John Miller

from the Cumnock Chronicle 1915

He wasn't killed in the Dardanelles though but in the Battle of Loos.

Name:	John Miller
Birth Place:	Kilburnie, Ayrshire
Death Date:	13 Oct 1915
Death Place:	France and Flanders
Enlistment Place:	Perth
Rank:	Private
Regiment:	Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
Battalion:	1st Battalion
Regimental Number:	3324
Type of Casualty:	Killed in action
Theatre of War:	Western European Theatre

CWGC gives a bit more information

Rank:

Private

Service No:

3324

Date of Death:

13/10/1915

Age:

26

Regiment/Service:

Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)

 

1st Bn.

Panel Reference:

Panel 78 to 83.

Memorial:

LOOS MEMORIALinally

Additional Information:

Son of Joseph and Barbara Miller, of 110, Skares Row, Cumnock, Ayrshire.

So John Miller was born about 1889 in Kilbirnie to Joseph and Barbara Miller who were from Poland and Miller is clearly not their original name. I looked in the 1915 valuation roll for 110 Skares Row and it was empty!

Conclusion based on what follows below - he was not born in Kilbirnie but in Poland (Lithuania) and was probably called Jonas Andrizanskis

Then I found this clip about a brother called Alex.

from the Cumnock Chronicle 1916

Found by Bobby in the Chronicle 1917, added Sep 2018

The only possible record that partially matches is the 1911 census where the following family lived in Ayr.

1911 census
52 Green St Newton, Ayr
Joseph Miller 48 born Holland ( could this be a mishearing of Poland?)
Barbara Miller 39 wife married 22 years 4 ch 4 living b Holland
John son 21 single b Holland
Alexander son 18 single b Holland
Cosker son 11 b Kilbirnie
Francis son 4 b Cumnock

The first news clip suggests the family has been in the UK for 25 years so about 1890 so maybe soon after the birth of Alex.

The handwriting is quite clear. Son no 3 is definitely "Cosker". (See update below for more about "Cosker"

I thought if I got the birth cert for Cosker or Francis that would solve it all but I can't find either!


He is John Millar on the War Memorials in Cumnock Parish Church,  in Cumnock new cemetery and in Skares as well as the Loos Memorial in France.

Skares memorial in the church photographed by Morag Gordon

Update 16 Oct 2014
I found a report of the sudden death of Castor Miller in Skares. But I can't find a death certificate either. I guess the certificates have the Polish names on them. Will need to see if the nice registration staff at the Burns Centre can help.

Update 19 November 2014
Indeed the Burns Monument registration staff member  on duty was wonderful ( a lady from Cumnock originally!) and pored through the original books till the death certificate was found.  With this information got the births of both Castor and Frank and the death records of father Joseph and Frank.  Castor's name was Kaztaniszy Andrizanskis. Father was Jousapus Andrizanskis and Frank was Bladisla. Mother was Barbara Balszitiz.  These names seem to be of Lithuanian origin.

The family lived at 110 Skares from between 1911- 1916 until after 1939.  The parents were married in Poland in December 1887.

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