are listed, showing that the individual previously known only as Robert R. Millie, was in fact Robert Rumgay Millie. This consequently opened the door to our Millie roots leading back from Ireland to that of Scottish origins. The single generation spent in Ireland, explains the uncommomality of the surname within her confines. Scotland however has many Rumgays, and several clans of Millies that may never be connected, in several different parishes, but to a high degree in Fife, and around central Scotland. There are several indications that our Millie surname or a derivative spelling, will lead back to France at about the time of the Hugenot Revolution.
The surname Millie is a derivative of several different spellings. Millicent, Millier, Millay, Milly, de Milly, d'Milly, Milia, Mealy and others. Andrew J. Millie of NSW Australia, has done extensive research on the relationships of these variants. An example of his findings follows: ....... " de MILLY and MILCENT are definitely 100% guaranteed to be the same families. A lot of Nobility dropped their noble surnames during the Wars of Religion and were known by different names. de Milly/Milcent is just one example of this" ..........
The derivatives surnames of Millie has it's origins in France and the family was Huguenot, '...a name given to the French Calvinist Protestants of the 16th and 17th centuries...largely inspired by Martin Luther...During the 17th century the Huguenots saw their power and privileges progressively undermined by the strongly Catholic kings Louis XIII and Louis XIV...In 1685 the Edict of Nantes was revoked, and thousands of Protestants chose to migrate from France rather than accept Catholicism.' Many, fled to England and Scotland.
NOTE 2./ FIFE, SCOTLAND : FIFE in The 1830's
POPULATION.
In 1755, the population was 2540
1793 2320
1811 2407
1821 2840
1831 2762
Number of families in the parish, 606
chiefly employed in agriculture 183
trade, manufactures, or handicraft 281
Since 1831, there has been a great increase in the number of the people ; and, from the accounts of their establishments, which were lately given in by the several manufacturers in the parish, we are authorized to say, that the population must now be about 3000 at least. In 1793, 138 looms are said to have been employed in the parish. From 700 to 900 of the inhabitants are now employed in weaving and winding. From 170 to 200 are employed regularly in the mills; and, with the exception of about 30, who are employed in the lime-works, the greater part which remains of the working population is agricultural. The town of Cupar is so near to Ceres, that there are few shopkeepers or venders of any commodities in the latter place.
CHARACTER and HABITS of the PEOPLE:.-The people are universally industrious, and in general they cultivate the sister virtues of temperance and frugality. Considerable attention to neatness and cleanliness also may be discovered among them. Dr Arnot, author of the former account, mentions, that among the women, the cloak and bonnet had become substitutes for the plaid; and among the men, that the bonnet was supplanted by the hat. It is singular enough, that the plaid and bonnet should now be both regaining their former estimation. There exists also among the people a considerable deal of information, and a general desire for knowledge. A subscription and circulating library was commenced by them in 1828. It consists now of 500 volumes, in which there is varied as well as much useful reading. There are 100 subscribers to this library.
During the last three years, there were 3 illegitimate births in the parish.
MANUFACTURES:-Since the date of the last Statistical Account three spinning mills have been built in the parish, and a bleachfield establishment has been erected at Duraden. In 1827, two mills were built on the grounds of Easter Pitscottie. The machinery is propelled partly by water, and partly by steam. The steam, in general, is only required in summer, occasionally when the water is light. The mills belong to Messrs William and James Yool, manufacturers, Ceres.
There is accommodation for the families of the workers in the buildings at these mills ; and they contain altogether upwards of 150 individuals. There is a teacher and a small library attached to the mills. The other spinning-mill, which belongs to Mr David Yool, was erected at Tarvit in 1799. The machinery at this mill goes partly by water, and partly by steam; and the power is applied also to the turning of a saw-mill. The three spinning-mills are occupied in preparing and spinning flax, tow, and yarns. The raw material is obtained from Dundee and the yarns are sent partly to the Dundee market, and partly to manufacturers in Fife. 150 men, women, and young people are employed. The bleachfield establishment was erected in 1825 by some manufacturers in Ceres. It has received the name of St Ann's Bleaching Company, from a well of that name in the vicinity. The number of hands employed varies from 35 to 40. The supply of brown raw material for it, is chiefly obtained from the mills already mentioned. Previous to the erection of this bleachfield, little was manufactured by the weavers in Ceres except " Brown Silesias;" now the yarns are all cleaned and bleached, and the people are employed in weaving dowlas and sheeting. From 700 to 900 are engaged in this employment ; and from L. 50,000 to L. 60,000 Sterling worth of dowlas and sheeting are annually manufactured in the parish. To any one who reads this statement of the manufacture, it will be evident that the various works are most profitably arranged. The mills supply the bleacbfield, and the bleachfield supplies the weavers : and while there is a saving in this manner, as to the carriage of the various articles, there is also an encouragement to the manufacture of the place. There is every likelihood that the manufacture of this flourishing place will, in a few years, become more extended ; and there are, at present, some proposals of erecting another mill on a very extensive plan..
