TheMillerFamily



The earliest record that I currently have relating to the Miller / Abrahams family is the birth certificate of my great grandmother, Miriam in 1870.

Here is an extract from it:

Certificate extract
Miriam appears again in the 1881 census (shown just below) as a nine year old along with her brothers, sisters and parents Hant and Rose. Although Miriam's age here doesn't completely stack up against the birth certificate, (she should have been recorded as being ten years old) it's reasonably indisputable that this is the correct family. The mothers name matches the one on the MIriam's certificate and a relative in London also has a recollection of an aunt Lilly. Not only this, but some years later Miriam and Hyman, did name four of their children Rose, Lily, Hart and Minnie....

1881 Census extract:

4 Gibraltar Walk Shop, Bethnal Green, London.
NameRelationAgeBirthplace
Hant* AbrahamsHead49Poland
Rose AbrahamsWife32Leeds
Barnett AbrahamsSon18London
David AbrahamsSon11London
Miriam AbrahamsDaur9London
Simeon AbrahamsSon8London
Ada AbrahamsDaur7London
Lilly AbrahamsDaur5London
Manasaeh AbrahamsSon3London
Minnie AbrahamsDaur1London

* Proved later to be a mistranscription of Hart. (See below.)

 

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Now in 1891, we can see Miriam as a young lady married to Hyman. Miriam's age now seems to be restored to agree with her birth certificate!

1891 Census extracts:

37 Pelham Street, Mile End, London.
NameRelationAgeOccupationBirthplace
Hyman AbrahamsHead24MachinistPoland
Miriam AbrahamsWife20 Bethnal Green
 
8 Gibraltar Walk Shop, Bethnal Green, London.
NameRelationAgeOccupationBirthplace
Hart AbrahamsHead45Dealer - Leather CuttingsPoland
Rosetta AbrahamsWife43 Leeds
Simon AbrahamsSon18Boot CheckerBethnal Green
Ada AbrahamsDaur16Boot TrimmerBethnal Green
Lilly AbrahamsDaur14 Bethnal Green
Mannaseh AbrahamsSon13 Bethnal Green
Minnie AbrahamsDaur11 Bethnal Green
Rebecca AbrahamsDaur10 Bethnal Green

After finding information on the 1891 census and receiving Hart's death certificate (part of which is shown below) it is now apparent that his name as found on the Mormon's 1881 census was mis-transcribed when it was transferred onto CD. They had recorded him as "Hant" instead of Hart. His age would also appear to have been wrong on the 1881 census as he should have been 34 or 35 depending on when his birthday fell.

Certificate extract

 

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Here is Miriam with her family in 1902
The Miller Family c1902
The children at the back are Rosie, Hart and Lily.
Seated are the parents Miriam and Hyman.
On Miriam's lap is Minnie and on Hyman's lap is my grandmother Esther, known to most people throughout her long life as "Hetty". She was my mum's mum.

All of Hyman and Miriam's children were given the last name of "Abrahams" on their birth certificates but at the same time, rather confusingly, the family officially went by the surname of Miller. (See the 1901 census extract below.) The name was almost certainly anglicised to help the family run business - Hyman was a master tailor.

1901 Census extract:

26 Pemells Place,Camberwell, London.
NameRelationAgeBirthplace
Hyman MillerHead
Tailor/Employer
37Poland
Miriam MillerWife29London, Peckham
Rose MillerDaur8London, Peckham
Leah MillerDaur4London, Peckham
Hart MillerSon3London, Peckham
Esther MillerDaur1London, Peckham

At the time that this census was taken (31st March 1901) Miriam would have been three months pregnant with their last child, Minnie. Also, their second daughter, Leah, was known throughout her life as Lily.

Certificate extract
The certificate above records the birth of "Hetty" (Esther) who would one day become my "Nanna"....

 

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Hetty

   
 

The first photo shows Hetty (known affectionately by my brother and me, as "Nanna Martin") as a thirty year old in July 1929.
As you can see from the photo' below that, my grandmother was still a lovely looking lady in her mid 70's.
On the right is Hetty's husband Arthur Martin. (Born - Arthur Nunes Martinez.) Unfortunately, I was only ten months old when he died in February 1966 and so I never got to know my grandfather and have no memories of him. My memories of Nanna Martin though, are plentiful and all happy ones. Hetty was the warmest and most generous and loving grandma that one could wish to have. Arthur's brother, Baron, also changed his name to Martin and co-incidentally married Hetty's sister, Minnie.

 

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