John Milliner is commemorated by a large plaque in the entrance of St Mary’s Church, Undy, Monmouthshire. It tells us he died in 1787. But who was he? This is his family history story as researched by Welsh genealogist Michael Edwards.
John Milliner (aka Milner) of Caldicot, Monmouthshire died on 15 Feb 1787. In his will, written only days before he died, he described himself as ‘very sick and weake but of perfect mind.’ He asked his wife Elizabeth to be the executor and to decide where he would be buried. John also listed their 7 children. They would inherit John’s estate when Elizabeth died or remarried.
John also left some specific items to two of his four sons. William inherited John’s watch, a horse and saddle, one cow and all of John’s clothes – except his ‘Buckskin Breeches.’ John, his younger son, was the lucky one. He got the trousers!
John Milner and Elizabeth had 11 children in total, but sadly four died in childhood. John had married Elizabeth Harris in Magor parish church on 06 Aug 1754, just in time… Their first child Thomas was christened in Magor on 20 Sep 1754. Their youngest was probably Elizabeth or ‘Betty’ Milner. She was born about 1776.
After John died, his wife Elizabeth lived for almost 50 years as a widow. She was buried in Undy on 24 Jul 1801.
What happened to their children? Their four sons married and lived and farmed locally in Whitson and Mathern. Their three daughters appear to have married well. The eldest Anne married Richard Pain, a Gloucestershire Gentleman, in St. Pierre in 1798. She died in 1815 and was buried in Mathern. The middle daughter Cecelia married William Cowles. They lived at Court Farm, Llanfihangel-Pontymoile. Betty, the youngest, travelled the furthest. She married John Pendergrass in Redwick in 1796. John was from Workington, Cumberland. Betty moved there, raised 6 children and was buried there on 27 Sep 1836.
So what became of the Buckskin Breeches? Sadly, we do not know. This looks like it will remain a family history mystery!
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