PAROCHIAL ECONOMY
MARKETS;- There is a weekly market in Cupar, the county town, distant only two miles and a half. But this widely extended parish has an easy access to markets in several places . and some of the farmers find it convenient to send their produce to Largo, some to St Andrews, and a very few to Dundee. There are two annual markets or fairs held in the village of Ceres, one on the 24th June, and the other on the 20th day of October; and both of them are most numerously resorted to, as excellent wool, and corn, and horse, and cattle-markets.
MEANS OF COMMUNICATION;-A turnpike road runs from east to west through the whole length of the parish. There is also a road which runs from north to south, through the breadth of the parish. In summer, a daily-coach runs through Ceres, and joins the steamboat which leaves Largo for Edinburgh. A messenger, paid by the inhabitants of Ceres, carries letters or papers daily to Cupar, the post-town. There are regular carriers from Ceres to all the neighbouring towns.
ECCLESIASTICAL STATE:- Ceres parish is a rectory, which, before the Reformation, belonged to the Provostry of Kirkhheugh, a religious house at St Andrews. A considerable part of the east end of the parish formerly belonged to the parish of St Andrews, and about the year 1620, was annexed to Ceres, quoad sacra tantum, (as it was long thought;) but the present incumbent discovered that there was no such reservation, and it is now annexed, quoad sacra et civilia. Ceres originally belonged to St Andrews presbytery. In the old church of Ceres, there was an aisle on the south, which belonged to the family of Craighall, and which, before the Reformation, was a chapel dedicated to St Ninian. The schoolmaster of Ceres uniformly receives a presentation to the Chaplainry. There used to be a salary of L. 3 Scots paid to him; but the houses in Cupar from which this salary was paid cannot now be discovered. The present church was built in 1806. It stands on a height, where formerly stood the old church and chapel : it was situated on the outskirts of the old town, but since the new town or Bridge-end was built, it may be said to be in the centre of the village. It is seated for 1100, but actually holds 1300, and the seats are very advantageously disposed both for bearers and speaker. These seats all belong to the heritors of the parish, and there is no rent charged for the use of them. Seats are appropriated for the proprietors and farmers, and the remainder are free and open to the people, and, except on very bad days, they are well filled. There are two meetings in the church, winter and summer. The average number of communicants is 1000. The right of patronage, by a grant from the Crown, was vested in the Crawford family.
There are also two meeting-houses in the village of Ceres, one for the Associate Congregation of Antiburgher Seceders, which was built in 1744, the other for the Presbytery of Relief. To each of these are attached a settled clergyman and regular congregation. A brotherly feeling and Christian spirit pervades the greater number of the members of these three congregations and you will occasionally find them in each others place of worship.
There are about 86 families in this parish attached to the Relief Church, and about the same number to the Secession.
NOTE 3./ HISTORICAL reference: The Year Was 1829
The year was 1829, and in Scotland, there was a catastrophic flood. According to a paper online at the website of Fettes College, Edinburgh, Scotland, the Muckle Spate (large flood) of 1829, began on August 3, 1829 in northeast Scotland and was "the most severe catastrophic flood in modern UK history." It extended across a large area of Scotland, from Inverness to Montrose, and devastated homes and agriculture in the affected areas. The Edinburgh Advertiser from August 11, 1829 provides detailed coverage of some of the affected areas, including the excerpt below:
The Dee was first observed to increase about four o'clock on Monday afternoon, and it continued to rise until about eleven o'clock on Tuesday forenoon, when it remained stationary for a few hours; after which, it began to recede with considerable rapidity. In some places, it attained an elevation of eleven feet above its ordinary level. . . The low grounds in the vicinity of the river were completely inundated, and so great, in some parts of its course, was the space over which it extended, that it presented the appearance rather of a lake than a river. . . Vast quantities of hay, straw, timber, &c. have been swept away; and so great was the force of the torrent, that many fields were stript of their soil, and covered with sand and stones. A good many cattle and sheep may have been drowned; but as it is customary, in the upper parts of the country to leave numerous flocks scattered over the hills, it will be impossible, for some time to ascertain with accuracy the numbers that have perished. Fortunately, notwithstanding the imminent to which many people were exposed from the suddenness of the inundation, no loss of human life has arisen from the overflowing of the Dee. Several cottages have, at Ballaster and other places, been carried away; and so completely were others surrounded with water, that a stranger could scarce have told on which side of the river they stood. A good many people were rescued, by means of boats, from being drowned in their own houses, and were obliged to resign their furniture, &c. to destruction. With the exception of the bridge near Aberdeen, and that at Potarch, all the bridges over the Dee have either been swept away, or sustained more or less injury. . . .
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1798 - Bef 1886 (< 87 years)
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