William Miller - Businessman Poet (1850-1929)

William Miller was born in St. Ninians, Stirling in 1850 to Janet Wright and Alexander Miller (A descendant of Thomas Miller of Myres, St Ninians, who purchased the Myres estate in 1700). William became a coal merchant in Falkirk and married Elizabeth Mary Douglas in 1874. They had one daughter, Elizabeth, in 1876, but her mother, Elizabeth Mary, died in Falkirk in 1880. William re-married Janet Grieve of Bowden, Roxburgh in November, 1881 and they had four children, William (b.1882 in Falkirk) who became a Royal Navy surgeon (killed in action in 1914), Agnes (b.1884 in Falkirk) Janet (b. 1886 in Glasgow) and Marian (b. 1888 in Glasgow). By 1901, William Miller was a manager in the furniture trade living with his family in Pollokshields, Glasgow and died there in 1929.

It is clear from the book that he published in 1912, namely, 'Legends of The Trossachs And Other Poems', which uses as subjects, many of his family experiences and religious thoughts, that he had been deeply affected by both the joys and the tragedies in his life. However, perhaps his two most appealing works concern neither of these topics! These are more historical in nature -  a song, 'The Stirling Rock' and a poem, 'Memories Of The Past' ..... which latter, among other things, reveals a story about Bonnie Prince Charlie's supposed dalliance in 1746 with Clementina Barrowfield in Torbrex House, St Ninians.

Memories Of The Past (pdf)